Facture ― Conservation, Science, Art History; Art in Context

Facture presents the latest conservation research on masterpieces from the National Gallery of Art, Washington, spanning the early Renaissance through the present and encompassing a range of media. Volume 2 examines great art of two very different eras—the Italian Renaissance and the 20th century—and puts in new contexts works such as Giotto’sMadonna and Child, bronze sculptures by Auguste Rodin, watercolors by John Marin, early paintings by Andy Warhol, and Mark Rothko’s multiforms, which mark the birth of his abstraction. Seven essays are illustrated with outstandingly detailed photography and share a common approach. They each begin with meticulous material and analytical study of the work and then place the findings in a broader historical context, providing new perspectives on well-known works. A fascinating contribution to interdisciplinary scholarship on art, this publication extends a tradition of fostering dialogue among art historians, scientists, and conservators in the international community.

Daphne Barbour is senior object conservator and E. Melanie Gifford is research conservator for paintings technology, both at the National Gallery of Art, Washington.