Conservation

Reframing Albert Moore’s Study for “Blossoms”: Historical Design, Contemporary Production
Read how a curatorial fellow and frame conservator teamed up to create a historically accurate reproduction of an unusual 19th-century frame.

Introducing the Art + Science Pathway
Stories about what’s hidden within a selection of works—discovered through technical analysis—are now highlighted in the galleries.
Multi-layered: Louis Delsarte’s Color Separations
A conservation scientist and paper conservator explain how Louis Delsarte made his photolithograph Unity using color separations.

Understanding Paper: Structures, Watermarks, and a Conservator’s Passion
Paper conservation fellow Leonie Müller guides readers in an examination of paper’s material qualities and explains how its structures reflect the process of how it’s made.

Finding Its Footing: The Puzzles of an Ancient Amphora
In their collaborative effort to reconstruct the base of an ancient vessel, a conservator and a curator make unexpected discoveries.

Art Talk: What Can We Learn from an Ancient Silver Fragment?
A modern reconstruction of a fragmentary ancient object reveals details about its original appearance and its highly skilled manufacture.

Something You Can’t See
Charlene Briggs, receptionist in the Art Study Center, delves into the story behind one of the most famous materials in the Forbes Pigment Collection.

Art Talk: Lifting the Veil from Herbert Bayer’s Verdure
In celebration of the Bauhaus centennial, one of the largest paintings in the Harvard Art Museums collections was cleaned and restored while being studied alongside preparatory works in the collections.

Art Talk: Cyanotypes—Art and Science at Home
Conservation scientist Julie Wertz talks about the science and process of cyanotypes, also demonstrating how to make one at home.
Homecoming for a Degas Drawing
Paper conservator Anne Driesse discusses the treatment of a long-lost Degas drawing that only recently returned to the museums.