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The Grand Reopening of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

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The Grand Reopening of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts

The Conservation Center often assists museums, institutions, foundations, and non-profit organizations with conserving and caring for their collections. In addition to comprehensive conservation services, The Center's team assists with long-term preservation planning, digitization of archives and historical documents, creation of custom displays, packing and transportation, and long-term storage of collections. Over the past two years, The Center has worked with the Arkansas Museum of Fine Arts (AMFA) on several conservation projects while their building underwent an expansion and renovation campaign, partnering with renowned architecture firm Studio Gang to design their new facility. 

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Conserving Bathsheba

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Conserving Bathsheba

Every year, The Center receives thousands of items of all kinds, yet some truly stand out. Bathsheba (1708) by Willem van Mieris arrived at The Center from the art collection at Notre Dame University, Indiana. As construction progresses on Notre Dame's new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, The Conservation Center has been busy conserving select pieces from the collection. These artworks will be displayed in the new facility, set to open in November 2023. Preserving artwork is always an honor, but parting with this one was bittersweet. Our CEO, Heather Becker, even shared, "I didn't want this painting to leave."

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Part 2: Reviving The Assumption of Mary

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Part 2: Reviving The Assumption of Mary

In August 2022, we shared the first stages of treatment of "The Assumption of Mary," a nine-foot-tall painting from St. Anthony Catholic Church in Davenport, Iowa. Nearly a year has passed since the treatment journey began, involving hundreds of hours of work. We are excited to present the final chapter of this enthralling painting's conservation tale.

Hidden Below the Surface: Revealing A Lost Figure

Hidden Below the Surface: Revealing A Lost Figure

George Washington, the first President of the United States, has been the subject of numerous paintings throughout history. He was often portrayed in his military uniform or as a stoic statesman. But this painting of Washington, recently brought to The Center for conservation, didn't quite fit into that imagery. Opulent, colorful clothing is not typically what comes to mind for a portrait of Washington. The folds of the fabric, delicate lace trim, and the detailed painting of the hands made the figure's face feel relatively flat and displayed less skill compared to these other areas of the picture.

Majestic Mountains

Majestic Mountains

"Father of the National Parks," John Muir famously said, "The mountains are calling, and I must go." Mountains call to so many. Adventurers hike mountains to commune with nature. Athletes climb mountains to test their skills and conquer the terrain. Artists paint mountains to capture the scope and majesty of their beauty. The mountain in this landscape painting looms large over a lake and valley, with a snowcapped summit. Unfortunately, the delicate details of this painting had languished with years of discoloration and damage.

Preserving Pulp Paintings: Wings and Adventure

Preserving Pulp Paintings: Wings and Adventure

An avid pulp art collector, Doug has brought his new acquisitions to The Center for years. We recently had the pleasure to conserve two pulp art paintings for Doug - Wings, November 1932, and Adventure, "He Told Them That he was the Incarnated Spirit of Prester John.” March 1911. They are always welcomed by Senior Paintings Conservator Amber Schabdach, who has shared she "absolutely loves working on them as they are fun to look at, and always look amazing once cleaned" These paintings are the original art for the pulp book covers; pulp covers were designed to draw in the reader and are an iconic and collectible part of the science fiction genre. 

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Preparing Three Partridges

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Preparing Three Partridges

French painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir (1841 - 1919) was a leader in the Impressionist painting style. Renoir is known for his use of light and shadow, capturing the atmosphere of the subject matter he was painting. Three Partridges is a still-life oil on canvas painted by Renoir circa 1880 and is part of the Arkansas Museum of Fine Art (AMFA) collection in Little Rock, Arkansas. While AMFA is undergoing an expansion and renovation by Studio Gang Architects (who also designed our facility), The Conservation Center is assisting with the care and conservation of items from their collection. 

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Poissons on a Panel Painting

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Poissons on a Panel Painting

Panel paintings are particularly temperamental. Before painting on canvas became popular, paintings were often executed on wood panels. This could be either a single board or panels joined together, often with a grid of wooden slats on the back to provide support called a cradle. This is the case with Etude de Poissons de Mer Panneau. A still-life study of sea fish, this cradled panel painting is attributed to Jan Brueghel the Younger. Brueghel was a Flemish painter, who lived from 1601-1678, placing this painting from the 17th century and approximately 400 years old. The current owner's father purchased the painting years ago, who loves this painting "because of the skill of painters at that time ... plus this painting is by the grandson of the great Pieter Bruegel the Elder!"

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Picture Perfect Portrait Paintings

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Picture Perfect Portrait Paintings

Portrait painting is a form of art practiced by artists for centuries. People have always wanted to preserve the essence of their loved ones tangibly, and portraiture is the art of representing a person or figure in paint. From the cave paintings of early man to masterpieces by the greatest artists throughout history, painted portraits were the only way to commemorate an individual until the advent of photography in the mid-1800s. Now, with access to digital photography at the tip of our fingers, the sheer number of photographs that exist today is a testament to how significant portraits are. 

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A Painting from Home: Elvey Bridge by A.H. Vickers

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A Painting from Home: Elvey Bridge by A.H. Vickers

Patrick Henry O'Brien was born in Laurium, Michigan, on March 15, 1868. His parents, Mary and Patrick, were immigrants from County Cork, Ireland, who settled in the Keweenaw Peninsula, Michigan, in 1863. The area was known as Copper County for the prevalent copper mining from the 1850s through the 1960s. Patrick lost both his father and uncle to mining accidents, leading him down a very different path.

"Serve with the Greatest Care and Love" Conserving a painting of Mother M. Frances Krasse

"Serve with the Greatest Care and Love" Conserving a painting of Mother M. Frances Krasse

Mother M. Frances Krasse left behind a legacy when she passed away from tuberculosis at the age of 46 in 1885. An emigrant from Germany, Mother M. Frances only spent nine years in Illinois. Along with five other Sisters, she arrived in Peoria in 1876 to start a hospital they named called St. Francis Hospital and was appointed the local superior. The following year, they formed a new congregation - Sister of the Third Order of St. Francis of Peoria, with Mother M. Frances serving as the first Mother General.

Marooned: A student's homage to his mentor

Marooned: A student's homage to his mentor

The Brandywine School of Artists was a group of impressionist and post-impressionist painters who lived and worked in the Brandywine River Valley region, primarily in Delaware and Pennsylvania, from 1870 to 1920. The artists are best known for depicting people residing along the Brandywine River during the late 19th century.

Philadelphia artist Howard Pyle founded the group. He had been a successful illustrator for books and magazines, but he wanted to teach his students more about color, light, form, space, and composition. He started teaching at Drexel Institute in 1885 before founding the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. His artistic style influenced many artists, such as N.C. Wyeth, Thornton Oakley, and Frank Schoonover.

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Part 1: Reviving The Assumption of Mary

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Part 1: Reviving The Assumption of Mary

The Assumption of Mary is a stunning and powerful image. It is a depiction of the event that gives the picture its name: the assumption of Mary into heaven. At nine feet tall, the commanding size creates a powerful experience that draws in the viewer. It's a captivating work of art, full of movement and life. But years of grime, discolored varnish, and mismatched repaint detracted from the painting.

Uncovering True Colors: Conserving The Stations of the Cross

Uncovering True Colors: Conserving The Stations of the Cross

Founded in 1837 in Davenport, Iowa, St. Anthony Catholic Church is the second oldest Catholic church west of the Mississippi River. The historic church has evolved over the years, from a small 3-room building shared with the local judicial court and town hall, to merging with neighboring parish St. Mary's Catholic Church in July 2020. As a result of the merger, St. Anthony's has two sets of the Stations of the Cross; one, plaster relief sculptures set in the walls of the church, and the second, large oil paintings from St. Mary's. As John Cooper, Pastoral Associate at St. Anthony Catholic Church shares, "Both sets in their own unique ways, accomplish the artistic purpose of pulling you into the scene with Christ."

Astounding Science (non) Fiction! Conserving a Pulp Fiction Painting

Astounding Science (non) Fiction! Conserving a Pulp Fiction Painting

Astounding Stories was an American science fiction magazine that began in 1930 when Clayton Publishing launched it to capitalize on the interest in science fiction stories. In the 1930s, it became one of the most popular and influential magazines in the science fiction world; in 1934, it had double the circulation of its science-fiction rivals. While the magazine's title has changed over the years, in 2011, it became the longest-running, continuously published magazine dedicated to the science fiction genre. In fact, the magazine is included in the library of the International Space Station.

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Preparing for Display: Conserving Treasures for the Snite Museum at the University of Notre Dame, Madonna and Child with Saints

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Preparing for Display: Conserving Treasures for the Snite Museum at the University of Notre Dame, Madonna and Child with Saints

As construction continues on the University of Notre Dame's new art museum, the conservation of select paintings from the Snite Museum of Art continues in The Center's laboratory. Scheduled for completion in late-2023, the new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art will increase the University's capacity to display its art collection and accept programs that the current facility, the Snite Museum of Art, cannot because of size restrictions. The Painting Conservation Department and Custom Framing and Fabrications departments recently completed treatment of the 15-century painting Madonna and Child with Saints.

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The Care of Custom Framing: Showcasing the Relics from Loyola University Chicago

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The Care of Custom Framing: Showcasing the Relics from Loyola University Chicago

Conservation is often only half of the treatment plan for many items at The Center. After conservation is complete, our Custom Framing and Fabrication Department is continually called upon to design and construct one-of-a-kind display options for unusual objects.

Preparing for Display: Conserving Treasures for the Snite Museum at the University of Notre Dame

Preparing for Display: Conserving Treasures for the Snite Museum at the University of Notre Dame

In late-2023, construction is scheduled to be completed on the University of Notre Dame's new art museum. The new Raclin Murphy Museum of Art will increase the University's capacity to display its art collection and accept programs that the current facility, the Snite Museum of Art, cannot because of size restrictions. In preparation for the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art opening, select paintings are undergoing treatment by The Conservation Center staff in preparation for display in their new home.

Portrait of a Woman with Piercing Eyes and a Hidden Veil

Portrait of a Woman with Piercing Eyes and a Hidden Veil

"I have always liked the painting... it tells a story..."

Is there truly any better reason to display a work of art in your home? Purchased in the 1950s, Portrait of a Woman has been in the family of its current owner for nearly 70 years. Believed to be attributed to 19th-century German painter Philip Vieth, this captivating painting holds many secrets. The woman is looking straight at the viewer with a look of distress, one hand on her head and the other clutching a letter. On the table, interrupting the pattern of the tablecloth is a single gold ring.

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Gilding a Gorgeous Frame

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Gilding a Gorgeous Frame

Thick or thin, matte or metallic, carved or clean-lines: fine art frames can fade into the background or compete with the artwork it displays for the viewers attention. The frame for The Annunciation does just that, with carvings, oil and water gilding, and yellow and red bole undertones - it truly is a work of art all on its own.

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