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In Spain, a microbiologist has been using unlikely organisms as a method of restoration, and it has the potential to revolutionize the world of art. So, how does art restoration work, exactly, and how can bacteria help in this lifelong battle? Click through this gallery to find out.
Art restoration refers to the process of repairing, cleaning, or restoring artwork that has deteriorated due to age, environmental factors, or damage. Its aim is to bring the piece as close as possible to its original state, while preserving the artist’s intent and ensuring its longevity for future generations.
While preservation focuses on preventing further damage by stabilizing artwork, restoration involves more invasive techniques to repair damaged areas, remove harmful materials, and sometimes even reconstruct missing parts of the artwork.
One of the primary tasks in art restoration is cleaning. Over time, artworks collect dust, grime, smoke residues, and other pollutants. Restorers use specialized solvents and techniques to safely remove these layers to reveal the original art.
Many artworks suffer from physical damage, such as tears in canvas, cracks in sculpture, or flaking paint. Restoration involves patching, reweaving, or filling in missing areas, often using materials that match the original composition.
A key tenet of modern art restoration is the principle of reversibility. Any changes made during the restoration process should be reversible, allowing future conservators to undo them if better methods become available.
Restorers must always consider the ethical implications of their work. This includes determining how much restoration is appropriate and respecting the artist’s original vision. After all, over-restoration can risk altering an artwork's historical value.
Advancements in technology have greatly enhanced the art restoration process. Tools like infrared scanning, X-rays, and digital imaging allow conservators to analyze layers beneath the surface without damaging the piece.
Ultimately, art restoration is about safeguarding cultural heritage. By repairing and restoring artwork, conservators ensure that future generations can appreciate the work in its original beauty.
In 2008, a Spanish microbiologist named Pilar Bosch stumbled across an academic paper that suggested the possibilities of using bacteria in art restoration.
At the same time, Bosch’s mother, Pilar Roig, was having issues restoring 18th-century frescoes by Antonio Palomino in one of the oldest churches found in a prominent Spanish city.
The Church of Santos Juanes, located in the eastern Spanish city of Valencia, was founded in the 13th century and has since seen a tumultuous history of damage and reconstruction.
The 18th-century frescoes that Roig was attempting to restore are a depiction of the Church Triumphant, which are Christians who have attained heaven and have triumphed over death and sin.
During the Spanish Civil War between 1936 and 1939, the church’s interior (including the frescoes) suffered damage from an arsonist’s fire.
During restoration work on the frescoes in the 1960s, glue was used to pull them from the walls of the church. Roig, an art restorer by trade, was finding it difficult to remove that glue.
Incidentally, the research paper uncovered by Bosch spoke about bacteria being used to clean frescoes in Italy. This became the Hail Mary needed at the church in Valencia.
The mother and daughter have now joined forces on an ambitious US$4.46-million project to use similar techniques to restore the artworks in the church.
The process that they have undertaken involves training bacteria by feeding them samples of glue made from animal collagen. In turn, the bacteria produce enzymes that degrade the glue.
Afterward, the bacteria is mixed with a natural algae-based gel, which is spread over the paintings and left for three hours.
Once the timer stops, the gel is removed, revealing glue-free paintings! Art restorers can then reach the actual paintings that were beneath the glue and perform the necessary restorations.
Previously, art restorers would rely on a manual method to scrape the glue away using warm water and sponges. Not only did this process take hours, but it also damaged the paintings.
Bosch has also applied her knowledge of bacteria in art restoration to work on projects in Pisa and Monte Cassino in Italy, and in Santiago de Compostela in northern Spain.
Now, Bosch is also training a different kind of bacteria to clear walls of spray-painted graffiti. Art restoration is indeed a difficult and time-consuming practice, but it isn’t always met with appreciation.
The restoration of the Sistine Chapel ceiling in Vatican City was a very controversial project in particular. In 1980, a 21-year-long restoration process was initiated to restore the ceiling to its original vibrancy and color, which had supposedly been lost over time.
Many people questioned whether this was truly necessary, and argued that restoration would remove part of the ceiling’s history. However, the project managed to reveal previously hidden details that have now become far more cherished.
‘Las Meninas’ is considered a masterpiece of Spanish painting. The piece’s restoration was met with heavy criticism, as many historians believed that attempting to restore the art would damage it. However, the project spent two years restoring the art to its former glory and enhanced the details and color in the painting.
'Ecce Homo' is a painting of Jesus Christ that can be found in the Sanctuary of Mercy Church in Borja, Spain. The painting underwent an incredibly controversial restoration process in 2012 that actually caused international outrage.
Although the restoration was supposed to give the art a facelift, it instead significantly changed the artwork’s appearance and completely destroyed the original painting’s appearance. Pictured beside the updated work is its 'restorer,' Cecilia Giménez.
The iconic marble sculpture can be found in the Cornaro Chapel within Rome’s Santa Maria della Vittoria church. A restoration project in 2018 sought to restore minor damage to the sculpture, but the project was met with controversy after it was revealed that the restorers had used a chemical solution that changed the color of marble from white to yellow.
In 2018, a team of restorers set out to give parts of the Great Mosque of Damascus, also known as the Umayyad Mosque, a much-needed facelift. The mosque’s tiles were controversially replaced with ones that differed from the original material, and an uproar ensued among art historians and enthusiasts alike.
Sources: (Reuters) (Arts Painter) (Britannica) (Douwes Fine Art) (PaperLove)
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Art restoration is a tricky and complicated process that requires incredible skills and years of experience to accomplish. There are dozens of possible ways to bring artwork back to life, and it’s the duty of restorers to know how it’s done. But sometimes restorers are faced with insurmountable problems that cause them to be unable to fix or conserve art. That’s why new restoration methods are constantly being uncovered and created, all in the hopes of securing the past for the sake of the future.
In Spain, a microbiologist has been using unlikely organisms as a method of restoration, and it has the potential to revolutionize the world of art. So, how does art restoration work, exactly, and how can bacteria help in this lifelong battle? Click through this gallery to find out.