Paper Conservation Anecdote: Prints by Henry Thomas Alken

Paper Conservation Anecdote: Prints by Henry Thomas Alken

Hunting may be a fall sport—but art conservation is a year round activity. Whether he was drawing, etching, or painting his famous hunting scenes, Henry Thomas Alken (English, 1785–1851), judging by the amount of work he produced during his career, was always, like us, working. The Conservation Center is always thrilled to treat high quality works by artists such as Alken. Not only can we appreciate his skilled artistry, but we can also admire the humorous point of view through which he saw his subject matters.

Paint It Mick, Andy: A Private Collector's Very First Acquisition

Paint It Mick, Andy: A Private Collector's Very First Acquisition

Sometimes in life, a piece of artwork takes you by surprise and before you know it, you can’t live without it. Such is the case for Mark, a private contemporary art collector in Chicago, who is also a friend of The Conservation Center. Mark began collecting art in the early 1980’s while living in New York City. He recently brought his very first acquisition from “way back when” to The Center to be reframed—and the piece Mark brought us has such a heartfelt story behind it we couldn’t resist sharing.

Expect the Unexpected: Recent Arrivals at The Conservation Center

Expect the Unexpected: Recent Arrivals at The Conservation Center

On any given day, taking a walk through The Conservation Center’s 25,000 square foot facilities, with a 10,000 square foot storage space, is always quite an experience—because you’ll never know what kind of artworks and cultural objects you might encounter. Since our dedicated staff members are all art enthusiasts here at The Center, we love geeking out at the amazing items we work on every day. This spring, we have had the pleasure of either conserving or preserving some unexpected pieces. We’ve compiled a series of visual highlights documenting what makes The Conservation Center such a delightful place to work.   

Before & After Stories

Before & After Stories

These images speak for themselves! Check out some recent items to come through the doors of The Conservation Center, how they looked by the time they left, and the stories behind the artwork.

The Conservation Center's Services During EXPO CHICAGO

The Conservation Center's Services During EXPO CHICAGO

The Conservation Center is proud to announce we will once again be serving as the fine art conservators for EXPO CHICAGO 2013. Please mark your calendars for September 19th-22nd 2013 for The International Exposition of Contemporary and Modern Art in Chicago located at Navy Pier. 

Conservation of an Albrecht Dürer Print

Conservation of an Albrecht Dürer Print

A private collector brought this print to The Center several months ago. To a critical eye, the print was in poor condition: the sheet was soiled and distorted, and there were two tears that were barely visible except upon close inspection (see figs. 1-3). The tears required intricate repair work to realign the edges and provide necessary structural support to the compromised sheet, while keeping the repair as discreet as possible. After the piece was safely returned in its improved condition, the collector wrote the following testimonial for us to share:

Corporate Collections and The Center

Corporate Collections and The Center

Whether a corporation’s art collection is a curated investment, a donation from an art-loving CEO, an act of community connection, or a trove of archival material, keeping it in good condition requires the knowledge of experts. The Conservation Center has a long history of caring for corporate art holdings in four categories: disaster response, re-housing, storage, and display.

A Dilapidated Document

A Dilapidated Document

When this vellum document arrived at The Center, it had experienced severe water- and age-related damage. Over the course of many years, the vellum had rotted and subsequently it exhibited severe distortion, in addition to having been stored folded in quarters. Moreover, the pages were wet, causing irreversible pigment migration between the touching pages; the water also left several water stains throughout.  In addition to the fold creases, there were horizontal creases down the center of the sheet, tears at the lower left and around the edges, and a large loss at the lower right.

Horses, Houses, and Honored Ancestors

Horses, Houses, and Honored Ancestors

The peoples living in what we today know as The People’s Republic of China have been making art for centuries. Our personal archives can hardly hope to present a complete picture of Chinese art history, but we have been graced with some excellent examples of artistic eras and traditions, spanning in some cases thousands of years.

Conserving an Over-sized 19th Century Treasure

Conserving an Over-sized 19th Century Treasure

When the paper conservation staff here at The Center first encountered this massive and fragile poster, we immediately noticed that, along with water damage, the current housing was inappropriate for the longevity of the piece: The frame was an inadequate depth, and the sheet was in direct contact with a large and fragile piece of glass. Initially, due to the lack of spacers or mat, the poster appeared to be adhered to the glass which would have complicated matters greatly. Upon further examination, it was determined that a layer of discolored varnish on the surface of the piece was creating this illusion. In addition to the problem varnish, this work exhibited many areas of extremely tight distortion; these were the result of an earlier and unsuccessful effort to back the piece to fabric and mount it to a Masonite board.

Picasso's “Les Deux Saltimbanques”

Picasso's “Les Deux Saltimbanques”

This small print by Pablo Picasso was executed in 1905. Both figures are partially surrounded by ghostly images beautifully created with dry point; on the left, there is the hint of a cape along with evidence of changes in the figure’s stance and placement on the plate. The figure on the right seems to have a shadow behind the head and upper arm. The two acrobats in conversation give the viewer the opportunity to think about their exchange.

The Treatment of Two Oversized Antique Maps

The Treatment of Two Oversized Antique Maps

The two maps we will discuss in this article were created in the late 19th century. The linear images were the result of a very exacting printing technique called engraving, which permitted the engraver to work only with single lines and closely placed hatch marks to create shadows. This is especially apparent where water is depicted near land. The engraving technique is nicely illustrated in the Map of North America, engraved by H.S. Tanner, Philadelphia, in 1822.

Protecting Your Art Assets: A Collaboration Between Conservation and Custom Framing

Protecting Your Art Assets: A Collaboration Between Conservation and Custom Framing

Conservators of art on paper collaborate closely with conservation framers to be certain that all protective measures required are used while housing each work. Works of art on paper are varied and frequently complex, often depending upon the paper quality or type, or the media used in the art making process.

The Treatment of an Old Master Print by Albrecht Durer

The Treatment of an Old Master Print by Albrecht Durer

The print collection at Albion College is an enormous and important teaching tool. With great art history lessons to offer, this collection can give students, scholars, collectors, as well as the interested public, so many examples of printmaking techniques and styles. This print by Albrecht Durer is a good example.

Chinese Tariff Map: History Flaking Apart

Chinese Tariff Map: History Flaking Apart

The Chinese Tariff Map came to The Conservation Center from a private collector who clearly understood the physical limitations of its condition. Our initial observations of the map made it clear that this would be an enormous and complicated treatment challenge. The best description of the paintings layers would be: paper on paper, then adhered on fabric. These very old layers beneath a much older painting or primary support helped us immediately understand that the panorama painting’s condition problems had a long history. 

Treating a Work of Art on Paper: Richard Serra’a Oteiza

Treating a Work of Art on Paper: Richard Serra’a Oteiza

David Chandler, Chief Conservator of Works of Art on Paper, recently treated an etching by American contemporary minimalist sculptor and artist Richard Serra. The work, titled Oteiza, was bought to The Center with a rather large and unsightly scrape of grey latex paint across the upper left of the piece. The paint compromised both the printed and white paper areas.

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