Conservation Of Wall Paintings

This book presents recent research on ancient Silk Road wall paintings, providing an up-to-date analysis of their coloring materials and techniques, and of developments in efforts to preserve them. The destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001 encouraged international collaboration between conservation research institutes to study and protect the Silk Road’s painted heritage. The collaborations led to exciting new discoveries of the rich materials used in wall painting, including diverse pigments and colorants, and various types of organic binding media. In addition, comparative research across the region revealed shared painting practices that indicate the sophisticated exchange of technologies and ideas. In parallel with these advances in technical understanding, greater awareness and sensitivity has been fostered in endeavors to preserve this fragile heritage. The book offers insights obtained from conservation projects and ongoing research, that encompass the geographical regions and periods related to the Silk Road, including from Japan, China, Korea, India and Afghanistan, and countries of the Eastern Mediterranean region. It also discusses the current issues and future challenges in the field. Featuring concise chapters, the book is a valuable resource for students and professionals in the field of cultural heritage preservation, as well as those who are not familiar with the fascinating topic of Silk Road wall painting research.

This publication is the result of a symposium organized by the GCI and the Courtauld Institute of Art in London in 1987. Because the conservation of wall paintings requires an interdisciplinary approach, the purpose of the symposium was to facilitate the exchange of information among international conservators, scientists, and historians involved in major wall paintings conservation projects. The interdisciplinary nature of contemporary wall paintings conservation is reflected in this volume which contains the symposium's papers. The Sistine Chapel, the Brancacci Chapel, and the Tomb of Nefertari are among the well-known wall paintings discussed in this book by international experts in wall paintings conservation. The special problems associated with the protection of works such as these are explored from the perspective of diagnosis, documentation, treatment, and monitoring. A definitive paper on the effects of salts on wall paintings is also included.

The final report on the conservation of the wall paintings in the tomb of Nefertari in the Valley of Queens, Egypt. This highly successful collaborative venture launched by the Getty Conservation Institute and the Egyptian Antiquities Organization brought together scientists and conservators from all over the world to address the problems facing one of the most beautiful monuments of antiquity. The painstaking process that saved this cultural treasure in situ is documented in the text written by those who were most intimately involved in its rescue. Paolo and Laura Mora worked with and trained the team of conservators who carried out the consolidation and cleaning of the paintings. An international group of scientists carried out the analysis that was essential to the conservation process. Others contribute articles on the archaeology of the Valley, the iconography of the tomb, the original techniques and materials used by the artists, photographic documentation of the wall paintings, and literary sources for their study.

These seventeen papers, which originated at a conference organised by English Heritage in London in 1999, reflect on recent developments in the conservation of wall paintings from a multidisciplinary perspective.

The 11 painting fragments from the tomb-chapel of Nebamun that were brought to the British Museum in the early 19th century have long been recognized as some of the finest examples of ancient Egyptian art. This book places the paintings in their historical context and provides an account of the work done to preserve them.