| CODE | BLH5516 | ||||||||||||
| TITLE | Causes and Processes of Deterioration 2: Easel Paintings | ||||||||||||
| UM LEVEL | 05 - Postgraduate Modular Diploma or Degree Course | ||||||||||||
| MQF LEVEL | 7 | ||||||||||||
| ECTS CREDITS | 5 | ||||||||||||
| DEPARTMENT | Conservation and Built Heritage | ||||||||||||
| DESCRIPTION | This unit focuses on the deterioration of the material constituents of easel paintings. The degradation of such materials will be studied within the context of the complex stratigraphy of a easel paintings, including deterioration factors affecting the building / site / location where it is stored. Deterioration problems will be tackled starting from the identification of deterioration phenomena, to the identification of the causes of deterioration (i.e. anthropic and environmental causes of deterioration, causes inherent to the materials and techniques used to produce these works of art). The processes and mechanisms of deterioration will be discussed. The condition assessment specific to easel paintings will be explained in depth. Case studies will be presented and discussed. This unit will concentrate on (but will be not limited to) mechanical properties of support (including tensioning of canvas, crack formation, response to environmental factors and mishandling), chemical degradation of support, biodeterioration (including insects), and will include a in-depth analysis of topics seen in the unit 'Causes and Processes of Deterioration 1' with a focus on easel paintings, with the presentation of specific case studies. Study-unit Aims: - Provide knowledge of the deterioration of easel paintings; - Provide broad-based information for the study of the products of the deterioration of materials used for the manufacture of easel paintings; - Achieve an understanding of deterioration causes, effects and mechanisms specific to easel paintings. Learning Outcomes: 1. Knowledge & Understanding By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Describe the deterioration mechanisms of materials used to manufacture easel paintings and specific to them with an in depth understanding of the processes; - Explain the degradation of such materials in terms of the chemistry and physics involved differentiating them, if the case, from those of other works of art; - Critically discuss how the deterioration of such materials in the stratigraphy of easel paintings affects the overall work of art. 2. Skills By the end of the study-unit the student will be able to: - Recognise deterioration phenomena and patterns in a specific case study elating them to what affects easel paintings; - Plan the necessary steps to investigate and identify deterioration mechanisms specific to easel paintings; - Plan conservation measures (preventive or remedial) according to the type of deterioration encountered in a specific case study, looking at the specific easel painting, but also at the museum / building / site as a whole, with a holistic approach. Main Text/s and any supplementary readings: Essential Readings: - Hill Stoner, J. and Rushfield, R. (Eds) (2012). Conservation of Easel Paintings. Routledge - Saunders, D., & Kirby, J. (2004). The effect of relative humidity on artists' pigments. National Gallery Technical Bulletin, 25, 62-72. (Available at https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/42616177.pdf?casa_token=QrTG7ZzqDzEAAAAA:R-9o6AbO2zauwMNKPUh2IwulWJb5tsUsFIXCVEKh42GyDs3KfbyxueYAgxhWO5hvBIlkjnT1EKP9PFlrSTetyaiug17ginGESzHr-weP270Dq2EJAX4) - Keune, K., Kramer, R. P., Stangier, S., & van Eikema Hommes, M. H. (2019). Impact of Lead soaps on the formation of age craquelure. Metal Soaps in Art: Conservation and Research, 107-121 - Burnstock, A. (2019). Taking different forms: metal soaps in paintings, diagnosis of condition, and issues for treatment. Metal Soaps in Art: Conservation and Research, 243-262 - Young, C. R. T., & Hibberd, R. D. (2000). The role of canvas attachments in the strain distribution and degradation of easel paintings. Studies in Conservation, 45(sup1), 212-220. (Available at https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1179/sic.2000.45.Supplement-1.212?casa_token=gOvUz2V6O_EAAAAA:5eGse5q9sBRuJfxVIQ7g8p8II4Fc8ypf5oO5y5dV4WtQ7RoTa5qy18Ma23hsK-XZ7oy8JpJRDicL) - Petersen, K., & Klocke, J. (2020). Understanding the deterioration of paintings by microorganisms and insects. In Conservation of easel paintings (pp. 710-730). Routledge. Further readings: - Poyatos, F., Morales, F., Nicholson, A. W., & Giordano, A. (2018). Physiology of biodeterioration on canvas paintings. Journal of cellular physiology, 233(4), 2741-2751. (Available at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/jcp.26088?casa_token=Qk0On_vCtqwAAAAA:9sUDAXiNQ1_2Ff2lgkcJrzP03j8qeQ5rvrQ5a6--gA2RwnKF-qlA-jRNzZ6SSk1JCWdAe2uU-qx7Trw) |
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| ADDITIONAL NOTES | Pre-Requisite Study-unit: BLH5506 | ||||||||||||
| STUDY-UNIT TYPE | Lecture and Fieldwork | ||||||||||||
| METHOD OF ASSESSMENT |
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| LECTURER/S | Sophie Briffa |
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The University makes every effort to ensure that the published Courses Plans, Programmes of Study and Study-Unit information are complete and up-to-date at the time of publication. The University reserves the right to make changes in case errors are detected after publication.
The availability of optional units may be subject to timetabling constraints. Units not attracting a sufficient number of registrations may be withdrawn without notice. It should be noted that all the information in the description above applies to study-units available during the academic year 2024/5. It may be subject to change in subsequent years. |
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