Paper Conservation: Decisions & Compromises

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tation presumes that the works are mounted in such a way that both recto and verso can safely be examined. This imperative directs the selection of restoration treatments. Conserving, displaying, consulting – these demands are sometimes difficult to reconcile, especially for large-sized works. <strong>Conservation</strong> implies a stable environment and climate, minimal handling, and maximum protection against light and against atmospheric pollution. The solutions needed for exhibition of the work may be temporary; in that case, it is more a question of means, of the time needed for an intervention, of the budget allocated for the restoration, installation and taking down of the work, than an ethical issue. However, consultation of the works on paper requires durable and sustainable solutions to problems of conservation; the works need to be accessible and it must be possible to manipulate them safely. The approach chosen by the conservation studio at the Department of Drawings and Prints seeks to take into account, in its treatments, to maintain as much as possible the work’s authentic character, to enable its exhibition and its consultation, and thus to allow historians to conduct their research. In the case of Le Brun’s cartoons, there is the additional difficulty of the sheer number and heterogeneity of the ensemble. Among the 700 cartoons there are masterpieces, unique items of great historical and artistic importance, as well as more modest works and even copies that were used to transfer the drawing or as teaching material for pupils. However, all share the fact that they are essentially working drawings, carrying the traces of their use. Since the creation of the conservation studio of the Department of Drawings and Prints in 1989 and following the first restoration campaign, which involved superficial cleaning and consolidations needed to allow an inventory of the collection to be taken, sixty cartoons have been restored. Over the past twenty years, restoration protocols have evolved and the materials used have been updated. Nevertheless, the same inherent logic and the main stages of restoration remain valid. They take into account both the history of the cartoons and their dimensions. Cartoons that were folded or rolled often suffered so much friction that the radiance of the white chalk heightening and the velvety character of the black chalk lines were lost. If the Fig. 4: Ambassadors’ staircase, Château de Versailles, detail of conservation work cartoon was pasted onto a backing canvas, on the other hand, it usually is now badly discolored and few traces of the white highlights are left. The stiffness of the marouflage and the deterioration of the adhesive justify the cartoon’s removal from the canvas backing. Additionally, poor storage conditions were often the cause of distortion of the canvas, extreme dirt, and stains. The difficulty encountered in removing the glue depends on the quality of the adhesive used and its age. Selected solutions involve heat and an alphaamylase gel. Consolidation of tears and filling in missing areas are needed in all the cartoons. Folded or rolled works often exhibit more tears, yet their paper is not as distorted as is the case with works that were backed on canvas in the nineteenth century. Some cartoons are lined once or twice. Wheat starch paste and Japanese “minogami” paper are used to line the cartoons (Fig 4). The large- scale cartoons are, in general, pasted onto a canvas of ‘aged’ linen prepared with ICOM-CC Graphic Documents Working Group Interim Meeting | Vienna 17 – 19 April 2013 82
intermediary sheets of paper. This procedure is frequently adopted with cartoons that were remounted on canvas in the nineteenth century. The preparation of the support is done concurrently with the restoration of the work itself. The linen is ‘aged’ three times to give it the required inertia guaranteeing stability. It is a long but essential process, needed to obtain optimal adhesion of the paper to the canvas. Strain gauge frames are used to absorb the stresses the work may undergo due to climatic variations. Small-sized works are mounted on acid-free board of either honeycomb structure, or simple lightweight board. Different techniques may be employed: the work may be stretch-mounted on a cardboard, or mounted in such a way that the verso of the sheet remains accessible. The questions posed by the preservation of the cartoons continue after their restoration. Until few years ago, the cartoons were systematically framed in heavy wooden frames painted black. This has been discontinued since, both to preserve the original character of the cartoons and for reasons of weight during handling. The cartoons are now placed in a light type of frame that is needed for storage or for handling during transport. The choices made in the restoration of the cartoons of Charles Le Brun remain a matter of importance. The equilibrium between conservation, exhibition and consultation is a delicate one, and both the margins of action and those of the budget are limited. On-going research takes us ever closer to lighter, less invasive manners of mounting, consistent with the preservation of the works’ authenticity and their history. Valentine Dubard for the team of conservators of the Department of Drawings and Prints of the Musée du Louvre Notes 1 The ‘packets’ gathered works according to site and type; patterns were kept separate. See: Beauvais, L. Pinault Sørensen, M. 2000. Musée du Louvre, département des Arts graphiques. Inventaire général des dessins. Ecole française, Charles Le Brun, 1619-1690, 2 vols., Paris, for references to all historical information cited here. 2 Statement of 2 June 1749 ; see note 1. 3 « Ces cartons de très peu de valeur » (« these cartoons of very little value »), circa 1730, Charles Coypel ; see note 1. 4 Department of Drawings and Prints, Inv. 29845. Author Valentine Dubard 31 bis rue de Montreuil 94300 Vincennes vadubard@gmail.com Département des arts graphiques Musée du Louvre 14 quai François Mitterand 75058 Paris cedex 1 valentine.dubard@louvre.fr ICOM-CC Graphic Documents Working Group Interim Meeting | Vienna 17 – 19 April 2013 83
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Paper Conservation: Decisions & Com
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Content Lieve Watteeuw Introduction
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Michael Wheeler | Nicholas Barnard
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New Trends in Preservation in the D
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and monitoring against adverse envi
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Steve Hobaica, Patrick Loughney, Ma
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The Albums of Duke Charles de Croÿ
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Fig. 4: turning the supporting pape
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Fig. 2: Close-up of some of the los
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manuscript paper, the binding would
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Figure 2 partial sewing: the blue d
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Books in Exhibitions: History and A
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Fig. 4 Museum in London and the pre
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Risk and Safety of Illuminated Manu
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Fig. 2 Atlas, the Crown papers are
Page 32 and 33: Acknowledgments The authors would l
Page 34 and 35: Verdigris I: Compromises in Conserv
Page 36 and 37: Verdigris 2: Wet Chemical Treatment
Page 38 and 39: Integrated Modelling: The Demograph
Page 40 and 41: Fig. 3: The consequence of 50 insta
Page 42 and 43: Characterisation of Historical Pape
Page 44 and 45: pling is required, tide-lines are c
Page 46 and 47: Study of Phytate Chelating Treatmen
Page 48 and 49: Evaluation of stochiometric effects
Page 50 and 51: Practice and Progress in the Conser
Page 52 and 53: Fig. 1 Fig. 2 plex picture and prov
Page 54 and 55: Fig. 2: Coloured paper strips place
Page 56 and 57: the fire (on the other hand paper,
Page 58 and 59: inform decisions on conservation tr
Page 60 and 61: This paper summarizes what is known
Page 62 and 63: 2. Methods An interdisciplinary met
Page 64 and 65: Fig. 4: Dyed endpaper pasted at the
Page 66 and 67: Preservation of Architectural Drawi
Page 68 and 69: Notes 1 According Salvador Muñoz V
Page 70 and 71: course of time under the influence
Page 72 and 73: the curators in review of the treat
Page 74 and 75: cellulose powders with cellulose et
Page 76 and 77: Authors Xing Kung Liao Conservator
Page 78 and 79: Fig. 2: Our Railroad Workers and th
Page 80 and 81: The Restoration of Cartoons at the
Page 84 and 85: To Remove or Retain? - Extensive In
Page 86 and 87: Fig. 4 repeated applications until
Page 88 and 89: The Migration of Hydroxy Propyl Cel
Page 90: tion issue allowed a visualisation
Page 93 and 94: Ethical Considerations Concerning t
Page 95 and 96: emoved with damp cotton swab. Then
Page 97 and 98: Conservation of a Book of Hours fro
Page 99 and 100: Fig. 4: Pigments movement and conse
Page 101 and 102: Notes 1 Brazilwood lake, lapis lazu
Page 103 and 104: pages, which would easily have torn
Page 105 and 106: The Microflora Inhabiting Leonardo
Page 107 and 108: Acknowledgments The authors would l
Page 109 and 110: Microorganisms in Books - First Res
Page 111 and 112: hyaline white mycelia on and in the
Page 113 and 114: Deconstructing the Reconstruction E
Page 115 and 116: Fig. 3: Poster after 2012 conservat
Page 117 and 118: Conservators’ Investigation of Ch
Page 119 and 120: had been used, may be false-positiv
Page 121 and 122: function will provide a holistic pi
Page 123 and 124: Fig. 2: Patriarchs of Chan Buddhism
Page 125 and 126: ing techniques, which build upon fu
Page 127 and 128: Applications of Image Processing So
Page 129 and 130: Fig. 3 Fig. 4 images in a single wi
Page 131 and 132: Analysing Deterioration Artifacts i
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Fig. 3 similarity maps. Similarity
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Strategy in the Case of a Wrecked P
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without preliminary consolidation.
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Fiber Optic Reflectance Spectroscop
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Fig. 3: 18 th century paper seal, i
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Fig. 3 Fig. 4 of responsibilities r
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Characterising the Origin of Carbon
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Fig. 3: Sampling depth for ATR spec
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Fig. 2: Filmoplast® tape attached
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Pluchart, F. 1971. Pop Art Et Cie.
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Fig. 3: The reverse of left screen
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porting the reverse of severe creas
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Paper Conservation: Decisions & Compromises

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