Venizelos G. Gavrilakis
Artwork conservation and restoration is a scientific field where it is essential, first and foremost, to fully and clearly understand the exact meaning of the term ‘conservation and restoration’ as well as its purpose. This understanding helps us recognise its necessity and the contribution it makes to the cultural, social, artistic, and historical spheres. Furthermore, it underscores the imperative need for the conservation and restoration of each work.
To properly explain and grasp the concept of ‘Conservation and Restoration’, it’s crucial to initially delve into the purpose and specific conditions of a work’s state, preservation, etc., which dictate its need for conservation. The inherent decay of every cultural artefact, occurring over time or due to natural causes, has historically necessitated the development of an ‘art’ aimed at preserving and safeguarding our cultural heritage, ensuring its transmission to the future in as authentic and resilient a state as possible.
Throughout history, various spontaneous and often misguided human interventions in preservation have underscored the urgent need for a formal ‘conservation code’.
The proliferation of private art collections, particularly from the 17th century onward, further emphasised this necessity. Over centuries, this code has been established, adapted, and refined according to prevailing perceptions, ideologies, and practices of conservator-artists, culminating in the formalisation of the conservator and restorer profession in the 18th century. Through the amalgamation of these changes and developments in the field of Conservation and restoration, this ‘art’, now evolved into a science, is tasked in the 21st century with restoring every damaged or altered work to its original state, ensuring its preservation in history while also meeting functional or utilitarian needs, depending on its inherent nature.
Therefore, when defining the term “Conservation and Restoration,” it encompasses scientific research and study, the application of specialised tasks and methods, and the comprehensive care of the artwork to conserve and restore it to its original form, resilience, and ensure its preservation over time. Conservator and Restorer as Art Doctor is tasked, firstly, with administering “treatment” to address damages, changes, and alterations resulting from factors such as time, nature, storage conditions, and human intervention. Additionally, the conservator-restorer provides ongoing care to prevent or at least mitigate future decay.
These interventions are distinguished between those purely concerning the conservation of the artwork and those solely related to its aesthetic restoration. The former involves the rescue and preservation of the work, as described above, while the latter exclusively aims at its final aesthetic enhancement. In any case, the extent of restoration to the original form of the work also needs to be assessed based on the “legibility” of the subject it depicts or represents. For instance, in a painting or religious icon, varnish oxidised by time and climatic conditions or other accretions may have rendered the painted subject hazy and indistinct, necessitating the cleaning of the painted surface to restore its clarity and “legibility”.
These interventions are distinguished between those purely concerning the conservation of the artwork and those solely related to its aesthetic restoration. The former concerns the rescue and preservation of the work, as described above, while the latter aims exclusively at its final aesthetic enhancement.
In any case, the extent of restoration of the work to its original form also needs to be judged based on the “legibility” of the subject it depicts or represents. For example, in a painting or an icon, varnish oxidised by time and climatic conditions, or other accretions, may have rendered the painted subject hazy and indistinct. Therefore, cleaning the painted surface becomes necessary to restore its clarity and “legibility”.
Conservation and restoration work is always carried out by specially trained, experienced, and professional individuals within scientifically organised conservation and restoration studios, utilising both mechanical and chemical methods, as well as microscopes and magnifying lenses. Each treatment is conducted with absolute respect for the aesthetic, cultural, historical, and religious value and significance of the artwork, preserving their authenticity, as well as their potential functional and utilitarian value.
To determine when an artwork requires conservation and restoration, careful research and study by an expert professional conservator and restorer are necessary. However, in general, anyone can identify some obvious signs, such as a “blackened” or hazy appearance of the work, efflorescence, “bumps,” or detached parts from the artwork. In such cases, immediate corrective conservation interventions are necessary; otherwise, if ignored, they may lead to the total destruction of the work over time.
To avoid this, the intervention of the conservator-restorer is necessary. Their services not only represent an indisputable contribution to the field of art but also serve as a function through which they work towards the preservation of history, culture, and humanity. The transfer of an artwork into the future reflects the unique connection between the art of its creation and the science and art of its conservation and restoration. Through conservation and restoration treatments, the conservator–restorer communicates through hidden artistic codes with the primary artist, the creator of the artwork. Together, through the preservation of the artwork, they pass into history and time. It is necessary to conserve and restore every artwork to ensure its continuity and recognition through history and time. As Cesare Brandi stated in his book “Theory of Restoration”:
“In reality, even if its (the artwork) recognition must occur each time in individual consciousness, at the same time, the artwork belongs to the collective consciousness. The individual who enjoys this immediate revelation feels the need, as imperative as the ethical need, for preservation. Preservation extends on an infinite scale, starting from simple respect and ending in the most radical intervention, as in the case of detaching frescoes or transferring paintings onto wood or canvas.