The National Museum of American Illustration
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WINTERTHUR CONSERVATION
TEAM COMPLETES PHASE OF MURAL
RESTORATION
The
National Museum of American Illustration's (NMAI)
historic Tiffany murals have recently been stabilized
after the completion of an eight-week
summer work program by a conservation team from
Winterthur/University of Delaware. During the
months of June, July and August of this year, visitors
at the
NMAI were able to witness the most
prestigious conservation institution in the world,
restoring one the most historically significant murals
in the United States.
In April of 2006, the NMAI
contacted Winterthur/University of
Delaware Program in Art Conservation (WUDPAC)
regarding the conservation of its treasured early
20th century Treillage Loggia Murals by Tiffany
Studios' James Wall Finn. These murals are the
surviving works of what had been two separate mural
commissions done by this Tiffany Studios artist for
Vernon Court in 1898. The murals have suffered from
years of neglect, a leaky roof and invasive attempts at
restoration prior to acquisition by the NMAI. Judy
and
Laurence Cutler (NMAI Co-founders) sought
Winterthur to restore the NMAI's Tiffany murals due to
the program's international renown. "The Tiffany
murals, as neglected as they were, still delighted
visitors to the museum. After stabilization and
cleaning, they are more radiant and one can see
details, which were unrevealed before. We anxiously
look forward to Phase II next spring," stated
Laurence Cutler.
Above (l-r): Nadège Jacobè
(University of Paris, Panthéon-
Sorbonne), Amber Kerr-Allison (Graduate Fellow,
WUDPAC Ph.D. candidate), Joyce Hill Stoner
(WUDPAC Professor, Art Conservation)
and Judy Goffman Cutler
(NMAI, Co-founder & Director) admire the
restoration efforts from scaffolding during the project's
first phase.
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After
assessing the condition of
the murals and taking their historical and national
import into account, Winterthur chose the NMAI
to host an eight-week Summer Work
Project-a program in which WUDPAC students
complement their course work with practical
applications of conservation outside of the classroom
setting.
Ms. Amber Kerr-Allison
(Graduate Fellow,
WUDPAC Ph.D. candidate) and Ms. Nadège
Jacobè (University of Paris, Panthéon-Sorbonne),
along with Prof. Richard C. Wolbers (WUDPAC
Associate Professor, Coordinator
of Science, and Adjunct Paintings Conservator)
directly oversaw Phase I of this noteworthy
project.
Above (l-r):
Amber Kerr-Allison and Nadège Jacobè work high on
the scaffolding
in the
NMAI's Treillage Loggia.
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Over
the course of the summer, the conservation team
brought the Tiffany murals to an advanced state of
complete stabilization-a tremendous feat,
considering the size of the murals and their unstable
condition.
The conservation treatment included reinforcing the
structural condition of the murals, improving the
overall aesthetic condition by removing surface
grime, tear mending, cleaning and removal of
discolored and incorrect overpaint.
Above: Prof. Richard C. Wolbers
examines a section of the mural.
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Due to
the time constraints of the program, the conservation
team will complete the second phase of the treatment
process, which involves
applying paint to the areas of the murals which have
suffered paint loss.
The NMAI will again host a summer work project
in 2008 to complete the inpainting.
Visitors at the NMAI are now able
to witness James Wall Finn's Tiffany Treillage Loggia
Murals closer to their original appearance in
1898. Due to the cleaning and consolidation of the
murals, the colors are brilliant once again and James
Wall Finn's artistic mastery is as radiant as it was
over a century ago.
The Museum is open for guided tours by advance
reservation only. Groups tours are welcome by
reservation year-round. Tickets $25: Seniors 60+ and
military w/id, $22, Children 12 & under not admitted. For
more information telephone 401-851-8949 ext. 18 or
www.americanillustration.org
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Eric Brocklehurst
National Museum
of American Illustration
492 Bellevue Avenue,
Newport, RI
02840
T:401-851-8949 ext. 18, F:
401-851-8974
eric@americanillustration.org,
www.americanillustration.org
The National Museum of
American Illustration is a
nonprofit,
independent, educational and aesthetic
organization. It is
located in Newport, RI on Bellevue Avenue at Vernon
Court
(1898), a Beaux-Arts adaptation of an 18th century
French
chateau built by architects, Carreré & Hastings. It is
the first national museum devoted
exclusively
to American illustration art. Illustration consists of
original
artwork created to be reproduced in books,
magazines,
newspapers and advertisements. 'Golden Age'
paintings by
such luminaries as Norman Rockwell, Maxfield
Parrish, NC
Wyeth, and 75 others are displayed in 'Gilded Age'
architecture, creating a unique union of art and
architecture-
a national treasure. The Museum is administered by
the
American Civilization Foundation, a nonprofit
organization
with the goal to present the best possible venue for
appreciating the greatest collection of illustration art;
the
most American of American art.
COPYRIGHT NOTICE: This email
message and its
contents are
copyrighted and are our proprietary products. Any
unauthorized
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contents,
in any medium, is strictly prohibited. ©2007 National
Museum
of American Illustration.
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