Conservation

Learn the science and practices behind preserving the collection and discover our latest projects.

Treatment and Care

Object Conservation

Painting Conservation

Photograph Conservation

Textiles Conservation

Works on Paper Conservation

Preventive Conservation

Preventive Conservation

Scientific Research

Art Materials Research and Study Center

Publications

scholarly journal :  Facture, vol. 7: Change

scholarly articles :  Modeling Movement: Degas’s Dancers

Groundbreaking technical research and art historical scholarship on Edgar Degas's iconic sculpture, Little Dancer Aged Fourteen.

Facture, vol. 7: Change

Facture, vol. 6: Workshops and Studios

Facture, vol. 5: Modern and Contemporary Art

Facture, vol. 4: Series, Multiples, Replicas

Facture, vol. 3: Degas

Facture, vol. 2: Art in Context

Facture, vol. 1: Renaissance Masterworks

Artists’ Pigments: A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics, Volume 3

Conservation Research 1996/1997

Artists’ Pigments: A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics, Volume 2

Conservation Research

Artists’ Pigments: A Handbook of Their History and Characteristics, Volume 1

Stories

Article:  How Mark Rothko Made Paintings on Paper

Mark Rothko made more than 1,000 paintings on paper. Get an inside look at his methods and materials.

Video:  Masterful Restoration: Bringing Life Back to a 500-Year-Old School of Perugino Painting

Watch as our skilled conservator revives this 16th-century School of Perugino painting.

Article:  James Van Der Zee’s Retouched Portraits

To present sitters in the best possible light and perfect his portrait photographs, 20th-century Harlem photographer Van Der Zee even drew jewelry onto his negatives.

Article:  Edgar Degas Only Made One “Little Dancer.” And It’s Ours.

How our conservators have cared for the fragile wax sculpture, preserving it decades longer than anyone thought possible.

Article:  Delicious, Daring, and Deadly Materials in Art

Trick or treat? Discover artists' materials that range from spooky to delicious.

This is a drawing depicting two women standing next to each other in different positions. The woman on the left is standing upright and looking to the left with her hands behind her back, while the one on the right is bending slightly forward, looking at a small orange flower she holds in her hand. The women look almost identical, with pale skin and brown hair styled in updos, and they both wear pink dresses with blue bodices and collars. The background is a room with walls in shades of brown, orange and yellow ochre. To the right of the women, there are two blue vases on a white table or mantle, with a golden object between them, perhaps a clock. In the bottom left corner is a large red-orange armchair with its back to us. A similar armchair is across from it, behind the women.

Article:  Edgar Degas's Experiments in Pastel and Watercolor

A conservator examines how the impressionist made a curious drawing.

Article:  The “Shirley Card” Legacy: Artists Correcting for Photography’s Racial Bias

Whiteness has been the default in color photographs, but artists like John Akomfrah work toward a “uniquely Black image.”

Conservation fellowships

We offer opportunities for emerging conservation professionals to practice and refine their skills through the examination and treatment of works of art.

Application details

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Research

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Artworks

Explore our collection of nearly 160,000 works spanning the history of Western art.