HISTORY AND THEORIES OF RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION OF ART WORKS

The course is part of the master's degree in "History of Arts and Conservation of Heritage" and aims to provide the critical and methodological tools for study on the theory and history of restoration; addressing specific problems related to the methods of restoration and conservation of works of art and their change over time, the course allows students to broaden their knowledge on the theoretical and practical debate related to these issues. In particolar will be given attention to historical sources to understand the variation of practices over time and the specific vocabulary

-knowledge and understanding: to know the specific vocabulary of restoration and conservation of works of art; know the main methodologies of intervention on paintings and sculptures and the related debate in its evolution over time
- ability to apply knowledge and understanding: know how to use the specific vocabulary; know how to read and interpret the information relating to restoration work in historical sources
-judgment ability: to know how to analyse the conservative history of a work of art; know how to read a historical source to understand the debate related to restoration
-communication skills: knowing how to use appropriate and specific terminology, introduced and explained in lessons or in reference texts; knowing how to compare profitably with teachers and colleagues around the topics of the course
-learning skills: on the basis of reference material, to know how to interpret the sources of restoration history to understand the operations that took place on a work of art and the related theoretical debate

No prerequisite is required. Basic knowledge of the history of art and matter is desirable

The course aims to examine the problem of cleaning artworks, both from the practical point of view and on the theoretical level, investigating the connections that this fundamental operation of restoration involves compared to the perception of a work of art, with particular reference to paintings and sculptures. The lessons will present this topic in his historical evolution to understand how this problem has been dealt with differently by the restorers over time, from the sixteenth century until today. Some particularly significant historical interventions will be presented, such as the restoration of Carlo Maratti in the Vatican Room, the debate on "vernice" and "patina" of ancient sculptures in the Eighteenth century, the cleaning controversy in Nineteenth century, until the theoretical elaboration of Cesare Brandi. With the contribution of restorers, current emblematic cases will be presented, with the aim of understanding all the theoretical and practical implications that the treatment of lacuna entails in any restoration work.

Brandi Cesare, La pulitura dei dipinti in relazione alla patina, alle vernici e alle velature, in Teoria del restauro, Einaudi, Torino 1977, pp. 89-97

Colalucci Gianluigi, Il restauro della volta e del Giudizio della Cappella Sistina e la tecnica nella pittura ad affresco di Michelangelo : nuove riflessioni, in La Sistina e Michelangelo. Storia e fortuna di un capolavoro, Silvana, Cinisello Balsamo 2003, pp. 83-91

Conti Alessandro (a cura di), Introduzione, in Sul restauro, Einaudi, Torino 1988, pp. 5-113

Gambillara Cristina, Pietro Edwards teorico e critico d'arte, in “Verona illustrata”, 15, 2002, pp. 103-135

Giannini Cristina, Dal pulire "col fuoco" al "patinar di smalto" : alchimie del restauro amatoriale nel primo Ottocento, in “Annali di critica d'arte”, 3, 2007, pp. 431-475

Mahon Denis, Miscellanea for the cleaning controversy, in “The Burlington magazine”, 104, 1962, pp. 460-470

Mancinelli Fabrizio, Il Giudizio e il suo restauro. Note di storia, tecnica e conservazione, in La cappella Sistina. La volta restaurata. Il tronfo del colore, a cura di P. De Vecchi, Istituto Geografico De Agostini, Novara 1992, pp. 236-255

Perusini Giuseppina, Il dibattito sulla pulitura dei dipinti della National Gallery e del Louvre alla metà dell'Ottocento: alcune considerazioni generali, in La cultura del restauro. Modelli di ricezione per la museologia e la storia dell’arte, atti del Convegno Internazionale a cura di M.B. Failla, S.Meyer, C. Piva, S. Ventra (Roma, Museo Nazionale Romano di Palazzo Massimo alle Terme, Università La Sapienza, 18 - 20 aprile 2013), Campisano, Roma 2013, pp. 335-349

Roani Roberta, Giulio Mancini, Conservare le pitture, in Cristina De Benedictis, Roberta Roani, Riflessioni sulle Regole per comprare collocare e conservare le pitture di Giulio Mancini, Edifir, Firenze 2005, pp. 27-42

Zanardi Bruno, Bellori, Maratti, Bottari e Crespi intorno al restauro: modelli antichi e pratica di lavoro nel cantiere di Raffaello alla Farnesina, in “Rendiconti Accademia Nazionale dei Lincei”, s.9, 18, 2007, 2, pp. 205 - 285

All the texts not available in BAUM and the historical sources, analyzed in class, will be made available in the University e-learning Platform.

The exam will consist of an oral interview on the course topic. The active participation during the lessons will also be part of the final evaluation (30%).
Given the nature of the course, attendance is strongly recommended. Students not attending, shall agree the syllabus with the teacher (by appointment).

The course will be divided into two parts: the first part will analyze historical sources related to the theme of the course. In the second part some restorers will present their direct experience and will stimulate the debate in the classroom. Active participation of students will be required in all classes.
The course avails itself of the support of the university e-learning platform (moodle.unive.it), where will be available the teaching materials, the historical sources presented during the lessons and the bibliography which can not be found in the BAUM library.

Italian

oral

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Cities, infrastructure and social capital" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development