Search

Paper materials and works of art on paper such as drawings, watercolors, prints, books, and manuscripts represent a large portion of museum, archive, and library collections. However, paper materials are infrequently the subject of technical studies due to inherent limitations in their analysis such as the fragility of the paper substrate, a lack of suitable sampling opportunities, and the presence of mixed, but chemically similar cellulosic materials. The application of principal component analysis (PCA) modeling to specular reflection FTIR data has the potential to provide a non-invasive means of analysis for major and minor components in paper materials. Using known study collection objects, PCA models distinguishing paper sizing materials and fiber types based on specular reflection FTIR data were successfully demonstrated thus providing a plausible alternative method for the identification of paper materials in collection objects without the need for destructive testing or sampling of the object.

Over 50 works on paper from Egypt, Iraq, Iran and Central Asia dated from the 13th to 19th centuries were examined and analyzed at the Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies. Forty-six of these were detached folios, some of which had been removed from the same dispersed manuscript. Paintings and illuminations from five intact manuscripts were also examined and analyzed, although not all of the individual works were included. The study was undertaken to better understand the materials and techniques used to create paintings and illuminations from the Islamic World, with particular attention paid to the diversity of greens, blues and yellows present. The research aimed to determine the full range of colorants, the extent of pigment mixing and the various preparatory drawing materials. The issue of binding materials was also addressed, albeit in a preliminary way.

This work presents conservation treatment and analysis of two screenprints on clear plastic, Sandwich and Soda (1964) by Roy Lichtenstein, which is part of the portfolio X + X (Ten Works by Ten Painters). After acquisition, two different pressure-sensitive tapes directly adhered to the printing inks were discovered. At the time of this study, prior attempts to remove tape had resulted in visible damage to the ink. Analysis revealed that the plastic support is polystyrene; the blue printing ink is phthalocyanine blue, the red ink is chrome red, lithol Bordeaux, and barium sulphate; the red and blue ink binder is polystyrene; and the carrier and adhesive components of the tapes are cellulosic material and polyvinyl acetate. Examination and testing combined with extensive scientific analysis enabled thorough understanding of the materials and condition of the prints, as well as successful removal of the tapes and reduction of the adhesive residues.

American portrait silhouettes were made by a range of people, from highly trained portrait artists to itinerant peddlers to family members snipping away in the drawing room. Some silhouettes are fine examples on watermarked paper deftly tipped into albums, and others are constructed from homemade materials cobbled together. This article discusses the history, materials, and techniques of silhouettes in the United States and their historical precedents abroad. The range of silhouette formats and the wide array of tracing machines that were employed to capture profiles straight from the face are also considered. A final section surveys conservation problems presented by these unique artifacts.