Protecting, healing, or punishing-people of various eras and origins have attributed such powers to the sculptures that are being presented together here for the first time: be it the sculpture of the Mangaaka from what is today the Republic of Congo, the protective goddess Mahamayuri from China, or the Maria on the globe from Southern Germany. Forty-five objects created between the fourth and the nineteenth century from two museums in Berlin provide a vivid testimony to the ever-present need for protection and orientation when dealing with individual or social crises. They represent the existence of an invisible world of gods, spirits, or ancestors, and create a connection between this world and a "different reality." As a result of how they are presented in museums, their context of use is, however, often lost-a situation that is reflected on by the authors of this book.

Though conservation plays a decisive role in the public's experience of artworks in museums, visitors are often unaware of what it takes to keep them vibrant, intact and in some cases existent, and until now there has never been a comprehensive, accessible volume that explains this science to the layperson. Here, the respected conservation scholar Richard Newman recounts tales of uncovered forgeries and unknown masterpieces from more than 130 years of MFA history--tales of important works rescued from neglect and abuse, and of new insights that have helped us understand how artists and craftspeople throughout history worked, lived and created the masterpieces we now see on display. Covering objects from all periods, media and genres--ancient to contemporary, painting to furniture, Eastern to Western--this latest volume in the MFA Highlights series invites readers to share a backstage look at the restoration, study and even discovery of some of the world's most remarkable artworks.

Sarnath has long been regarded as the place where the Buddha preached his first sermon and established the Buddhist monastic order. Excavations at Sarnath have yielded the foundations of temples and monastic dwellings, two Buddhist reliquary mounds (stupas), and some of the most important sculptures in the history of Indian art. This volume offers the first critical examination of the historic site. Frederick M. Asher provides a longue duree (long-term) analysis of Sarnath-including the plunder, excavation, and display of antiquities and the Archaeological Survey of India's presentation-and considers what lies beyond the fenced-in excavated area. His analytical history of Sarnath's architectural and sculptural remains contains a significant study of the site's sculptures, their uneven production, and their global distribution. Asher also examines modern Sarnath, which is a living establishment replete with new temples and monasteries that constitute a Buddhist presence on the outskirts of Varanasi, the most sacred Hindu city.

This first volume of the Getty Conservation Institute's "Readings in Conservation" series presents a comprehensive collection of texts on the conservation of art and architecture. Designed for students of art history as well as conservation, the book consists of 46 texts, many originally published in obscure or foreign journals. The 30 art historians and scholars represented raise questions such as when to restore, what to preserve and how to maintain aesthetic character. Excerpts have been selected from the following books and essays: John Ruskin "The Seven Lamps of Architecture"; Bernard Berenson "Aesthetics and History in the Visual Arts"; Clive Bell "The Aesthetic Hypothesis"; Cesare Brandi "Theory of Restoration"; Kenneth Clark "Looking at Pictures"; Erwin Panofsky "The History of Art as a Humanistic Discipline"; E.H. Gombrich "Art and Illusion"; Marie Cl. Berducou "The Conservation of Archaeology: and Paul Philipott "Restoration from the Perspective of the Social Sciences".

In 2019 Yale University, with the support of the Getty Foundation, held an international conference, where nearly four hundred attendees from more than twenty countries gathered to discuss a vital topic: how best to conserve paintings on canvas. It was the first major symposium on the subject since 1974, when wax-resin and glue-paste lining reigned as the predominant conservation techniques. Over the past fifty years, such methods, which were often destructive to artworks, have become less widely used in favor of more minimalist approaches to intervention. More recent decades have witnessed the reevaluation of traditional practices as well as focused research supporting significant new methodologies, procedures, and synthetic materials for the care and conservation of paintings on fabric supports. Conserving Canvas compiles the proceedings of the conference, presenting a wide array of papers and posters that provide important global perspectives on the history, current state, and future needs of the field. Featuring an expansive glossary of terms that will be an invaluable resource for conservators, this publication promises to become a standard reference for the international conservation community.

The book Locus Fratrum is the first attempt at a systematic analysis of the architecture and building practice of the last major medieval monastic order. The core of the book lies in chapters monitoring the history and building development of the individual monasteries in the territory of the Bohemian monastic province. The catalogue part is preceded by chapters summarizing the historical context of the Observant Franciscans' activities in the second half of the fifteenth and the first half of the sixteenth centuries, during which the Observants experienced both rise and fall. The history of the order is followed by an exposition on the rules governing the foundation of convents, the monastic rules limiting artwork and above all the character of the order's architecture.

At the same time Adolf Hitler was attempting to take over the western world, his armies were methodically seeking and hoarding the finest art treasures in Europe. The Fuehrer had begun cataloguing the art he planned to collect as well as the art he would destroy: "degenerate" works he despised.
In a race against time, behind enemy lines, often unarmed, a special force of American and British museum directors, curators, art historians, and others, called the Momuments Men, risked their lives scouring Europe to prevent the destruction of thousands of years of culture.
Focusing on the eleven-month period between D-Day and V-E Day, this fascinating account follows six Monuments Men and their impossible mission to save the world's great art from the Nazis.

Installation art has become mainstream in artistic practices. However, acquiring and displaying such artworks implies that curators and conservators are challenged to deal with obsolete technologies, ephemeral materials and other issues concerning care and management of these artworks. By analysing three in-depth case studies, the author sheds new light on the key concepts of traditional conservation (authenticity, artist's intention, and the notion of ownership) while exploring how these concepts apply in contemporary art conservation. Based on original empirical research and cross-case analysis, this ground-breaking study offers a re-examination of traditional conservation values and ethics, and argues for a reassessment of the role of the conservator of contemporary art.

For more than ten years, the Science for Conservators series has been the key basic texts for conservators throughout the world. Scientific concepts are basic ot the conservation of artefacts of every type, yet many conservators have little or no scientific training. These introductory volumes provide non-scientists with the essential theoretical background to their work.

This volume vividly recounts, for general readers, the Roman town of Herculaneum, destroyed by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE and uniquely preserved for nearly two thousand years. Initial chapters offer an engaging historical overview of the town during antiquity, including the riveting story of its rediscovery in the eighteenth century, excavation in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and broad cultural significance in modern times. Subsequent chapters offer an interpretive tour of the ancient town, then focus on one of Herculaneum’s grandest and most beautifully decorated private residences, known as the House of the Bicentenary. Located on the town’s main street, it has a range of features—original rooms, magnificent wall paintings and mosaics, and remarkable documents—that illuminate daily life in the ancient world. Final chapters bring the story up to date, including recent discoveries about the site and its famous papyrus manuscripts, as well as ongoing conservation initiatives.

Sidney Nolan (1917-1992) is renowned for an oeuvre ranging from views of Melbourne's seaside suburb St. Kilda to an iconic series on outlaw hero Ned Kelly. Working in factories from age fourteen, Nolan began his training spray painting signs on glass, which was followed by a job cutting and painting displays for Fayrefield Hats. Such employment offered him firsthand experience with commercial synthetic paints developed during the 1920s and 1930s. In 1939, having given up his job at Fayrefield in pursuit of an artistic career, Nolan became obsessed with European abstract paintings he saw reproduced in books and magazines. With little regard for the longevity of his work, he began to exploit materials such as boot polish, dyes, secondhand canvas, tissue paper, and old photographs, in addition to commercial and household paints. He continued to embrace new materials after moving to London in 1953. Oil-based Ripolin enamel is known to have been Nolan's preferred paint, but this fascinating study-certain to appeal to conservators, conservation scientists, art historians, and general readers with an interest in modern art-reveals his equally innovative use of nitrocellulose, alkyds, and other diverse materials.

Chinese wallpaper has been an important element of western interior decoration for three hundred years. As trade between Europe and China flourished in the seventeenth century, Europeans developed a strong taste for Chinese art and design. The stunningly beautiful wall coverings now known as `Chinese wallpaper' were developed by Chinese painting workshops in response to western demand. In spite of their spectacular beauty, Chinese wallpapers have not been studied in any depth until relatively recently. This book provides an overview of some of the most significant Chinese wallpapers surviving in the British Isles. Sumptuously illustrated, it shows how these wallpapers became a staple ingredient of high-end interiors while always retaining a touch of the exotic.

The international controversy over who "owns" antiquities has pitted museums against archaeologists and source countries where ancient artifacts are found. In his book "Who Owns Antiquity?," James Cuno argued that antiquities are the cultural property of humankind, not of the countries that lay exclusive claim to them. Now in "Whose Culture?," Cuno assembles preeminent museum directors, curators, and scholars to explain for themselves what's at stake in this struggle--and why the museums' critics couldn't be more wrong.

Source countries and archaeologists favor tough cultural property laws restricting the export of antiquities, have fought for the return of artifacts from museums worldwide, and claim the acquisition of undocumented antiquities encourages looting of archaeological sites. In "Whose Culture?," leading figures from universities and museums in the United States and Britain argue that modern nation-states have at best a dubious connection with the ancient cultures they claim to represent, and that archaeology has been misused by nationalistic identity politics. They explain why exhibition is essential to responsible acquisitions, why our shared art heritage trumps nationalist agendas, why restrictive cultural property laws put antiquities at risk from unstable governments--and more. Defending the principles of art as the legacy of all humankind and museums as instruments of inquiry and tolerance, "Whose Culture?" brings reasoned argument to an issue that for too long has been distorted by politics and emotionalism.

In addition to the editor, the contributors are Kwame Anthony Appiah, Sir John Boardman, Michael F. Brown, Derek Gillman, Neil MacGregor, John Henry Merryman, Philippe de Montebello, David I. Owen, and James C. Y. Watt.

The foundations for a world-class public art collection in Berlin were laid in 1821: This was the year the Kingdom of Prussia acquired on behalf of the museum to be established in Berlin the painting collection of English merchant Edward Solly (1776-1844). Between 1815 and 1820 this cosmopolitan lover of the arts living in Berlin amassed thousands of paintings above all from Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. Many of the works were by artists little known at the time but who subsequently came to be greatly appreciated and are still renowned today. The exhibition and the accompanying catalogue showcase a representative selection of masterpieces, rediscoveries, and "historical peculiarities", and provide an insight into an age that on the one hand shaped our concepts of art and museums and on the other hand had an entirely different view of the works than we have today.

Illustrated with contemporary case studies, Curating Design provides a history of and introduction to design curatorial practice both within and outside the museum. Donna Loveday begins by tracing the history of the collecting and display of designed objects in museums and exhibitions from the 19th century 'cabinet of curiosities' to the present day design museum. She then explores the changing role of the curator since the 1980s, with curators becoming much more than just ‘keepers’ of a collection, with a remit to create narrative and experiential exhibitions as well as develop the museum’s role as a space of learning for its visitors. Curating as a practice now describes the production of a number of cultural and creative outputs, ranging from exhibitions to art festivals; shopping environments to health centres; conferences to film programming as well as museums and galleries. Loveday explores how design has come to the fore in curatorial practice, with new design museums opening around the world as well as blockbusting exhibitions of fashion and popular culture. Interviews with leading practitioners from international design and arts museums provide a spotlight on contemporary challenges and best practice in design curatorship.

This book is a concise guide on how to preserve, protect and analyse cultural heritage in private and public collections. Its focus is on three-dimensional works of art and archaeology crafted from materials like ceramics, glass, stone, metals, wood etc. It briefly explains the most important aspects of handling, display, storage and analysis of such art works and covers the basics of environmental conditions for an art collection. Numerous practical examples from the author's long experience are shown in high-quality colour photographs.

The Curator's Handbook is the essential practical handbook for curators and curatorial students, mapping out every stage of the exhibition-making process from initial idea to final installation. In his introduction, Adrian George traces the history of curating back to its origins in the 17th century and outlines the multifarious roles of the curator today, including as custodian, interpreter, educator, facilitator and organizer. Twelve chapters then chart the various stages of the exhibition process in invaluable detail and clear, informative language - from initial concept to writing contracts and loan requests, putting together budgets and schedules, producing exhibition catalogues and interpretation materials, designing gallery spaces, working with artists, lenders and art handlers, organizing private views, and documenting and evaluating a show. A distinguished cast of international museum directors and curators offer advice and tips.

Over the last fifty years, conservation professionals have confronted increasingly complex political, economic, and cultural dynamics. This volume, with contributions by leading international practitioners and scholars, reviews how values-based methods have come to influence conservation, takes stock of emerging approaches to values in heritage practice and policy, identifies common challenges and related spheres of knowledge, and proposes specific areas in which the development of new approaches and future research may help advance the field.

Mervyn Taylor - wood engraver, painter, illustrator, sculptor and designer - was one of the most celebrated New Zealand artists of the 1930s to 1960s. He was highly connected to modernism and nationalism as it was expressed in New Zealand art and literature of the period. In the 1960s he created twelve murals for major new government and civic buildings erected in that era of great economic prosperity, during which New Zealand first began to loosen its apron-string ties to England. Tragically, some have been destroyed and others presumed lost - until now. This fascinating book, bursting with archival material, details the detective hunt for the murals and tells the stories of their creation. They cement Taylor's place as one of New Zealand's most significant artists, and are a celebration of the art and culture of our modernist era.

As a result of the Napoleonic wars, vast numbers of Old Master paintings were released on to the market from public and private collections across continental Europe. The knock-on effect was the growth of the market for Old Masters from the 1790s up to the early 1930s, when the Great Depression put an end to its expansion. This book explores the global movement of Old Master paintings and investigates some of the changes in the art market that took place as a result of this new interest. Arguably, the most important phenomenon was the diminishing of the traditional figure of the art agent and the rise of more visible, increasingly professional, dealerships; firms such as Colnaghi and Agnew's in Britain, Goupil in France and Knoedler in the USA, came into existence. Old Masters Worldwide explores the ways in which the pioneering practices of such businesses contributed to shape a changing market.

This ground-breaking book explores the revolution thats transformed New Zealand museums in recent decades, and is influencing how museums worldwide care for indigenous objects. Drawing on practical examples and interviews with professionals from all kinds of institutions, Dr Conal McCarthy lifts the lid on current practice. How do museum professionals deal with the indigenous objects in their care from day to day? How do they engage with tribal communities? How do they meet the needs of visitors, as well as these communities? The first critical study of its kind, Museums and Maori is an indispensible resource for professionals, students, academics, and museum supporters.

Illustrated with contemporary case studies, Curating Design provides a history of and introduction to design curatorial practice both within and outside the museum. Donna Loveday begins by tracing the history of the collecting and display of designed objects in museums and exhibitions from the 19th century 'cabinet of curiosities' to the present day design museum. She then explores the changing role of the curator since the 1980s, with curators becoming much more than just ‘keepers’ of a collection, with a remit to create narrative and experiential exhibitions as well as develop the museum’s role as a space of learning for its visitors. Curating as a practice now describes the production of a number of cultural and creative outputs, ranging from exhibitions to art festivals; shopping environments to health centres; conferences to film programming as well as museums and galleries. Loveday explores how design has come to the fore in curatorial practice, with new design museums opening around the world as well as blockbusting exhibitions of fashion and popular culture. Interviews with leading practitioners from international design and arts museums provide a spotlight on contemporary challenges and best practice in design curatorship.