Paintings

The interests of the Paintings Working Group encompass all areas of research that may contribute to the understanding of the materiality and making of paintings and which facilitates their conservation and presentation. In this context, paintings are defined as moveable, largely two-dimensional images created for the primary purpose of providing a visual experience; such objects have been produced world-wide, from antiquity to the present. Paintings may be executed on any type of support, including but not limited to: wood, textile, metal, stone, glass, and plastic. Group members, working alone or in interdisciplinary teams, undertake study in the fields of art technology; scientific analysis of painting materials and their alterations with age; the analysis and development of conservation materials; materials science related to environmental conditions and painted systems, as well as new methods and technologies for remedial conservation and restoration. Creating and supporting international networks for the dissemination of research are amongst the group’s priorities.