'Rome in ruins' : analysis and conservation treatment on a large print of the view of Rome

Abstract

The aim of the discipline of conservation is to stabilise and protect a work of art. If a work of art has suffered or is still suffering from an accident, a chemical reaction, bad environmental conditions, bad manufacturing, because of ignorance or carelessness, then it is the responsibility of the conservator to intervene, stop the damage and preserve the object as much as possible. For this dissertation, an 18th century print of a well-established Italian artist was chosen. The main aim is to carry out a case study on this artefact and in doing so, identify the principal duties of a conservator. One of the main advantages of a case-study is the holistic nature of the project where history, science, art and philosophy combine together. This dissertation is divided into seven chapters. The opening chapter introduces the reader about the case study and describes previous interventions such as the lining onto a textile support and the varnishing of the print which are two major problems of this study. The second and third chapters, give a detailed description of the artist's work and puts the artefact within a historical context. Chapter 4 is a report of the print before treatment was carried out; a vital step in my conservation plan as this was the beginning of my 'relationship' with the artefact. The fifth chapter narrates the whole treatment procedure with references to scientific analysis discussed in Chapter 6. The concluding chapter is a personal opinion about the whole conservation treatment.