The course of History and Technique of Restoration is designed to provide students with a first understanding of the events that have marked the long history of works’ conservation in Italy, the theoretical reasons and an analysis of the main techniques of intervention.
M. CIATTI, Appunti per un manuale di storia e di teoria del restauro. Dispense per gli studenti, con la collaborazione di F. Martusciello, Firenze 2009;
G. MAINO, L. CIANCABILLA, Progettare il restauro. Tre secoli di indagini scientifiche sulle opere d’arte, Firenze 2004;
C. BRANDI, Teoria del restauro, Einaudi, Torino, I ed. nella collana PBE, 1977;
Problemi di restauro. Riflessioni e ricerche, a cura di M. CIATTI, Edifir, Firenze 1992;
A. PAOLUCCI, Il laboratorio di restauro di Firenze, Torino 1986;
L. CIANCABILLA, Stacchi e strappi di affreschi fra Settecento e Ottocento. Antologia dei testi fondamentali, Firenze 2009;
F. AUTELLI, Pitture murali a Brera, Milano 1989.
Learning Objectives
Knowledge acquired:
History and Theory of Conservation with a deeper knowledge of the conservation techniques. History and Theory of the diagnostic for cultural heritage. Art and science
Competences acquired:
Understanding history of conservation, its theoretical problems and the main methodologies.
Skills acquired (at the end of the course):
Knowledge of conservation and its problems.
Prerequisites
Courses required: none
Courses recommended: Art History
Teaching Methods
CFU: 6
Contact hours for: Lectures (hours): 48
Type of Assessment
Oral exam.
Course program
The course aims to inform students about the historical events of the conservation of artworks and all that had an impact on them
We shall, therefore, three different materials in an interdisciplinary way and with constant references: the restoration story, the restoration theory and the technicalities restoration, following a chronological order. Particular attention will be paid to Florence.
The course covers the history of the restoration that takes place in parallel with the production of artworks from the Middle Ages until the early 20th century, going through some important phenomena, such as: the transformation of the religious artworks, the "squaring "polyptychs in the Renaissance; collecting and restoration of classical antiquities from the 15th to the 19th century, the influence of the Counter on the conservation of artworks: the 18th-century debate on" time painter "and the restoration, Maratta’s restoration, Edwards P.’s Venetian experience, the Enlightenment ideas and the restoration in Italy and in France, the French Revolution and the requisitions, the purist and romantic restoration; manuals for restoration, the restoration in the second half of the 19th century until the early decades of the 20th century, the modern setting since the 30s, the conservation of artworks through the war and the flood of Florence, the cleaning controversy, the activities of the modern Opificio (1975-2000). Then the course will deal with the restoration theories explicitly expressed or implied in the historical events of the restoration with particular attention to G. Vasari’s, F. Baldinucci’s, G. P. Bellori’s, G. G. Bottari’s, L. Crespi’s, E. E. Viollet-le-Duc’s, J. Ruskin’s, G. B. Cavalcaselle’s, C. Boito’s, A. Riegl’s, C. Brandi’s and U. Baldini’s texts.
A final part of the course will also aim at illustrating through visual material the major artwork restoration from which you can derive a whole series of observations and information on the latest theoretical and technical approach of the artwork restoration.