Methods, Tools, and Techniques

Methods are the large steps in conservation. They make up the process that all professionals and students go through when conserving a piece of art.

Documentation, preservation, and stabilization are three key elements in the conservator’s methodology.

When you set out to conserve a work of art, you are setting out to care for that work of art. It prioritizes the safety of the piece, as well as the history, aesthetics, and cultural value of the artist’s work. Conservation efforts allow us to preserve a piece’s integrity and beauty. They keep the piece in the best condition possible, saving it for many new generations to see and learn from it.

The tools a conservator uses are crucial to their work. They can either help protect and heighten the piece and its aesthetics and history, or they can damage the piece. It all depends on the skill and knowledge of the conservator and the experience they have in using these dangerous but necessary materials.