Early Italian Paintings: Approaches to Conservatism

In this landmark book, some of the world's most respected art historians, conservators, curators, and conservation scientists explore issues in the preservation and restoration of Italian paintings that date from the thirteenth to the sixteenth century. Together their essays illustrate ways in which these associated disciplines can enhance one another's understanding of works of art. The authors address not only the conservation of early Italian pictures but also overall philosophies and problems, past and present, of conservation. These topics include prevailing attitudes toward conservation methodologies in the twentieth century; the presentation of damaged and fragmented paintings; the implications of varnishes used in early Italian painting; the aesthetics and practice of retouching and restoration; and the identification of the artists' and conservators' materials. The book is the publication of the proceedings of a symposium that took place at the Yale University Art Gallery in April of 2002.