In order to display fine art from throughout the centuries, it must be professionally cared for and preserved. It is a skill unto itself, something that allows for these famed works to be safely displayed to this day.
There is a history to not only preserving famed works of art, but restoring them to a presentation condition. Here is the history of art restoration.
The Early Years
Starting in 1870, the Metropolitan Museum began taking on tasks related to the preservation, restoration, and mounting of artworks. This happened in workshops located on the ground floor of the Museum under care of a superintendent.
During the first 70 or so years, the goal of the Met was to not only uncover some of these historical works and artifacts, but to bring them back into a condition that matched their original.
Consolidation
Though the Met was preserving some of the finest works of art the world had seen, there was a need for change. Though the work of the self-trained staff was generally satisfactory to the curators, the working conditions were poor at best. As far as technical direction, it was practically non-existent, which caused disarray from top to bottom.
Combining these factors with staff members serving in the Second World War, it left the Met with the need to consolidate and find a new direction. With professionals who specialize in the restoration of paintings, having the right team members also meant extending research from a technical standpoint. All for the betterment of the Met as a whole.
Professionalism on the Rise
By the time the 1970s rolled around, there were four independent conservation departments for works on paper, paintings, three-dimensional objects, and textiles. From the time that John Brealey took over as conservator, he envisioned the center as a hub for training and collaboration. This included scientists and historians, creating a place where paintings could be treated as pieces of art, not clinical specimens.
With a little bit of funding thanks to the Sherman Fairchild Foundation, a re-equipped and rehoused facility finally opened in 1980. It is also the beginning of a period in which the Foundation would continue its financial support for conservation initiatives from the Museum itself.