Major conservation mistakes_K.Bruckman.2

MAJOR CONSERVATION MISTAKES
ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE MOVIE
“BEAN: THE ULTIMATE DISASTER”
KINGA BRÜCKMAN DE RENSTROM
I ROK, WYDZIAŁ KONSERWACJI I RESTAURACJI DZIEŁ SZTUKI

"BEAN – THE MOVIE"
• Bean: The Movie is 1997 a comedy based on the British television
series Mr. Bean.

• The plot has a happy ending and yet one
cannot help but cringe at the way
the famous masterpiece is handled and
slowly ruined before the viewer's eyes.
• The story of the painting depicted in the
movie can serve as a demonstration of
several major issues in art conservation.
Painting known by the name Whistler’s mother,
by James Whistler, 1871

SNEEZING & VARNISH
• Sneezing is a harmful external factor.
• Usually, a barier layer of varnish is applied to the face of
the painting as protection from external factors.
• For extra protection, a piece of art might be framed with
glass.

Mistake: soiling and exposure to moisture

SHOCKS, MECHANICAL DAMAGE
• Shocks can cause severe mechanical damage.
• The frame and the stretcher are prone to
cracking end splitting.
• Under pressure the canvas may tear.
• Old paint flakes easily when agitated. Indentions on
the face of the painting are bound to appear.

Mistake: lack of careful handling

CLEANING: THE RIGHT CHOICE OF
SOLVENTS
• This stage comprises of two major steps:
• the removal of the accumulated surface grime,
• getting rid of the old varnish,
• Using the mildest solvents possible is essential at this stage.
• Cleaning is the most time-consuming and delicate task in
conservation, because:
• it is a reductive process
• any loss of the original paint cannot be undone
• precise tools, like cotton buds, must be used for this task.

• Mr. Bean attempts to undo the damage with strong
chemicals and eventually defaces the painting.
• The solvent was too aggressive – it was a "brush
cleaner". This substance contains toluen and
acetone and thus has the ability of dissolving dry oil
paint.
• The original paint layer was susceptible to this
solvent and gave way.
Mistake: use of an aggressive solvent, wrong tools for
the task

RETOUCHING
• The ideal process of retouching should be executed
accordingly to the following guidelines:
• As little paint as possible should be applied to the surface of the
canvas
• The use of reversible paints is strongly advised
• The retouched areas should not stand out
• The conservator must seek to enhance the esthetic quality of
the painting without interfering with the artist's initial vision.

• Here's what happens when you do not adhere to the above-mentioned rules.
Mistake: every possible

• In conclusion, the job of a conservator has high demands for artistic skills as well as for knowledge
from various fields of materials science. Many problems faced during the restoration process require an
interdisciplinary approach.
• A proper conservation must meet the following requirements:
• conduct of research and samples
• preservation of the original matter of the object
• careful handling and minor changes
• use of fully reversible materials
• preservation of the integrity of the piece.
• What should be avoided is this: careless handling, ignoring the dissolving properties of chemicals, bad
retouching.

Thank you for your attention.
James Abott McNeill Whistler,
Arrangement in Gray and Black No. 1,
1871
Oil on canvas