Art Restoration: The Culture, the Business and the Scandal

by James H. Beck

This book deals with one of the most important and contentious issues in the world of fine art. Starting in the 1970s a mania has developed for restorations of works of art. London's National Gallery (first in this field by several decades), Washington's National Gallery, the Metropolitan, the Louvre, the Prado, the Uffizi, and others besides, are restoring their collections on a wholesale basis. Much of what is being done is radical and, in its effects, irreversible. Yet a generation from now, or less, the assumptions and the most advanced technologies of today may well be regarded as backward, misconceived or plain wrong.
The authors discuss the recent restoration of three Renaissance masterpieces including Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel ceiling, one of the high points - and perhaps now also one of the tragedies - in the history of Western art. New evidence is presented of what has been done, and why, and it is certain to be controversial. Also examined are the restoration policies of the National Gallery and, so far as they can be learned from what the Gallery is prepared to reveal, their effects. These will prove controversial too.
The authors enquire into the social, cultural and, increasingly, commercial factors that underlie the recent spate of restorations which have produced what amounts to a restoration establishment with its own networks, priorities and interests. Last, they offer hope not only that change is possible but also that the need for change is beginning to be recognized, and they put forward ideas for hastening the process.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction, Art History

Hardcover

First published February 1, 1994

Reviews

[Nana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very interesting book, essentially the manifesto of Dr. James Beck, a scholar famous in part for his public denouncement of various prominent art restorations of the last several decades. Beck and his collaborator, journalist Micheal Daley, handily explain their reasoning for disagreeing with the restoration of the Sistine Ceiling, Brancacci Chapel, Last Jugement, and others (prominently featured as well are the activities of the National Gallery in London), and provide enough explanation of the chemistry and art history backgrounds to these topics to not be clear but not dull. This book is about 20 years out of date at this point but Dr. Beck's watchdog organization, ArtWatch, is still in operation, and those interested an overview of why art restoration has been so controversial in the last few decades will still find plenty to chew on in this account.

[Kformanssi Artti · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kirjaa pitää suositella jokaiselle taiteesta ja estetiikasta kiinnostuneelle.Se käsittelee ison rahan taideinstituutioiden harjoittamaa taidehistoriallisten merkkiteosten "esteettisistä syistä"uudelleen rakentamista 1900-luvun lopun "taidemaun" mukaiseksi restauroinnin nimissä,esimerkkeinä mainitaan mm Brancacci kappeli Firenzessä ja Vatikaanin Sikstiiniläiskappeli lisäksi käsitellään laajahkosti Lontoon National Galleryn toimintaa.Tekijät ampuvat alas kiivaalla tahdilla instituutioiden edustajien argumentit toimenpiteiden puolesta.Tekijät osoittaat myös mahdollisia motivaatioita,joista raha nousee jälleen tärkeäksi:jos "samasta"teoksesta tehdään muutamanvuoden välein"hienompi,""aidompi(siis modernimpi)""teos niin joudutaan uusimaan muutamien vuosien välein myytävät printit,kortit,postikortit,taidekirjat,taidehistorian kirjat ja muu turistikrääsä.Kirjassa viitataan myös isojen instituutioiden kellareista nopeaan tahtiin"löytyneisiin" vanhojen mestarien teoksiin-suhtautuen niihin terveen epäilevästi.Ison instituution lausunto teoksen"aitoudesta"on rahanarvoista,mutta siihen(kin)ja erityisesti siihen pitää suhtautua epäillen..herää tietenkin kysymys mitä taidehistorian valtavirta on tehnyt 1900-luvun jälkipuoliskolla? teosten purkaminen ja rakentaminen uudelleen muutaman vuoden välein ja siitä rahstaminen tuo mieleen akateemisen länsimaailman ajanjakson viehtymyksen derridalaisiin ja vastaaviin pseudologioihin.