Time Will Tell: Ethics and Choices in Conservation – Art and Science at Yale University

Figure of a Woman, Roman, 1st century b.c.–early 1st century a.d. Marble. Yale University Art Gallery, Purchased with the Ruth Elizabeth White and Leonard C. Hanna, Jr., b.a. 1913, Fund

Time Will Tell: Ethics and Choices in Conservation – Art and Science at Yale University

Time Will Tell: Ethics and Choices in Conservation showcases the important relationship between curators and fine-art conservators as they consider techniques for and approaches to caring for museum objects in their collections

May 22- September 6, 2009

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The exhibition, organized by the Yale University Art Gallery, demonstrates that no aspect of conservation is simple or straightforward. Each of the objects chosen for this exhibition highlights a specific conservation choice and the decision-making process that goes into its treatment and display. “The aim of the exhibition is to show the public some of the complex issues that conservators and curators consider when deciding the best course of treatment for an object,” says Ian McClure, the Susan Morse Hilles Chief Conservator at the Gallery.

As a constantly evolving science, fine-arts conservation faces conflicts across time, since what appears to be well advised and ethically acceptable to one generation might prove misconceived to the next. Laurence Kanter, the Gallery’s Lionel Goldfrank III Curator of Early European Art, adds, “The relationship between conservators and curators is a dialogue, a two-way street. Elucidating this relationship is the purpose and aim of the show, demonstrating two important points: that works of art are not simply cleaned and put on view and that studying works of art without understanding their physical makeup is an inadequate approach to scholarship.”

Time Will Tell: Ethics and Choices in Conservation arose in part from the idea of displaying the recently acquired ancient Roman Figure of a Woman, either during or after its intended conservation treatment, and grew to encompass many of the critical issues conservators and curators face. Affectionately known to Gallery staff as the “Green Lady,” due to the greenish algae that marred its surface, the marble statue introduces visitors to problems of evaluating authenticity and restoration. Because of the otherwise excellent condition of the statue and its exceptionally fine carving, the Green Lady will become a highlight of the Gallery’s collection. However, in addition to having its surface cleaned, the statue has at least two generations of intrusive restoration to be reconciled. The most jarring of these is a reconstructed right arm that is inaccurately positioned and inconsistent in scale from the original. Conservators and curators together must decide how to reverse the damage that has been done (both by the elements and by previous restoration efforts), how to prevent further damage, and how to display the portrait in its best light, without misleading additions.