FAQ
The Museum’s conservators are delighted to share their knowledge and give advice as far as it is possible. If you have questions for them, you are welcome to write them in the form below.
Ask Questions
We will very shortly open a blog on the restoration of Jordaens’ masterpiece, giving the opportunity to follow the process and ask questions about it, even though you may not be able to drop in to the Museum.
However, the conservators are also happy to answer questions about conservation in general within the following fields:
Areas
Painting
Art on paper
Sculpture
Frames
The Subject
Research into conservation
A degree in conservation
Conservators work at the National Gallery of Denmark
Links to further knowledge
PAINTING
How can I repair or conserve my painting?
There is rarely a quick-fix option. As treatments are object-specific, we recommend that you contact an independent conservator directly. For more information contact:
Nordisk Konservator Forbund
Do you put new paint on losses in the painting?
The answer is both yes and no. It depends on the type of ‘flaw’.
If the original colour is completely missing, the conservator will refill the lacunae. A basic tone, which is slightly lighter than the original, is applied directly over the filling, often in water-colour or gouache.
One or more thin layers of paint, consisting of pigments with synthetic resin as the binder, are applied on top. The resin could be Mowilith 50, a polyvinyl acetate, Paraloid B72, an ethyl-methacrylate-copolymer; Gamblin Conservation Colours, a polymeric resin consisting of aldehydes, could also be used. These synthetic resins will be easier to remove in the future and also change colour very slowly in contrast to oil- or varnish colours, for example.
Another ‘flaw’ in the painting could be that a thin glaze was accidentally cleaned off many years ago during an earlier restoration, or has simply lost its colour due to blanching by light. As we cannot know how intense the colour of this wash may have been, we do not normally attempt to replace it with a new one. This would involve too much guesswork.
Read more...
The restoration of Cecco di Pietro, Virgin and Child playing with a Goldfinch and holding a Sheaf of Millet.
Gamblin Conservation Colours
Kremer Pigmente
FRAMES
I will be visiting your European Frames Exhibition soon. I would be very intersted in visiting your frame conservation studio. Would that be possible?
Unfortunately we do not have a frame conservation studio in our department of conservation. Our conservators carry out treatments on frames when necessary often during treatment of a painting. In our department of conservation we have a studio for paintings conservation, paper conservation and conservation of modern and contemporary art. I hope you will enjoy your visit and the frame exhibition. Please do not hesitate to contact us again for further questions.
A DEGREE IN CONSERVATION
I would like to be a conservator. What training should I choose?
In Denmark, The School of Conservation provides training in Graphic Art, Cultural History, Pictorial Art, Monumental Art or Natural History. The School of Conservation offers a three-year undergraduate course in conservation (BSc) and a further two-year master’s course (master’s degree). The School also offers a three-year post-graduate research course (PhD). For further information visit the website of The School of Conservation.
CONSERVATORS' WORK AT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF DENMARK
What do conservators do at the National Gallery of Denmark?
Conservators support one of the core purposes of the National Gallery of Denmark: to take care of its enormously varied collection of works of art as well as works on loan or deposited with us. The work ranges from charcoal drawings, sculptures of plastic, pictures painted with egg, and to plaster casts.
Besides conserving and restoring works of art, the conservators also examine and document the artists’ materials and techniques employed in the production of each work. This may involve detective work to discover techniques and materials which are no longer used today. Similarly it is also necessary to research into modern materials to understand how their aging processes can be slowed.
Conservators work closely together with conservation scientists to predict long-term change in artworks by recording their condition and registering even minute changes in their structure and appearance.
Conservators make recommendations based on research and the specification of best practice as to low risk methods of handling, packing, storing and transportation of works of art. They search for new ways of preserving art while at the same time making it as accessible as possible.
Read more about conservators’ work
Jeg maler oliemalerier og har problemer med at malingens overflade bliver meget forskellig, når den tørrer. Nogle steder helt gouache-agtig mat og andre steder blank. Det kan være, jeg gør noget forkert i processen - eller er jeg bare nødt til at "fernisere" malerierne? I så fald, hvordan gør jeg det så bedst?
Jeg håber, I kan hjælpe mig, da den meget forskellige overflade får mig til at overveje, om jeg evt. maler uhensigtsmæssig, så malerierne også har kortere holdbarhed.
Mvh. Julie
Her på værkstedet kender vi ingen metoder til BÅDE at bibeholde den matte og stoflige overflade på gouache OG samtidig beskytte den mod stænk og snavs. Vi sætter genstandene bag glas og i montrer som beskyttelse.
Vi holder os fra al slags lim-fixer-lakspray og har altså ingen gode ideer til hvad du kan bruge andet end at forsøge dig frem, som du allerede er i gang med.
Mht. borebiller vil jeg anbefale, at du henvender sig til Nationalmuseets bevaringsafdeling, der ofte behandler træ og derfor er opdateret på de nyeste metoder.
Venlig hilsen
Anja
Jeg laver figurer, der bla. består af en overflade dekoreret med gouache på en grund af vægmaling, kombineret med bemalet og ubemalet kalkepapir (se evt fuglen øverst på min blog http://www.camillabomanjensen.blogspot.dk). Jeg bruger vægmaling pga. tykkelsen (god overflade), den lidt kalkagtige fornemmelse og det matte udtryk. Gouache pga. det matte udtryk. Jeg er ikke vild med akrylfarve.
Nu vil jeg gerne beskytte dem bedst muligt mod snavs og vandstænk og samtidigt beholde det matte udtryk uden at opløse farven under påførslen af en lak.
Jeg har prøvet en windsor newton matte spray varnish uden held (gråt, farveændrende og lugter fælt). Jeg har også forhørt mig om gouache sprayfernis (er dog også terpentin - vil lugte?) og en mat, vandbaseret vokslak fra liquitex, der dog måske kan give problemer i overgange mellem sugende og ikke sugende materialer.
Har I nogen gode idéer?
En del af disse figurer er grene, samlet i skoven. For nyligt opdagede jeg borebiller i en af disse grene. Hvordan kan jeg forebygge angreb på en usynlig måde som ikke lugter i det lange løb? Jeg har hørt om petroleum, men også læst at det ikke er særligt effektivt. Jeg har også hørt, at man kan opvarme grenene i ovnen, men det vil kun være muligt for mig med mindre grene. Jeg har også kun en lille bitte fryser. Har I et godt råd til forebyggelse og beskyttelse derefter?
Jeg har været voluntør på et konservatorværksted engang, og ved, hvor meget I ved, så jeg glæder mig meget til jeres svar og håber, I kan hjælpe :) på forhånd tak!