Conservation of The Creation and the Expulsion from Paradise
From Drew Anderson, Conservator, The Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Creation of the World and the Expulsion from Paradise detail, 1533Green, red, purple, blue and clear glass with silver stain and vitreous enamel114 x 90 inchesCourtesy of Drew Anderson
The Creation and the Expulsion from Paradise detail, 1533Green, red, purple, blue and clear glass with silver stain and vitreous enamel114 x 90 inchesCourtesy of Drew Anderson
This magnificent stained-glass window by Valentin Bousch is currently undergoing conservation prior a future display at the gallery.
To prepare this panel for the exhibition, conservator Drew Anderson began by carefully cleaning it; he then removed earlier repairs that had been done with additional lead (the black lines in the first image), which disfigured its appearance, and then reassembled the window using a modern epoxy adhesive. These images are of the before and after treatment. “The conservation of each panel reveals more about the complex restoration history of the window. Even at over 450 years old, the window remains in wonderful condition. However, due to inherent vice and the fragile nature of glass, almost every historic stained glass window has undergone some form of maintenance during its lifetime. Glass pieces are often intentionally cut, repositioned or replaced, creating a mystery to be solved at every stage to try and return the window to something like its original appearance”.
This magnificent stained-glass window by Valentin Bousch is currently undergoing conservation prior a future display at the gallery.
To prepare this panel for the exhibition, conservator Drew Anderson began by carefully cleaning it; he then removed earlier repairs that had been done with additional lead (the black lines in the first image), which disfigured its appearance, and then reassembled the window using a modern epoxy adhesive. These images are of the before and after treatment. “The conservation of each panel reveals more about the complex restoration history of the window. Even at over 450 years old, the window remains in wonderful condition. However, due to inherent vice and the fragile nature of glass, almost every historic stained glass window has undergone some form of maintenance during its lifetime. Glass pieces are often intentionally cut, repositioned or replaced, creating a mystery to be solved at every stage to try and return the window to something like its original appearance”.