Revisiting the surface, Edvard Munch and varnishes

“Revisiting the surface, Edvard Munch and varnishes: A group case study and
non-invasive approach to conservation decision-making for painting
collections”
by Dr Thierry Ford, Senior Paintings Conservator, The National Museum of Art, Norway
Thierry Ford (b.1971) is a senior paintings conservator at the National Museum of Art, Norway.
He studied The History of Fine and Decorative Arts at Leeds University (1989-1993) and has a
Masters in Easel Paintings Conservation from the University of Northumbria (1996). Thierry
defended his PhD in Conservation in October 2022 (University of Oslo) and has published
conservation research on paintings by Gustav Courbet, Gentileschi, Hans Gude, Edouard Manet,
Edvard Munch, Harald Sohlberg and Picasso.

This is a contributed talk delivered at:

Science and engineering research for cultural heritage and conservation Conference held at Imperial College London on 20th September 2023

About Science and Engineering Research for Cultural Heritage
A Network of Excellence connecting scientists & engineers with conservators & heritage professionals to find solutions to cultural heritage problems. The artworks, artefacts and structures inherited from the past have a powerful impact on our society, so the conservation of our cultural heritage is fundamental for future generations. This shared cultural heritage requires intervention to stabilise and prevent further degradation of often unique artefacts. This degradation results from use, ageing, unpredicted events, environmental conditions, and poorly chosen previous restoration treatments whose details are often unknown. Scientists and engineers can assist greatly by identifying the changes in the materials, the mechanisms of degradation, and predicting how the object will respond to conservation and display. This knowledge enables conservators to make informed choices about suitable treatments, so the conservation of cultural heritage is truly interdisciplinary.

About The Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering
The Institute for Molecular Science and Engineering (IMSE) is one of Imperial College London’s Global Institutes, drawing on the strength of its four faculties to address some of the grand challenges facing the world today. The Institute’s activities are focused on tackling problems where molecular innovation plays an important role.