Behold the man: understanding the importance of conservation

In our quick-fix, do-it-yourself culture, sometimes individuals don't understand the repercussions of not calling in the appropriate professional. Sometimes everything works out for the best...but sometimes there are catastrophic repercussions.

Here is one such example of the damage caused by an elderly Spanish woman on a century-old oil painting of Christ called "Ecce Homo (Behold the Man)" that was painted on a column inside a church near Zaragoza, Spain, by artist Elias Garcia Martinez. It holds a great deal of sentimental value for local parishioners.



The saddest part (aside from the resulting image)? Apparently, the local centre that works to preserve artworks had just received a donation from the painter's granddaughter which they had planned to use to restore the original fresco.

Unfortunately, this reminds us that there is no such thing as an amateur conservator, and that those attempting restoration should not underestimate the damage that can be done by those who do not possess the skills or wherewithal to do the job properly. I am sure that there are many more similar stories out there. I think that the lesson that we can take from this story is that there is still a great need to educate and engage the public regarding conservation, and to instill in them the desire to contact accredited conservation professionals should the need arise.

UCL Conservation student describes experience at the opening of London 2012

Lopez Bravo and Sir Chris Hoy
 at the opening of the London 2012
ceremony, directed by Danny Boyle

Rafael Lopez Bravo (UCL MSc Conservation for Archaeology and Museums) describes his contribution to the opening ceremony for London 2012.
Rafael was invited to participate in the once-in-a lifetime experience and joined the section of the opening ceremony, directed by Danny Boyle, entitled 'Pandaemonium' and representing the Industrial Revolution. Rafael played a coal miner, the role involving the change of scenery from a green, country landscape to an industrial town. The change of set was part of the show, so it had to look organised; participants having to learn choreography to pretend that they were working in a factory and moving like soldiers or robots. 

Lopez Bravo and his team

Rafael was invited to participate in the once-in-a lifetime experience and joined the section of the 

opening ceremony directed by Danny Boyle, entitled Pandaemonium and representing the Industrial Revolution. Rafael played a coal miner, the role involving the change of scenery from a green, country landscape to an industrial town. The change of set was part of the show, so it had to look organised; participants having to learn choreography to pretend that they were working in a factory and moving like soldiers or robots.

Rafael, who undertook the MA in Principles of Conservation at the Institute in advance of his MSc, is originally from Puebla, Mexico. He says that he grabbed the opportunity to experience the multicultural taste of London and never looked back!

"What kept me going was the team spirit and the fact that the event organisers always made us feel that we were part of the team and our participation was essential to the show. I shall never forget that day: the way to the stadium, the wait for the start of the show, and the cheering of the participants and audience. That night, the UK welcomed the world into its home and each of us contributed to that event - and I was proud to be part of that!"

Rafael is now entering the second year of his MSc programme at the UCL Institute of Archaeology, which will involve internships at both the Wallace Collection, London and Plowden & Smith. Internships provide supervised work experience in the ‘real world’ of a museum or similar institution and are chosen and structured with each individual student in mind to enable them to gain a range of relevant experience.

See more on the UCL Institute of Archaeology page 

UCL intern at the Pitt Rivers Museum

Read Misa Tamura's entry on Jeremy Uden's 'Conserving Curiosities Blog' (Pitt Rivers Museum, Oxford). Misa is completing the UCL MSc in Conservation for Archaeology and Museums with a five-month internship at the Pitt Rivers. Here she discusses the conservation of two fragments of barkcloth brought back from Cook’s first voyage to the South Pacific between 1769-1771 and later donated to Oxford University.

"Tahitian barkcloth, or ‘ahu was typically made from the bark of the paper mulberry, and the breadfruit tree as well as two types of Ficus. Barkcloth made from the paper mulberry, characterised by its soft, fine quality with white colour, was worn by people of high rank. According to the museum’s records it is possible that these fragments were obtained in Batavia, Java, Indonesia, during Cook's stopover there in late 1770."