Re: [CR]Conservation/restoration etc

(Example: Production Builders:Tonard)

Date: Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:28:44 -0400
From: "G L Romeu" <romeug@comcast.net>
To: alexpianos@yahoo.fr
Subject: Re: [CR]Conservation/restoration etc
References: <835081.9014.qm@web26606.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <835081.9014.qm@web26606.mail.ukl.yahoo.com>
cc: Classicrendezvous@bikelist.org

Theories of museum conservation are constantly evolving and are also subject to the 'fashion' of the period. YOu can find quite a bit of varying opinion in the American press during the restoration of the Sistine Chapel sometime back, there is still no consensus of the results. A similar thing happened with furniture restoration, it was fashionable to 'restore' pieces late in the 19th to mid 20th century, then despised in the late to current. I believe that much of this is market driven, to increase scarcity of the 'pristine (or untouched?)' primarily.
>
> In museums, I haven't noticed that bronze Greek statues are polished up to
> a high finish, and the green surface oxydation removed to get back to the o
> riginal colour? I understand that the patina is actually a surface protect
> ion against the ravages of time.
>
> But of course all of these museum curators might just be idiots, or not hav
> e enough skill, money, or talent to restore/have their works of art restore
> d properly?
> gabriel romeu chesterfield new jersey usa -- G L Romeu
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