CONSERVATION AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY


1.  Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions about art:

1. Do you visit museums when you go to another city (e.g. of science, history…)? When was     the
last time you went to a museum? Have you ever been to any famous museums?

2. Have you ever visited an art museum? Have you ever gone to an exhibition?
    When and where?

3. What famous painters do you know? What are they famous for?

4. Who is the most famous artist in your country? What kind of art does he or she do?

5. Do you like modern art? Do you understand modern art?

6. In your opinion, is design an important part of culture?

7. Do you think of cartoons and comics as art? Do you think graffiti is art?

8. What is the difference between studying an art school and studying science?

9. How can chemistry help in preserving pieces of art?


2. Read the short text below and search for expressions referring to methods used by analytical
chemists. Do you know what they mean?


The Influence that Synthetic Painting Materials had on the Technique of Pablo Picasso

Fourteen paintings by Pablo Picasso (1881-1973) were selected in order to carry out detailed
examination analysis of the materials and documentation of the painting techniques used by the
artist. Information was gathered from literature sources, curatorial files and conservation records
as well as from the paintings themselves.

            The examination procedure involved detailed surface examination, use of raking light
and ultraviolet light, infrared photography, stereo microscopy and x-radiography. Samples were
taken from each painting so that binding media, pigments and general structure could be identified.
Cross-sections were made for viewing in visible and ultraviolet light. Pigments and extenders were
identified by optical and electron microscopy, ultraviolet fluorescence staining tests, energy
dispersive X-ray analysis and X-ray diffraction. Binding media have been characterized by Fourier
transform infrared spectroscopy and pyrolysis - gas chromatography - mass spectrometry.



Some methods are summarized below. Complete the missing expressions.^ 1

canvas        aids       adhesive         reveal       varnishes         evaluate
priming         embed

Microscopic Analysis

The artifact is examined with a microscope to help (1)______________ its overall condition. This
can give a preliminary assessment of damages and (2)______________  previous restoration efforts. A
polarizing microscope can be used to analyze the type of pigments used.


Cross-sectional Analysis

A tiny sample of paint used by the artist is extracted from an already damaged area and
(3)______________ in a Plexiglas cube. Microscopic examination reveals the types of pigments used,
the layering of the paint, and the style in which the artist builds-up his colors.


Ultraviolet Radiation

Observation under ultraviolet light gives valuable information on the (4)______________  and glazes
used and shows areas of previous restorations. Organic materials absorb ultraviolet radiation and
then emit it at lower energy (in the visible region) a phenomenon known as fluorescence. If an
artifact has been broken and then glued together using an (5)______________  followed by
repainting, viewing under UV-light will make the break obvious due to the adhesive’s fluorescence.


Infrared Spectroscopy

Infrared spectroscopy gives information about the types of pigments or dyes used. On subjecting a
thin transparent film of a compound to infrared light, certain frequencies are absorbed. This
(6)______________  in identifying its composition.


X-Radiography

This method possesses the ability to penetrate layers of paint and reveals information about the
(7)______________  layer, the (8)______________, and any damages hidden under the paint. It is used
to detect lead-based pigments in the paint. White lead was extensively used and often mixed with
other pigments in old paintings.


3. LISTENING: How to use a Spectronic-20 spectrophotometer^2


Vocabulary:

  proper (adj)               transmittance(n)         knob(n)               adjust
(v)                            specimens (n)              insert (v)                   align
(v)              rinse (v)

Complete the following text:
To use a Spectronic-20 spectrophotometer turn on ….  ………………….  First choose the proper …………………...
.Then, with the …………………  ………………..empty, set the per cent transmittance equal to zero ……. …………..
using the power switch zero knob. To record absorbance specimens set the mode to …………………….. .
Insert the cuvette half filled with the ……………. ………………….  into the sample chamber aligning the mark
on the ………………. with the mark on the sample chamber. Close the sample chamber …………………….. and adjust
the light control knob until the absorbance reads ……………….. This is the same as setting the per cent
transmittance ……………….. …… 100 per cent. ………………… the blank solution and keep it for later use.



Now rearrange the following sentences in correct order:

A) Remove the sample cuvette and turn off the instrument if no one else is waiting to use it.
B) Half fill the cuvette with the sample solution and insert it into the sample chamber and close
the sample chamber cover. Without changing any of the settings read the absorbance or per cent
transmittance from the meter or readout.
C) Rinse the cuvette at least three times with a small amount of the sample solution.

READING: Conservation Past and Present^1


In the past restoration was performed by artists of the same discipline. The main objective of the
effort was to improve the aesthetic appearance and conceal the fact that the article was damaged
and repaired. The materials used were limited to beeswax,  paraffin wax, flour paste, plaster,
glue, gum Arabic, and powder pigments, but restorers employed innumerable methods of repair. Their
repair procedures were secretive and the restoration went undocumented. Secret recipes and
procedures were used and were only passed to others through apprenticeships. Often restorers added
their own touch and made changes they thought were appropriate without considering the original
intent of the artist. There are extraordinary examples of how restorers of the past added their own
style and sense of history to the original work.


Ian McClure, a paintings conservator and the Director of the Hamilton Kerr Institute’s conservation
center at the Fitzwilliam Museum (Cambridge, England) since 1983,  describes the unexpected results
from the painting of Henry Prince of Wales on horseback by Robert Peake the Elder. He wrote that
the painting showed the Prince of Wales in splendid armor on horseback with a tree spreading behind
him and the Prince’s plaque bearing his insignia hanging from a branch (Figure 1). Microscopic
analysis showed two different painting styles; the prince and the horse were painted with
meticulous details executed in thin-layered paint while the landscape was broadly executed and
thickly painted. Subsequent examination by infrared reflectography and X-radiography gave images
that clearly showed a totally different underlying landscape. The decision on whether to remove the
over paint or keep it required a sense of the painting’s history and the time frame during which it
was produced. The painting was commissioned by the Prince and it dates to 1610. Further
cross-sectional analysis of a pigment sample embedded in a Plexiglas cube revealed more information
about its provenance. It established that the over-paint was added a minimum of thirty years after
the death of the Prince in November of 1612. Consequently, it was concluded that the over-paint was
not historically important and it was added in an effort to “improve” the painting. Because the
underlying paint surface proved to be in good condition, a decision was made to proceed with the
restoration. Upon cleaning,  five different restorations to repair damages and cover the loss of
paint were detected. On completion, the elegant horse with the flowing mane was transformed to a
white sturdy tilting horse. Behind the Prince was a naked winged man resembling Father Time
carrying the Prince’s lance and helmet with a luxuriant colored plume. The plaque bearing the
insignia of the Prince now appears on a brick wall behind the Prince and beyond the wall is a
garden, which is described as similar to the Prince’s garden at Richmond Palace (Figure 2).







FIGURE 1. ROBERT PEAKE THE ELDER: HENRY PRINCE OF WALES ON HORSEBACK, C. 1610–12, BEFORE
RESTORATION. OIL ON CANVAS, 231 × 219.5 CM. ©PARHAM PARK.



FIGURE 2. HENRY PRINCE OF WALES ON HORSEBACK, AFTER RESTORATION. ©THE HAMILTON KERR INSTITUTE.


1. Read the first paragraph and identify words with the same meaning as described below:

1. to hide; cover or keep from sight

2. working for a skilled person in order to learn a profession

3. suitable or fitting for a particular purpose

4. mind and will focused on a specific purpose


2. Which words in the 1st paragraph in your opinion belong to B2 level? Give examples.

                                               Nouns

                                                                                                Adjectives

                                                                                                             Verbs










3. Complete the vocabulary to name objects in the original painting.


4. Questions

1. How did Ian McClure describe the painting before restoration?

2. What differences in painting styles appeared after the analysis?

3. What did the restorers consider before removing the over-paint?

4. What methods were applied to examine what was under the paint?

5. Who and when requested the painting?

6. When and why was the painting changed?

7. How many restorations were detected?


5. In pairs, compare the two pictures on page 3.


LISTENING:  Art and Science of Conservation     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UeDG8XDt2mc

Watch the video and decide whether the statements are true or false.

 1. Paul Jett speaks about collections in two museums.
 2. In the paper lab they prepare work of art for transport between galleries.
 3. When you look at the paintings without magnification, they seem perfect.
 4. Emily Jacobson identifies cracks and loose areas of pigment.
 5. The collections include Islamic manuscripts.
 6. The painting in the Chinese Painting Studio comes from the 6th century.
 7. Chinese brushes seem harsh but in fact they are gentle.
 8. Conservators work quickly because the water can discolour the painting.
 9. The dagger is made of iron from a meteorite.
10. For Paul Jett, work in the museum is really hard.

Homework
 1. Read the text and find  four examples of the expression of purpose.^ 1


To improve the visual aesthetic effects restorers sometimes used materials without experimentally
testing them, causing further deterioration of the artifact in the long run. Such was the case in
the previous restoration of the Sistine Chapel. Seeping water and humidity caused the pigments of
the fresco paint to flake. Animal glue was used by restorers to fix the pigments and to replenish
some luster that had been lost due to the salt deposits (efflorescence) on the surface of
Michelangelo’s frescoes. In addition to hundreds of years of soot and grime, the glue had darkened
and yellowed muting the bright fresco colors. Moreover, the glue lost its elasticity with time; it
hardened and cracked causing the pigments to flake. All of this conspired to show Michelangelo as
an expert in painting the human figure, but a dull colorist. Furthermore, he was accused of not
being trained in the school tradition of fresco painting. The restoration, undertaken by the
Vatican Museums (1980–1994) vindicated him and portrayed him as both a master of colors and of pure
orthodox methods. The defense of Michelangelo’s reputation is better understood by explaining the
chemical composition of fresco painting. The pigment is mixed with water and applied on fresh lime
(calcium hydroxide) mixed with sand. The lime reacts with the carbon dioxide in the air and forms
calcium carbonate (marble). The shiny surface is formed on drying, and seals the pigment in the
plaster. The painter has to be efficient and quick, for this method allows no transgressions or
second thoughts. Only rarely was it found that Michelangelo repainted a-secco (dry plaster) to add
minor retouching.


 2.  Make questions to fit these answers:


1.                                                                                           Not
being trained in fresco painting.


2.                                                                                           Fresh
lime.


3.                                                                                           Carbon
dioxide.


4.                                                                                            On
drying.


5.
Because it allows no second  thoughts.


 3. Expressing purpose: Connect the pairs of sentences into one. ^3

1.      I went into hospital. I had to have an operation.

2.      I phoned the police station. I wanted to report that my car had been stolen.

3.      I whispered. I didn’t want anybody else to hear our conversation.

4.      Please arrive early. We want to be able to start the meeting on time.

5.      I slowed down. I wanted the car behind to be able to overtake.

6.      She locked the door. She didn’t want to be disturbed.

Sources: ^1        http://chemeducator.org/sbibs/s0002001/spapers/21rk897.pdf

^2               Available at http://employees.oneonta.edu/viningwj/videos/^