Working with modern art requires conservators to consider not only the technical condition and the artist's vision but also the artwork's practical context, including exhibition, storage, transportation, and interaction with its surroundings. Assemblages by Władysław Hasior, composed of diverse and fragile materials, are particularly vulnerable to damage caused by improper handling, underscoring the necessity of thorough documentation and close collaboration with museum institutions. This article aims to illustrate the complexity of conserving modern art, where every stage of the process is crucial to preserving the work in its most authentic form and to shed light on the challenges encountered during the process.
In this model-based study the effect of atmospheric pressure plasma on rag paper and mould infested paper is determined. Visual examinations with a digital microscope show the removal of mould from the surface, changes of surface properties of selected papers and micro-damages to the paper fibres occurring during the treatment process. As plasma generates highly reactive chemical components, Ozone and UVC radiation are also present and have an influence on the treated surface. Therefore, single treatments of air plasma, hydrogen-argon, oxygen-argon plasma and Ozone and UVC treatments are compared. The results show that comparing to the Ozone and UVC treatment the plasma treatments show less damage on the paper surface and the removal of the mould is more effective. But it can also be seen that the oxidizing effect of plasma has an impact on the cellulose fibres.
This study investigates the identification and effects of atmospheric pollutants in the archaeological sites of the Athens basin, particularly at Kerameikos. The objective was to identify the pollutants surrounding this historically significant area at the center of a large city and assess the damage they inflict on the monuments. By examining the environment and documenting atmospheric parameters, it became evident how significantly geomorphology influences the dispersion of pollutants. The assessment of pollutants was achieved through a combination of marble sampling and air quality sensors. The collection of water washes and the use of diagnostic analysis methods documented the airborne elements deposited in the samples. The results were evaluated based on the climatic factors of deterioration, the sensors data, statistical graphs, and the bibliographic sources. In conclusion, gaseous particles and pollutants from wheeled vehicles are the biggest threat to the environment, and their limitation is also the most difficult.
The professional regulation of conservation-restorers in Spain and Portugal presents divergent trajectories addressing shared needs within the contemporary European context. Whilst Spain maintains the absence of specific professional regulation after four decades of heritage legislation without reform, Portugal has recently established pioneering comprehensive regulation through Decreto-Lei n.º 90/2024 (2024), effective from 23 November 2024. This comparative historical-legislative analysis evidences a fundamental paradox: Portugal regulates the profession whilst Spain regulates exclusively training, demonstrating that effective harmonisation necessarily requires systemic integration of education, professional regulation, and heritage legislation. Through documentary analysis of national regulations, comparative European frameworks, and E.C.C.O./ENCoRE directives and standards, the Portuguese 2024 regulatory model is identified as significantly more transferable to Spain than Italian or French models due to greater compatibility with decentralised systems.
Portable X-ray fluorescence (pXRF) is a powerful analytical tool; however, its application to the analysis of complex pigment mixtures and multilayered artistic paintings − particularly ternary and quaternary systems distributed across one or more layers − still presents significant challenges. This study investigates the effectiveness of pXRF in detecting specific pigments, such as azurite, cinnabar, and lead white, within complex mixtures and overlapping stratigraphic layers, which are typical features of historical paintings and polychrome sculptures. Cadmium yellow, a pigment commonly used in later periods as overpainting, was also successfully identified, providing insights into the usefulness of pXRF for testing on historical artworks, even when dealing with later additions or restorations. The insights gained from these experimental replicas were subsequently applied to the analysis of two historical paintings selected as case studies, in which the target pigments were found to be heterogeneously distributed and mixed in varying proportions.
