A basic knowledge of world's art history is highly recommended, as well as the theorical knowledge of the main art techniques

The course aims to provide students with the conceptual and methodological tools to address the following questions:

• What does it mean to conserve and restore a work of art?
• Does the purpose of restoration today differ from that of the past?
• When examining a work of art, are we able to distinguish its original elements from later additions or reconstructions?
• How has the work changed over time?
• What interventions has it undergone? Who carried them out, and according to which principles?

Through the case studies presented in the historical survey of restoration practices, the course aims to develop students' ability to assess the state of conservation of works of art as an essential component of their historical and critical analysis. By combining the study of visual documentation with the direct examination of artworks through guided visits to museums, historic sites, and conservation laboratories, students will be encouraged to identify and distinguish original material from altered areas, later additions, and reconstructed or restored sections.

 

Module 1 (6 hours): Introduction on main art techniques. Focus on the techniques of fresco painting and the technique of woodcutting and wood inlay.

Module 2 (6 hours): Pictorial restoration techniques: cleaning consolidation transport of the pictorial film, integration of the lacks.

Module 3 (6 hours): Sculptural restoration techniques: consolidation, anastylosis, integration. Conservation and Restoration of painted sculpture.

Module 4 (6 hours): Virtual restoration

 

1. Knowledge and Understanding

• Knowledge of the history of restoration in Italy from the sixteenth century to the present day.
• Knowledge and understanding of the principal theories of restoration developed in Italy during the modern and contemporary periods.
• Knowledge of the history of restoration practices in Apulia from the second half of the twentieth century to the present.
• Knowledge of the technical terminology of the discipline.
• Theoretical knowledge of artistic techniques and conservation and restoration techniques.

2. Applying Knowledge and Understanding

Ability to identify the material components of works of art and recognize the principal artistic techniques and methods of execution.

3. Making Judgements

Students will develop the ability to formulate independent assessments of the history and techniques of restoration through the centuries, taking into account both the aesthetic and conservation-related aspects of the works examined. They will be able to critically analyze works of art and other cultural artefacts, formulating well-founded judgements based on the study of primary sources and the relevant scholarly literature.

4. Communication Skills

Using the specific terminology of the discipline, students will develop the ability to interpret, communicate, and present the course content within a coherent and well-structured discourse based on specialist knowledge, supporting their arguments with logical and consistent reasoning.

5. Learning Skills

Students will acquire the methodological tools necessary to pursue independent study of the history and techniques of restoration and the analysis of works of art through the critical consultation of primary sources, specialist bibliography, and restoration documentation. They will be able to update their knowledge in response to advances in scholarly research and emerging issues concerning the conservation, enhancement, and public accessibility of cultural heritage.

 

The lessons will be carried out through frontal teaching. Part of the time will be dedicated to reading and discussion texts and images in the classroom.

The oral/written exam will be based on the study of recommended texts/documents and is to verify the knowledge of the lesson topics, analyzed throughout the course. In particular, the student will be evaluated considering:

• knowledge and understanding of the subject matter,
• ability to apply knowledge acquired, synthesis and formal correctness in the exposition and ability to argue one's thesis
• autonomy of judgment,
• communication skills.

 

The exam score is assigned using a grade expressed in thirtieths (or through a pass/fail assessment).

 

In the evaluation of the exam, the determination of the final grade considers the following elements:

 

30 with honors: excellent evaluation; comprehensive and rich preparation; in the presentation, accurate expression, confident knowledge of the topics, clarity of exposition,.

 30: very good evaluation; comprehensive preparation, with good ability to make connections; in the presentation, proper expression, fairly confident knowledge; clarity of exposition.

29-28: very good evaluation; comprehensive preparation with connections; in the presentation, some uncertainty in expression, fairly confident knowledge, not entirely clear exposition.

 27-26: good evaluation; comprehensive preparation; reasonably confident presentation, uncertainties in exposition.

25-24: moderately good evaluation; approximately complete preparation, occasional inaccuracies and/or gaps; in the presentation, occasional terminological or conceptual confusions.

23-22: more than sufficient evaluation; nearly complete preparation, gaps and/or inaccuracies; in the presentation, some confusion of terms and concepts.

 21-20: sufficient evaluation; approximately complete preparation, inaccuracies, gaps; in the presentation, approximate use of terms and concepts.

 19-18: barely sufficient evaluation; limited preparation (many inaccuracies and various gaps); in the presentation, confusion of terms and concepts.

 < 18: insufficient evaluation; insufficient preparation; insufficient presentation.

Required Reading

• Cesare Brandi, Theory of Restoration, Englicìsh Edition, Mioano, Feltrinelli 2005
• .M. Ciatti, Appunti per un manuale di storia e teoria del restauro, Milano, Hoepli 2009.

Additional bibliographical references, particularly those relating to the monographic topic covered in the final module, will be provided during the course.

Students who do not attend classes are strongly advised to contact the instructor by email to request the additional teaching materials used during the course.