Location
Roy O. West Library, Wood Study
Start Date
8-5-2025 6:00 PM
End Date
8-5-2025 6:30 PM
Presentation Type
Thesis
Description
A prevalent issue for museums in rural areas is a lack of reliable registration methods. This occurs for a number of reasons whether it be a lack of resources (human, financial, spacial, etc.) or the erosion of knowledge overtime due to cultural reliance on generational knowledge. Additionally, different registrars often develop new methods for inventory without leaving behind instructions, leading subsequent registrars to devise their own methods. These gaps in the registration process frequently result in “registration problems”, objects that don’t get properly inventoried and thus have little to no context for their origins. This thesis aims to fill in some of these missing gaps by studying two paintings marked as registration problems from DePauw University’s collections. To create a background for these two paintings I used techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF), and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) were used to understand the material composition of both paintings. Analyses identified the varnish, ground and canvas structure of one of the paintings, leading to a date of a creation previously unknown. Pigments were also identified in both paintings such as viridian (Cr2O3), lead white (Pb2O3), Prussian blue (Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3 and lithopone (BaSO4·ZnS). These applications of analytical chemistry restored the context to two paintings from DePauw University’s collections, not only highlighting the importance of studying rural art, but also highlighting the interdisciplinary work that is necessary to truly understand history.
Included in
Restoring Context: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Art Conservation and Registration Challenges in Rural Museums
Roy O. West Library, Wood Study
A prevalent issue for museums in rural areas is a lack of reliable registration methods. This occurs for a number of reasons whether it be a lack of resources (human, financial, spacial, etc.) or the erosion of knowledge overtime due to cultural reliance on generational knowledge. Additionally, different registrars often develop new methods for inventory without leaving behind instructions, leading subsequent registrars to devise their own methods. These gaps in the registration process frequently result in “registration problems”, objects that don’t get properly inventoried and thus have little to no context for their origins. This thesis aims to fill in some of these missing gaps by studying two paintings marked as registration problems from DePauw University’s collections. To create a background for these two paintings I used techniques such as X-ray fluorescence (XRF), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, ultraviolet fluorescence (UVF), and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) were used to understand the material composition of both paintings. Analyses identified the varnish, ground and canvas structure of one of the paintings, leading to a date of a creation previously unknown. Pigments were also identified in both paintings such as viridian (Cr2O3), lead white (Pb2O3), Prussian blue (Fe4[Fe(CN)6]3 and lithopone (BaSO4·ZnS). These applications of analytical chemistry restored the context to two paintings from DePauw University’s collections, not only highlighting the importance of studying rural art, but also highlighting the interdisciplinary work that is necessary to truly understand history.
Comments
Advisor: Professor Hilary Eppley