Many people don’t know much about art conservation, but rarely look into the field to really explore why it’s important and how it contributes to your everyday life. Here we look at what art conservation is and why conservatorship is a highly valued profession.
Conservation of art is defined
Art conservation is a profession dedicated to preserving the cultural gems of the modern world for the enjoyment of future generations. Can you imagine Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa disintegrating before your eyes? Or Van Gogh’s “Starry Night” destroyed by pollution? Or Picasso’s Avignon Girls cease to exist due to excessive lighting?
Art Conservation prevent this from happening to the world’s most valuable cultural treasures, as well as your family heirlooms.
Art conservation: the world’s most valuable cultural treasures are always in danger
Cultural treasures like those mentioned above are in constant danger due to natural environmental factors such as extreme heat and cold, humidity, chemical pollutants and excessive lighting, etc.
In addition, there are man-made threats such as accidental damage and mishandling. Art conservators are trained professionals who know how to not only prevent environmental factors from destroying these priceless gems, but also know how to handle them to prevent even accidental damage.
Why art restoration is a highly valued profession
An art conservator is a highly valued profession for the following reasons:
Driven by ethics. Conservator and restorators professionals have a standard of applied ethics to which they must adhere. These ethical standards have been adopted worldwide with written guidelines established at the national and international levels for many spectrums of the art world.
For example, there are codes of ethics that apply to museums, art restorers, institutions that lend works of art for exhibitions, etc. To learn more about applied ethics as it relates to art conservation, visit Art-Care.com.
Many Areas of Specialization: Art conservation is not a one-dimensional profession, which is what makes it so fascinating. If you have a passion for all things old and want to build a career as an art advocate, there is a niche for you.
A career in art conservation
Some of the niches in art conservation are:
Photo Preservation: This is the study of how to preserve photographic material. In this discipline, you need to know how photos appear and how to prevent them from deteriorating.
Furniture conservation: the ideal profession for an antique furniture lover.
Textile Conservation: Are you interested in conserving old quilts, wall tapestries and other textile art from years past? Textile conservation is a rewarding career for you.
These niches are only the tip of the iceberg. Some others to consider are book and paper preservation, digital object preservation, footage preservation, etc.
When most think of art conservation, they think of paintings by masters like those mentioned above. However, the field is rich and varied and offers many exciting careers for those interested in preserving the past for the future.
The Importance of Art Conservation: Preserving Our Cultural Heritage
Art conservation is the process of preserving and restoring works of art to their original condition, or as close as possible. It is a critical aspect of preserving our cultural heritage and ensuring that future generations can appreciate and learn from the art of the past. Without art conservation, many of our most cherished works of art would be lost to time, weather, and other forms of damage.
