Conservation

The diversity of objects in an encyclopedic art museum presents myriad challenges in cleaning, restoration, presentation, and authentication, Over time, the effects of nature and human handling conspire to alter works of art, even to break them down, but also become woven into the objects' unique histories. MFA Highlights: Conservation and Care of Museum Collections features art objects that tell their histories with particular force, bringing readers behind the scenes into the studios and laboratories of museum conservators. Fifty-one works from the comprehensive collections of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, are explored and illustrated, revealing the secrets of conservation and how museum scientists spot a fake. Through discussion of the ways in which conservators reveal, investigate, and preserve these works of art, this book provides a vivid introduction to the field of art conservation at large.

MFA Highlights presents the best of the Museum's collections accessibly and affordably. Its aim is threefold: to make available the greatest masterworks in the MFA; to provide an informative, readable overview of various artistic genres, cultures, and periods, for use by students, visitors, and scholars; and, over time, to create a library that will act as a general tour of world art through the ages.