Art Conservation has over 30 years of expertise in the field of paper restoration. We have experience with various object types such as prints, posters, photos, gouaches and comic books. Besides art objects, we have a long history of working with archives, books, manuscripts, parchment and maps.

We offer the following services:

Advice | Research | Documentation | Treatments | Conservation- Restoration | Reconstructions and Replicas | Art Handling | Framing | Condition reports and survey

Advice

We employ specialized conservators who you can turn to for advice on storage conditions, packaging, damage inventory and preservation of your paper objects . We can help you, for example, with the fittings of your depot or with designing a specialized support for a precious book.

Research

In addition to treating objects, Art Conservation also does material-technical research. In the past, for example, a research project concerning the CoBrA collection of the Stedelijk Museum Schiedam was carried out. In this project the causes of the delamination of paint layers of paintings on paper were analysed. In collaboration with the ICN and with the help of FT-IR, XRF analyses, the components of severals pigments were determined. The research culminated in a treatment plan that was specifically aimed at the consolidation of the paint layer.

Preservation

Preventive conservation includes the indirect measures and actions that are taken to prevent further decay. This means that the material objects are not intervened with directly.  This form of preventive conservation is concerned with optimizing the climatic conditions, providing protective packaging and adapted storage methods. For the purchase of suitable packagings – such as acid-free archive boxes – you can visit our calamities shop.

In addition, we can (re) frame according to current conservation standards. We make tailored passe-partouts from acid-free cardboard on a special machine. If you are in need of a new frame we can turn to a frame maker with whom with have worked together for many years.

Conservation- Restoration

Conservation is the direct intervention on damaged or degraded objects with the aim of improving their readability with as much respect as possible for aesthetic, historical and physical integrity. In consultation with the customer a suitable solution is sought. We conserve for heritage institutions as well as private individuals and offer flexibility regarding large collections or oversized objects. 

You can contact us for a variety of treatments:

Treating parchment | Book restoration | Dry cleaning | Wet cleaning | Deacidification | Stabilizing tears with Japanese paper | Leaf casting | Removal of tape and glue residues | Treatment of ink corrosion | Consolidation| Lining | Removal of stains and discolourations | Reductive bleaching with sodium boron hydride | Flattening| Retouching

Documentation is very important. After the treatment, a final report is drawn up in which all examinations and treatments are described in detail and documented using photos. This offers the customer insight into the restoration process. Openness about our activities is an important pillar within our company.

Artists:

Karel Appel | Hendrik Petrus Berlage | Joseph Beuys | George Hendrik Breitner | AM Cassandre | Pierre Cuypers | Albrecht Dürer | Francisco Goya | Wally Elenbaas | Jacob Jongert | Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec | Bart van der Leck | Chris Lebeau | Antoon Molkenboer | Constant Nieuwenhuijs | Jan van Schoonhoven | Willy Sluiter | Jan Toorop | Willy Vandersteen | Carel Willink

Code of Ethics: Art Conservation adheres to the ethical guidelines according to the ethical guidelines for conservation and restoration of the cultural heritage of the European Confederation of Conservators-Restorers’ Organizations (E.C.C.O).

For all your questions about the restoration of paper objects, you can contact us so we can explore the possibilities together.