In celebration of his 133rd birthday, let’s take a closer look at Duchamp’s intaglio print of a cubist-style coffee grinder currently undergoing conservation in the Paper Lab.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: A Bird's Eye View

by Conservation

7/30/2020

textile conervation , costume conservation , behind the scenes , dyed to match , 1930s fashion

A bird's eye view in the textile conservation lab workbench this week brings us these pajama bottoms and a little of the mid-conservation chaos that goes into making them look their best.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Checking in with our summer intern

by Conservation

7/22/2020

objects conservation , lacquered box , hidden objects , conservation , behind the scenes , conservation internship

The objects conservation lab is happy to welcome summer intern Nicole Schmidt, a graduate student from the Garman Art Conservation Department at SUNY Buffalo State in her third year of training.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: A sneak peek!

by Conservation

7/16/2020

behind the scenes , paintings conservation , Varnish removal , Nicolas Lancret , French Rococo , rococo pastoral , 17th century French painting

These days, our paintings conservator is working on a painting that, as you can see, is long overdue for cleaning.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: A Long Title for a Long Print

by Conservation

7/9/2020

paper conservation , Order of Cincinnatus , Eleventh Cincinnati Exposition , Panorama print , CAC Cincinnati , behind the scenes

This year the Cincinnati Art Museum is again supporting the Contemporary Arts Center by lending a book to their newly opened exhibit, “Tania Candiani: Sounding Labor, Silent Bodies”.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Storing your fashion objects safely

by Conservation

7/2/2020

objects conservation , textiles , behind the scenes , fashion , storage , padded hangers

Want to store your treasured fashion objects safely at home? If your objects are safe to hang, you can make your own padded hangers.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: 18th Century Chinese Lacquer Table

by Conservation

6/25/2020

behind the scenes , objects conservation , conservation , Lacquerware , chinese lacquer , chinese furniture

This week in objects conservation we are working on a 18thC Chinese lacquer table with shell inlay.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Tale of the Bamboo Cutter

by Conservation

6/18/2020

Conservation , behind the scenes , Kita Kizuki , Tale of the Bamboo Cutter , Japanese painting , paper conservation , japanese scroll

Staff members have been very active in the museum galleries for the past month. One of the cases that was due for its regular rotation is the hanging scroll case in Gallery 138.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Silk Dress

by Conservation

6/4/2020

conservation , behind the scenes , evening dress , textile conservation , silk dress

It’s working! In the textile conservation lab this week, our textile conservator has been working on preparing this silk dress for an upcoming exhibition.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Conserving Pinocchio

by Conservation

5/28/2020

Jim Dine , Pinocchio , behind the scenes , conservation

This week in Objects Conservation we are outside with Pinocchio!

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Quarantined in traction!

by Conservation

5/21/2020

paintings conservation , painting stretcher , Robert Frederick Blum , canvas tension

Here’s a conservation treatment that has continued during the stay-at-home period for our paintings conservator.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Time Well Spent

by Conservation

5/14/2020

paper conservation , stained print , stained paper , Paul Albert Besnard

Our paper conservator has not been in the lab since March, but she is still working on the collection.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: The Padded Headboard Doppelganger

by Conservation

5/7/2020

textile conservation , behind the scenes , uphostery conservation , headboard , furnture

This padded headboard insert has a doppelganger. It is being prepared for an exhibition next year and came to the textile conservation lab for treatment.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Record Keeping

by Conservation

4/30/2020

behind the scenes , objects conservation , korean lacquered chest , object conservation , record keeping

Did you know that one of the most important parts of conservation is keeping a detailed and thorough record of every treatment?

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Some forensic findings

by Conservation

4/23/2020

Bonnard , paintings conservation , behind the scenes , oil sketch , technical art history

When this landscape by Pierre Bonnard went out on loan to another museum a few years ago, our paintings conservator only had time to surface-clean it, to remove the dust and grime that was on the surface.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Installing Unframed Prints

by Conservation

4/16/2020

Lorna Simpson , women breaking boundaries , waterless lithography , light sensitivity , behind the scenes , conservation

For those of you who saw Women Breaking Boundaries before the museum had to close its galleries, you would have seen the wall-sized piece by Lorna Simpson, Wigs.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Take Color for a Spin

by Conservation

4/9/2020

textile conservation , behind , fiber art , textile art

What is a “textile” anyway? Take Color for a Spin is a fiber sculpture made of crocheted forms stiffened with a coating and strung together with wire.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: 19th Century Cup and Saucer

by Conservation

4/2/2020

ceramics conservation , objects conservation , porcelain , capillary action , behind the scenes , cup , saucer

This set is made of porcelain with very thin, translucent walls and a gilt fruit and vine design.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Nineteenth Century American Landscape

by Conservation

3/26/2020

paintings conservation , behind the scenes , american art , landscapes

This painting is a nineteenth century American landscape that has suffered multiple tears in the course of its lifetime, probably due to the poor quality of the canvas.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Recording Watermarks

by Conservation

3/19/2020

Martin Schongauer , beta radiography , watermarks , paper conservation , transmitted light

Our paper conservator has been in the darkroom capturing images of watermarks from some of our Old Master prints.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Day Dress

by Conservation

3/12/2020

in pretty finery , textile conservation , historic dress , dunlevy , behind the scenes

Check out this behind the scenes look from our conservators.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: 19th Century Lacquered Chest

by Conservation

3/5/2020

behind the scenes , conservation , objects conservation , lacquered chest , concealed objects , hidden objects

This week in objects conservation we open up the 19th C Lacquered chest.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Yellow quashes violet!

by Conservation

2/27/2020

sisley , Impressionism , paintings conservation , varnish removal , yellowed varnish , behind the scenes , conservation

This beautiful landscape by Impressionist Alfred Sisley was recently being cleaned of its varnish by our paintings conservator.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: New to Women Breaking Boundaries

by Conservation

2/20/2020

conservation , photography conservation , Camera Work Magazine , Photogravure , Photomechanical reproduction , Gertrude Käsebier

The objects in the Women Breaking Boundaries exhibit in the galleries across from the café are examples of wide-ranging media, including light-sensitive objects.