Scientists from the GCI, working with conservators and curators from the Getty Museum, conducted in-depth studies of manuscript illuminations and panel paintings to better understand fourteenth-century Florentine workshop practice. Their research reveals how the materials chosen by the artists affect the present-day appearance, stability, and conservation of these works.

Learn more about the Researching Florentine Workshop Practice Project.

Explore the exhibition Florence at the Dawn of the Renaissance: Painting and Illumination, 1300–1350.

To better understand the materials and techniques employed by artisans to create the iconic red and black figure pottery of ancient Athens, GCI conservation scientists are using a wide range of analytical tools to measure the elemental and material composition of the different painted gloss components on selected pottery sherds.

Learn more about the Athenian Pottery Project.

The GCI is pleased to announce a new multiyear initiative that addresses a number of research questions and practical issues pertaining to the control and management of collection environments in museums, libraries, archives, and other collecting institutions. The first year of the initiative (2012 to mid-2013) will focus on planning and consultation with other institutions and individuals engaged in related research and education.

Learn more about this new initiative.

Cleaning of Acrylic Painted Surfaces: CAPS Workshop 2013

The next CAPS workshop will be held at the Lunder Conservation Center in Washington DC April 30–May 3, 2013. It is open to mid-career conservators with at least 3-5 years of experience working with 2-D and 3-D acrylic painted surfaces. The deadline for submission of the online application is January 21, 2013.

Find out more about CAPS 2013 and apply online.

NEW: Advanced-Level Workshop Series on the Conservation of Photographs

The GCI has launched a new series of workshops that will focus on the understanding and treatment of specific types of damage and deterioration occuring to photographs. The first workshop—Conservation Strategies for Humidity and Water-Damaged Photographic Materials—will take place July 15-26, 2013 at the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb. Application deadline is January 28, 2013.

Find out more about this course and apply online.

Recent Advances in Characterizing Asian Lacquer

From October 22 to 26, eighteen conservators and scientists gathered at the Getty Center to work in research teams to prepare and test samples of historic lacquer and present their findings. The five-day workshop provided instruction in two analytical procedures and a precision sampling technique.

See photos from the workshop.

Learn more about characterizing Asian lacquer at the Getty.

Middle East Photograph Preservation Initiative (MEPPI)

The GCI, and its partners, participated in the second MEPPI workshop at New York University, Abu Dhabi, November 11-19. The workshop concludes the first of a three-part course; currently, participants are carrying out practical work at their own institutions as part of the eight-month second phase of the course.

Watch a video from the workshop.

Find out more about MEPPI.

The second module of the Regional Course for Technicians of In Situ Mosaics, led by the GCI, is currently under way in El Jem, Tunisia, and will continue until December 15, 2012. In this module, the twelve participants from Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, and Libya focus on the stabilization of in situ mosaics.

Find out more about MOSAIKON.

Saving Herculaneum: The Challenges of Archaeological Conservation
Wednesday, January 16, 2013 at the Getty Villa

Archaeologist Andrew Wallace-Hadrill will speak about the challenges, successes, and new discoveries over the last ten years at the ancient site of Herculaneum in the Bay of Naples due to the efforts of the Herculaneum Conservation Project.

Find out more about this free event and make a reservation online.

Learn more about the GCI's Herculaneum Conservation Project.

Yale Center for British Art by Louis I. Kahn: A Conservation Plan
Thursday, January 17, 2013 at the Getty Center.

Peter Inskip and Stephen Gee, consulting conservation architects from the London-based firm of Peter Inskip + Peter Jenkins Architects Ltd, and Constance Clement, deputy director, Yale Center for British Art, will discuss their work and experience together in the development of the conservation plan for the Yale Center.

Find out more about this free event and make a reservation online.

Find out more about GCI's Conserving Modern Architecture Initiative.

By Oscar Chiantore and Antonio Rava

Translated from Italian, this is one of the first books in English to give a comprehensive overview of the many considerations faced by conservators of modern and contemporary art. It examines material and ethical aspects of contemporary art—focusing on the variety of techniques and materials used by contemporary artists—as well as its deterioration.

Purchase this book online.

On November 15, 2012, architect Wessel de Jonge, co-founder of DOCOMOMO International, presented a lecture on the restoration and reuse of the Van Nelle Factory in Rotterdam.

Watch a video of the lecture online.

Recently acquired titles in the Conservation Collection in the Research Library at the Getty Research Institute are available to readers on site at the Getty Center. Some materials are available through the library's interlibrary loan service.

Access the list of recently acquired titles from the GCI Information Center page.

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