Skip to content

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Street Cleaning

by Serena Urry, Chief Conservator

5/11/2023

CAMConservation , paintings conservation , hopper

We recently cleaned Sunlight on Prospect Street, Gloucester, Massachusetts by Edward Hopper (1882–1967).

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: A Charming Secret

by Serena Urry, Chief Conservator

4/13/2023

CAMConservation , paintings conservation , Impressionism , Pierre Auguste Renoir

Painted by the French Impressionist Pierre Auguste Renoir (1841–1919), Fog on Guernsey recently paid a visit to our lab for cleaning—and it let us in on a charming secret.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Revealing an (Anonymous) British Lady

by Serena Urry, Chief Conservator

3/16/2023

CAMConservation , paintings conservation , British portraiture

This portrait of an anonymous lady by an anonymous British artist was so dirty that only the most basic details were visible before conservation.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Another British Invasion!

by Serena Urry, Chief Conservator

2/16/2023

CAMConservation , paintings conservation , Sir Joshua Reynolds , portrait , British catalog project , European Paintings

These three portraits by Sir Joshua Reynolds (British, 1723–1792) have come out of storage and into the conservation lab for the museum’s British catalog project . They are due to be examined, and perhaps treated, before heading to our photography department for high resolution imaging.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Brightening a Nearly 100-Year-Old Harbor Scene

by Serena Urry, Chief Conservator

1/19/2023

paintings conservation , CAMConservation , Selden

Before the work was shipped to the museum from out of state, our curator of American art, Julie Aronson, PhD, contacted a professionally trained paintings conservator in that region to examine it. He noted a few areas with cracks and lifting paint that might be jeopardized during transport. With permission from the owner , the conservator applied the three tissue paper patches you see here to make sure that no paint flakes were lost in transit.

Revealing a “Hidden” Cézanne

by Serena Urry, Chief Conservator

12/15/2022

Cezanne , X-ray , CAMConservation , paintings conservation

A few months ago, I posted about the complicated surface coatings on Cézanne’s Still Life with Bread and Eggs.” But what was going on under the surface was even more of a surprise.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Women at the Races

by Conservation

10/6/2022

CAMConservation , Manet , paintings , paintings conservation

Look for the recently conserved painting in our gallery soon.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Bread, Eggs, and UV Light

by Conservation

9/15/2022

CAMConservation , paintings , Paul Cezanne , still lifes , paintings conservation

Look for Bread and Eggs (and onions!) to return to the permanent galleries soon.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Phew!

by Conservation

8/18/2022

Murillo , paintings , paintings conservation , CAMConservation , framing

The last step of conserving the large 7’ x 5’ painting by Murillo has arrived.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Structural Support

by

6/23/2022

Murillo , paintings conservation , paintings , CAMConservation , strip lining

Now that the Murillo has been cleaned of varnish and retouching, it’s time to address its structural support, in other words, the canvas and stretcher.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Varnished Villanueva

by Conservation

5/26/2022

Murillo , paintings conservation , CAMConservation

Cleaning of the very large painting by the Spanish artist, Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, has begun.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Return of the Shrimp

by Conservation

4/28/2022

CAMConservation , paintings conservation , Henry Mosler , varnish removal

Our paintings conservator is readying another painting for our upcoming exhibition Henry Mosler Behind the Scenes: In Celebration of the Jewish Cincinnati Bicentennial.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Ladder Required

by Conservation

3/31/2022

Murillo , paintings , paintings conservation , CAMConservation

Conservation has begun on one of the tallest paintings in the museum.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: A face, an egg, a patch

by Conservation

3/3/2022

CAMConservation , paintings , paintings conservation , hidden_paintings

Conservation of the large still-life by an anonymous 17th century Neapolitan artist is finally finished.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: A Close Encounter

by Conservation

2/3/2022

paintings , paintings conservation , CAMConservation , Hans Hofmann , Henry Mosler

Here’s another close encounter in the paintings conservation studio that you would be unlikely to see in our galleries.

A New Korean Tiger Painting

by Hou-mei Sung, Curator of East Asian Art

2/1/2022

Korean Tiger Painting , East Asian Art , Tiger and Cubs , Buddhist painting , chinese paintings , Joseon dynasty

As the king of beasts in China, the tiger is also one of the oldest and most meaningful animal subjects in Chinese painting. Here, the unidentified artist portrays a large tigress sitting under an old pine tree.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Still Life in Blue with Lemon by Paul Cézanne

by Conservation

12/9/2021

CAMConservation , paintings conservation , Cezanne , Impressionism , impressionist , French immpressionist

Be sure to stop by Gallery 227 to see Still Life in Blue with Lemon after its visit to Conservation.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Striped pigments?

by Conservation

11/3/2021

paintings conservation , inpainting , conservation paints , pigments

No, it’s just the morning sun hitting our jars of dry pigments through the blinds, a brief exposure that does no harm.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Road trip!

by Conservation

10/8/2021

CAMConservation , paintings conservation , Robert Frederick Blum , Venetian Lacemakers , loans

Conservators strive to ensure that their conservation treatments will preserve each artwork for numerous decades or, we hope, even longer.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Conservation at your fingertips!

by Conservation

9/9/2021

Elizabeth Boott Duveneck , Frank Duveneck , CAMConservation , paintings conservation , cleaning paintings

“Blossoms” has just received its new frame, so look for it to pop up on the wall of our American galleries in the near future.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Going, going, gone!

by Conservation

8/11/2021

conservation , paintings conservation , neapolitan , still lifes , CAMConservation , inpainting , hidden_paintings

The large Neapolitan still-life is back — with a new look.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Cut and paste

by Conservation

7/15/2021

CAMConservation , paintings conservation , X-ray , X-raying_paintings , X-radiography , hidden_paintings

Our paintings conservator has been working on this very large 17th century Neapolitan still-life.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Another Chance Encounter

by Conservation

6/16/2021

paintings conservation , paintings , CAMConservation , Ralston Crawford , John Henry Twachtman , Twatchman

This upright trio recently encountered one another in the Paintings/Objects Conservation lab.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: So ‘Egg-citing!’

by Conservation

5/19/2021

CAMConservation , paintings conservation , paintings , X-ray , X-radiography , X-raying_paintings , hidden_paintings

Our painting conservator has been working on this very large 17th century Neapolitan still-life.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: A watchful eye!

by Conservation

3/25/2021

#Paintings_Conservation , X-raying_paintings , X-ray , X-radiography , hid , #hidden_paintings , conservation

Our paintings conservator is examining this very large still-life in preparation for cleaning it.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: To Duveneck, From Tarbell

by Conservation

2/25/2021

paintings conservation , Frank Duveneck , Frank Duveneck: American Master , Edmund Tarbell , conservation

Our paintings conservator has started to clean the varnish from this painting by Edmund Tarbell.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Monkey business!

by Conservation

1/28/2021

paintings conservation , Thomas Satterwhite Noble , monkey art , cleaning paintings , conservation

This life size painting by 19th century American artist, Thomas Satterwhite Noble, is a recent acquisition.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Cleansing the palette

by Conservation

11/12/2020

Frank Duveneck , paintings conservation , palette , palette knife , conservation

A heavy layer of grime covered the surface of the thin wood panel and the remains of paint.

Behind the Scenes in Conservation: Conservator Choices

by Conservation

10/15/2020

behind the scenes , conservation , Lorenzo Zaragoza , paintings conservation , retablo , restoration , retablo of saint peter , altarpiece

While the paintings conservation studio is under renovation, we thought you might like a look at an example of the choices that conservators can face.