Clean Art?

Abstract

Originally presented as the introduction to a session on the cleaning of art at the 2004 annual meeting of the American Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works, this paper is not limited to one type of art but attempts to consider issues relevant to all forms, materials, uses, and periods, from any region or culture. It encourages what might be called “comparative conservation”. The article focuses on the diverse purposes for which art is cleaned, and attempts to facilitate the ongoing discussion of the values embodied in these choices and the means to achieve them.