Is a very hard task with many subtleties.
Nothing lasts forever in this world, and priceless works of art created by great masters of the past, the time is also not spared. But fortunately, with the efforts of experienced restorers of paintings, sculptures, murals come back to life. About how it manages people who work with priceless masterpieces, and will be discussed in our review.
1. Contemporary art is more difficult to restore than the old masters
From the first glance one would think that centuries-old paintings, with their layers of accumulated dirt, restore is harder than work made much later. But Barbara Bertieri, a restorer of paintings in new York, argues that it is not. The old masters always performed in a certain way and for them to get out some paints and canvases.
That is why the restorers are familiar with these techniques, as well as ways to restore them. Modern art can be much more unpredictable and include all kinds of materials. You never know what will face.
2. The art market
Steve Tatti, a restorer of sculptures in Manhattan, said that for him to seek a variety of clients from museums to private collectors to urban municipalities. Increasingly, according to him, the restoration of order private collectors who seek to capitalize on their investments, not large institutions.
Also very frequent are cases when the restoration order for the subsequent sale of a work of art at auction to raise the price of the lot. In the last 10-15 years has opened up a whole new art-market — India. It happened in connection with the growth of the Indian economy and, consequently, renewed interest in art.
3. Natural factors
Often restorers bring the work, severe damage which was caused as a result of natural forces. When restoring such items professionals have to assess the color changes that occurred due to changes in humidity, temperature, light and age.
4. The human factor
Mistakes happen always, but they are especially deplorable when happen with works of art worth thousands or millions of dollars. Because of the high turnover at auction houses sometimes accidents happen, when damaged the priceless paintings and statues. Because of this auction house — regulars restorers.
5. The right lighting
On restored works that look great under one light, in another light, can be a huge noticeable flaws. Why restorers always consider their work under a variety of artificial and natural light sources and with all sorts of angles. Another important instrument restorer is a UV lamp, because the light in the ultraviolet range causes most organic materials to fluoresce.
6. Tools
In addition to the usual artistic tools such as brushes and paint, as well as high-tech devices, such as ultraviolet radiation, infrared light and x-rays, the restorers also borrow tools from other fields. For example, the use of scalpels, droppers and clips from medicine, braces of dentistry, tweezers from jewelry, etc.
7. Sometimes the best tool — his absence
The knowledge and intuition of the restorer may be the best tool. The best experts are those that rely primarily on their feelings.
8. Sometimes it’s better to leave things as they are
Each qualified restorer knows when it is better not to interfere. They emphasize that if you overdo it with bleach, it can ruin the whole picture. Also be very careful to apply varnish to protect the paintings, because it changes the saturation of the colors.
9. Most restorers spend a lot of time alone
While the job of a dealer involves a lot of interaction with clients, work of the artist-restorer is alone with artwork. Often conservators are obsessed with their work.
10. Their work can be dangerous
Although in recent years the use of such materials is on the wane, art restorers have always used dangerous solvents and other substances. Typically, the people of this profession washed my hands in acetone, turpentine and white spirit, which is often irritated or damaged skin, lungs and mucous membranes.
11. Non-standard working conditions
Sometimes workplace of the restorer can be very non-standard. For example, when the restoration of murals at the airport of a name of John Kennedy restorers worked, hanging in the air on the cradles. Because each mural weighed a ton, and its dimensions were 5×15 meters. When this painting was not first removed from the wall.
12. Sometimes conservators find fakes
Sometimes restorers discover during the work that the painting, which for centuries was considered the originals are high-quality replicas. For example, when updating a collection of seventeen paintings of the 15th century the pen of Raphael, Rubens, Titian and other famous painters of fluoroscopy it was discovered that this copy of the 19th century.
13. Sometimes restorers create fakes
Sometimes the best way to protect valuable works of art that are exhibited in public, is place them in a closed room. Many institutions and municipalities, particularly in Europe, decided to place the original work in a more secure environment, and to publicly exhibit a copy of frost-resistant materials. These copies do just professional restorers.
14. The lack of publicity
The work of an experienced restorer often “invisible” to everyone going on deep behind the scenes and aimed at the removal of the damage caused to the subject of art. While the figure itself does not pay attention. Repin’s painting “Ivan the terrible kills his son” has suffered from three strokes of the knife.
15. Best customers — those who loves art
While today the art objects are increasingly becoming a common commodity, there is still collectors, which are driven by the love of the art itself. These collectors are the best customers of the restorers, because they refer to these professionals as those who “save their treasures.”
