I he article presents in an outline the development of the Institute and the organizational changes that have taken place since the introduction at the Cracow Academy of systematic lectures on painting technology for students in the first years of our century. The stormy events of the Academy of Fine Arts did not pass by the Institute of Technology of the Department of conservation of Works of Art. In its reorganization, new laboratories were created. or subjects were introduced that expanded knowledge to include the technology of works of art. In the article, changes were signaled in the teaching programs, particularly in the years when the obligatory course of study in conservation was 6 years, later 5 years. Attention was also drawn to the efforts of the teaching staff of the Institute towards a constant expansion of the range of tasks and the level of the technology-technique classes.
Bituminous pigments — asphalt, Kassel earth, Cologne earth, Van Dyck brown and mummy — were employed from the beginning of our era up to the end of the nineteenth century. During the twentieth century and in the face of changes occurring under their impact in the nondrying layer of the painting, these pigments were almost totally excluded from the palette. Nonetheless, many paintings in which the original layer underwent numerous transformations, have survived up to our times. Changes in the painting layer which contains bituminous pigments cause darkening, fluence, wrinkling, fissures, the emergence of islets in the painting layer („crocodile hide”) and a network of small surface cracks. A survey conducted among conservators made it possible to distinguish three basic methods of treating mechanical changes in the painting layer: prevention, the use of solvents and the application of heat. Prophylactic operations (the assurance of suitable temperature and moisture) which could halt or hinder progressing transformations should be also kept in mind.
The determination of a uniform terminology in conservation always encountered numerous obstacles. Different names, associated with various workshop and historical traditions, to mention lengthy debates concerning tinting or grounding, unfortunately lead to misunderstandings or at least a different interpretation of numerous phenomena. Whenever this issue concerns the individual reception of the state of the preservation of an object or its structure, there always exists a large margin of understanding. Difficulties emerge when this question pertains to conservation terms borrowed from other domains of science (physics, chemistry, material engineering, etc.), extremely frequently interpreted in assorted manners. This careless adaptation of certain terms results in a falsification of the meaning of a given world or the entire phenomenon. More, the conservators themselves define the same activity in different ways, depending on the context. It should be added that similar problems are tackled by conservators of works of art in many other countries. Hence the frequent initiatives of preparing terminological and thematic dictionaries, undertaken by the AIC in the U.S.A. and ICOM in Europe. Due to their nature and the character of damage, silk objects are conserved by specialists representing numerous domains — conservators of fabrics, canvas paintings and paper. Their cooperation is frequently indispensable, although we immediately encounter a different interpretation of identical activities, especially the reinforcement of the base. An analysis of the above example and a comparison of conservation and material terminology make it possible to distinguish certain fundamental concepts, such as lamination, gluing with laminates and duplication. The term lamination concerns deeply penetrating, irreversible operations or those difficult to remove, with the application of synthetic glues and multi-strata structures; gluing with laminates denotes non-invasion, reversible, transparent and one-sided reinforcement, similar to contact duplication using synthetic glues, while the term duplication signifies one-sided reversible reinforcement, with the employment of natural or synthetic means. All conservation consisting of the introduction and addition to a weakened monument of suitably selected means with a needle and thread should be described as the reinforcement of the object on a secondary, protective textile base.
The aim of the article is to show a developmental line in the conservation of easel paintings derived from craftsmanship through the conservation art to conservation as a branch of science. The answer to the question what methods and what chemical agents were used in the past iis difficult. This difficulty is, in the first place, the result of a small number of source materials that are in our posession. The course of repairs and renewals of such financially and factually insignificant objects as easel paintings was never recorded At the same time the maintenance of professional secrets for a long time still intensified this difficulty. Despite difficulties just mentioned studies on the history of conservation .are continued and ascertain us that without theoretical and practical achievements of our forerunners present attainments of the conservation of works of art would not have been possible.
Obrazy są niezwykle skomplikowanymi i trudnymi do analizy chemicznej obiektami. Składają się z wielu warstw, które znacząco różnią się pomiędzy sobą pod względem składu oraz struktury. Aby określić budowę i skład chemiczny obrazu, można użyć wielu różnych technik analitycznych, wśród których można wyróżnić techniki: nieinwazyjne, inwazyjne nieniszczące i inwazyjne niszczące próbkę. Jednak dopiero użycie wielu technik daje pełniejszy wgląd w badany obiekt.
EN
Paintings are complex objects and their analysis is difficult and time consuming. Painting consists of many layers, with varying chemical composition and structure. To analyze painting many various analytical techniques, including non-invasive, non-destructive and destructive, may be deployed, but only multi-analytical approach gives the best results.