A Conservator’s Perspective on the Acton Collection

A conversation with Prof. Matthew Hayes, Assistant Professor of Paintings Conservation; Co-Chair of the Conservation Center, Institute of Fine Arts, NYU

In this session, Matthew Hayes will lead an exploration of the Acton Collection through the lens of Technical Art History. Rather than viewing the artworks solely as finished aesthetic masterpieces, this discussion will treat them as complex physical “archives” that reveal their own histories of creation, survival, and transformation.

By focusing on a selection of key works from the collection—ranging from Early Italian panel paintings to Renaissance masterpieces—participants will gain insight into:

• The Material Record: An analysis of the artists’ original methods, including the preparation of supports (such as poplar panels), the application of gesso, and the use of specific historical pigments.
• The Condition and Life of the Object: How centuries of environment, handling, and “facture” have altered the physical state of the works.
• The History of Intervention: A look at the traces left by previous conservators. Hayes will discuss how these past treatments were not just “repairs,” but acts of interpretation that reflected the art historical values of their time.

Through this close-up examination, the discussion will illustrate how the craft of conservation and the scientific study of materials are essential for a complete understanding of art history.

As part of the Museum Meetings program