Retouching of Art on Paper Tina Grette Poulsson
	Retouching, the process employed by paper conservators to replace damaged or lost areas of media, is carried out directly on the original item or on paper infills. Interventive retouching on an original surface requires the consideration of several important ethical issues such as reversibility and authenticity. The use of retouching on infills, which could be termed non-interventive, is easier to accept, as it can always be made reversible and can normally be easily identified as a later addition to the original work. The focus of this book is on interventive retouching and does not include methods of toning or other aspects belonging to infilling. However, the question of reconstruction, including digital reconstruction and facsimile reintegration, is discussed. As artworks are intended to be seen, it can be argued that aesthetics are of paramount importance. Retouching may be used as a means to preserve the legibility and composition of the image for the viewer and as such it may be considered a necessary or unnecessary evil. Tina Grette Poulsson is a conservator at Nasjonalmuseet for kunst, arkitektur og design, Oslo, Norway CONTENTS Forewords Acknowledgements 1. Introduction A subject of controversy Definition of retouching Restoration Reconstruction Terminology ' Loss compensation' 'Image reintegration' 'Inpainting' 'Retouching' 'Toning' Other terms Retouching of art on paper versus paintings Retouching of art on paper versus archival material 2 History of Retouching Art on Paper The development of paper restoration and conservation The influence of collection practice on restoration and retouching The sixteenth-century collection The seventeenth-century collection The eighteenth-century collection Restoration in the nineteenth century The early restorers Retouching by artists Retouching by collectors The domestic-restorer The restorer’s reputation Advice on retouching in handbooks Early references to paper restoration Lucanus 1812 Welsch 1834 Bonnardot 1846 Schall 1863 Collector's manuals and household handbooks Gunn 1911 Beaufort 1926 Plenderleith 1937 Schweidler 1938 Newer trends 3. Works of Art on Paper and Historical Consciousness Works of art on paper as artistic expressions Appreciation of prints Appreciation of drawings Historical consciousness Reactions to integrated retouching Opposing directions and the development of modern conservation theory Value of the artwork 4. Ethics of Retouching Arguments against retouching The principle of reversibility Falsification and false information Conservation versus restoration Manual skills Other factors that may infl uence the conservator’s choice Retouching in museum and private practice Justification for retouching Legibility and aesthetics Distracting damage Documentation Justification in codes of ethics Problematic material Archival material Modern art High value art Sketches Other cases 5. Retouching and Reconstruction in Practice Ethical considerations Aesthetics Reconstruction/facsimile reintegration The problem of reversibility when retouching on the primary support of the print or drawing Isolating layers Experiments with isolating layers Removal of retouching Alternative solutions Colour and light Colour Surface Metamerism Lighting Non-pigment-based retouching methods Paper overlays Pulp and fibre overlays Cellulose powder Paper extract Burnt sugar solution Marble dust Facsimile reintegration and digital reconstruction Pigment-based retouching Media Application Binders and coatings Retouching of drawings, pastels, watercolours and gouaches Retouching of prints 6. Conclusion List of Materials and Suppliers Notes Bibliography Published 2008
	ISBN: 9781904982135	£25.00 / $45.00
	Paperback 127 Pages 25 colour, 13 half tones Illustrations
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