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VENUS BLUE DAMAGE (left) AFTER CONSERVATION TREATMENT (right)

The majestic deep shade and brilliance of the ultramarine blue pigment has conquered the heart of artists and viewers of the Western world since the medieval illuminated manuscripts from c.1100. ‪Natural Ultramarinus (lapis lazuli), which literally means: "beyond the sea” was imported from Asia, more specific from the quarries of Badakhshan, northeastern Afghanistan. According to Marco Polo’s description, the finest blue azuri “…appears in veins like silver streaks”. Due to its vibrant shade, unmatched by any other blue, the pigment was more valuable than gold during the 13th century and beyond. Renaissance artists such as Giotto and Cimabue res...

by Viviana Dominguez, Chief Conservator, Art Conservators Lab

The Conservation of Wallpaintings Workshop (2012 and 2014) in Yachay Wasi Institute in Lima, Perú is an introduction to different types of wallpainting media conservation. Instructor: Viviana Dominguez

The syllabus included the history of wallpainting and its social and political commentary; building and construction materials; techniques and materials; environmental problems; and causes of deterioration. It also included writing diagnostic condition reports and conservation treatment proposals, and how to approach photographic documentations.

"Untitled" Pierre August Renoir

After Treatment

Before Treatment

Detailed of damaged surface
"Untitled" (1947) Serge Ivan Chermayeff

Before Treatment

After Treatment
“Untitled” (1963)Tikashi Fukushima

Before Treatment

After Treatment
Portrait of Maria T Rojas (1943) by Wifredo Lam

Before Treatment

“Euterpe” (1973) Ralph Iwamoto
After Treatment

Before Treatment

After Treatment
"Untitled" Stivenson Magloire

BeforeTreatment

After Treatment
"Mdme Roux" Max Pinchinat

Before Treatment

After Treatment
"Old Lady" Mario Benjamin

Before Treatment

After Treatment

"Marche Aux Fleur" by Eduoard Cortes

Before Treatment

After Treatment
Wilshire Building Art Deco Decorative Ceiling

Before Treatment

After Treatment

"Venezia" U. Checa. Before and After Treatment
"Last Days of Pompeii"

Before Treatment

Detail During Treatment

After Treatment
"Getting Ready for Racing" Ulpiano Checa

Before Treatment

After Treatment
Santa Maria La Mayor
"Presenting the Virgin to the Temple"

Before Treatment

After Treatment

After Treatment

Before Treatment

During Treatment

Before Treatment

After Treatment
Annunciation 1927

Before Treatment

Before treatment

After Treatment

After Treatment

Before Treatment

After Treatment

The eighteen-month long Smithsonian Institution Haiti Cultural Recovery Project was an international, collaborative, conservation effort to recover cultural patrimony gravely damaged by the January 12, 2010 earthquake. As Chief Conservator and Paintings Conservator, respectively, Stephanie directed conservation activities to support projects at twenty public and private institutions, and Viviana oversaw the paintings conservation activities. Here we relate the story of one remarkable conservation treatment and its context, the recovery of a fragmented Stivenson Magloire painting, mentioned in an earlier blog post here on The Bigger Picture.

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Photo: From left to right Erntz Jeudy, Jean Menard Derenoncourt and Viviana Dominguez.

Thousands of paintings have been rescued from the rubble of collapsed museums and galleries in Port-au-Prince after the devastating earthquake of January 2010. The artwork was brought to the Smithsonian Institution’s Haiti Cultural Recovery Center (CRCH) to be conserved by US professionals under the direction of Chief Conservator Stephanie Hornbeck.

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The back drops and props of the Ravel's childrens' opera " L'enfant et les Sortileges" painted by David Hockney are on display at THE CONTEMPORARY ART MUSEUM, Honolulu, Hawaii. The pavilion was in need of repair and the painted pieces in need of conservation. ARTCONSERVATIONLA.COM art.conservation.services@gmail.com

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The stabilization and removal of the celebrated murals at Ste. Trinité Cathedral in Port-au- Prince damaged during January 12 earthquake, 2010 in Haiti.