CONSERVATION IN THE ART MARKET
1. INTRODUCTION
The art, antiques and antiquities trade employs a wide range of professionals who work in very different areas of the market. It involves from finance to heritage and represents a safe asset for investments. The aim of this research project proposal is to determine the reasons of the importance of the role of the conservators and restorers in the art world. Indeed, through the restoration process and studies many doubts concerning artworks can be resolved. The latest cases in art fraud, like the recent Knoedler Gallery scandal in New York that sold a large number of fake paintings since the nineties (Cohen 2014) or the Bolton Museum fake Amarna princess which was bought by the museum in 2003 for £440,000 (Bailey 2001) the art world is getting more preoccupied about authenticity of artworks.
It is also worrying the situation of the antiquities market where the illicit trade represents almost the 80% of the whole trade. This is due to the multi billion dollar year business that the antiquities market represents (Sease 1997:50; Elia 1995:245). We can cite the Medici scandal, where through a complex international network looted antiquities were laundered by important auction houses, and bought and displayed in some of the major museums of the world (Watson and Todeschini 2006).
The study has three major objectives:
Explain why through the conservation/restoration process of an artwork and its subsequent study, the authenticity of an art piece or antiquity can be established.
Explain why and how conservators/restorers can play a very important role towards the unconvering of the illicit antiquities market
Encourage all professionals of the field in an international consensus about ...
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...ral Property, (3/12), pp. 358-363
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...ncyclopedia of Archaeology, Ed. Deborah M. Pearsall. Vol. 3. Oxford, United Kingdom: Academic Press, 2008. p1896-1905. New Britain: Elsevier, Inc.
For years on end, countries have been fighting with big museums from other countries for ancient artifacts that belong to the original countries. The argument of whether or not the museums should be able to keep them still remains. It is the right of the country to have their own artifacts. It is imperative for countries to be able showcase their historical artifacts, therefor museums should return them to their rightful owners.
Imagine that one piece of history that is taken from a town. This piece of history tells l people how this town was built and all the important people that were apart of the community. “Returning Antiquities to Their Countries of Origin” by Joyce Mortimer can many people about how objects are getting taken from Museums. They should be returned immediately. There are so many artifacts out there that could be so important to people, and if someone can just imagine what it would feel to have one of the most important object taken from a museum and to be never returned again. Many people enjoy seeing these objects so why are they being taken?
St. Clair, William. “The Elgin Marbles: Questions of stewardship and accountability,” International Journal of Cultural Property Volume 8 Issue 2 (1999): 391-521.
The market lacks authentic artifacts but buyers want authentic artifacts which has become difficult to obtain because competitors are introducing replicas in to the market that decreases consumers trust. The company’s major competitor is government because they do limited exports of artifacts due to their importance (Kerin & Peterson, 2010).
...otion to the cause of maintaining knowledge is strong, and unhampered by personal ambition or pride. They possess a sensitivity and reverence for the Memorabilia, and knowledge in general, that allowed them to maintain and protect the sacred documents. However, it is their sense of responsibility towards the products of this knowledge, and their understanding of the dangers such knowledge could present, that makes them the ideal protectors and regulators of knowledge. While they welcome anyone who wishes to study the Memorabilia with open arms, for they love knowledge too, they also hope to imbue knowledge-seekers with foresight and an ethical obligation to the products of that knowledge, in hopes that scientists with a conscience might avoid another Flame Deluge.
In every museum, each exhibition represents a series of decisions that some individual or group undertook to compile a series of artifacts together in a display. Often times people fail to recognize the amount of time and several steps one took in order to assemble each arrangement. Source A, source B, and source C each mention different, crucial considerations one mast take into account when facing the responsibility of securing a new artifact for a museum.
Discussions in the 1970’s and 1980’s within both sides of the debate indicate population change, behavior change and natural processes to be the large determining factors (Attenbrow, 2004). Many archaeologists accepted there was a continuing increase over time in the number of archaeological sites established and used, as well as in the number of artefacts accumulated in individual sites, particularly in the past 5000 years (eg. Johnson 1979:39; Bowdler1981; Morwood 1984:371, 1986, 1987; Ross 1984, 1985:87; Beaton 1985: 16-18; Fletcher-Jones 1985: 282, 286; Lourandos 1985a: 393-411, 1985b: 38; White and Habgood 1985; Hiscock 1986) (Attenbrow, 2004). Population change refers to the changes in number of people or size of the population, behavioural changes referring to changes to activities such as tool manufacturing, subsistence practices as well as the use of space within a site (Attenbrow, 2004). Whilst natural processes include geomorphological and biological process that may have affected the archaeological record (At...
Whether its money, a phone, a car, or a masterpiece, which in turn the pilfered items are sold on the black-market, or out on the street. For an art buff, collector, or a curator, this is an absolute nightmare. Often when stored the crooks simply roll the masterpiece up in a suitcase, or simply cover the canvases with sheets. The damage this does to the works can be horrendous. A light must be shine on this dark branch of crime, awareness could return works of art that are missing, or are thought to be lost forever. Then perhaps one day the term “rescue artists” may not have to be used.
I appeal to you today to discuss the network of crime developed specifically for stealing priceless works of art and to recognize the destruction of various historical artifacts. Art stolen for its value is not only theft but also a disrespect to its importance as a historical and cultural symbol as well as the artist and community. The unjustified destruction of art and heritage sites due to iconoclasm marks the disrespect and dismissal of various cultures.
Of the many crimes that are present in this day and age, one that not only vandalizes the property, but as well as historical background is that of art theft. A crime that has taken away the sanctity of churches as well as many other religious and historical sites. Thefts have ranged from WWII (World War II) to the times of the Holocaust. Of the items that were taken from the churches, relics were items of great priority. These items not only had great value to the churches they were stolen from, but a great value to relic collectors. Most of the items taking during these times were either sold or placed in underground storage. Most of these items that were place in these secret places were never to be seen again. From the times of these so called “relic hunters” to now, art theft has become something that has taken some extreme changes. It has evolved from crime that started with minor relic thefts to something that has become a worldwide crime in need of better prevention.
The subject of art conservation and restoration has long been debated in the art world. Experts and historians have never agreed that all art must be salvaged at any cost. This paper will examine what art conservation and restoration is, what is involved in these endeavors, and what has been done over the centuries to many of history’s cherished art pieces.
Art theft has become an increasingly recognized crime in the world. It’s a hot object for robbers to steal, and makes tons of money in the black market. Government agencies attempt to stop these crimes, yet as the years go by, more and more art is lost that’s worth millions. Art now has to be protected in order to be preserved and not stolen. With the help of art crime teams, past cases, and why art has become a major source of criminal activity, we can discover how the art world has become what it is today.
...troversy as all countries have lost, to a great or lesser extent, treasures of national renown and significance over time. Wars, theft, treasure seeking, changing boundaries and migration have all in some way contributed to this diaspora of art. There is clear evidence that the historic placing of objects in locations remote from their origin has on occasion afforded protection and preservation, The Elgin Marbles in The British Museum being a case in point. However, given the overarching principle of self determination it is difficult to argue that serendipitous historic placement is sufficient reason for items of true national heritage to be kept indefinitely. A world-wide system of touring exhibitions and cultural exchange, with context being provided by the originating society may provide the natural progression to the accessible widening of people’s experiences.
Clare McAndrew, (2010, February 10), Fine Art and High Finance: Expert Advice on the Economics of Ownership, Bloomberg Press, P235-267