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NICAS Colloquium Online – 11 June 2026
We are pleased to announce a new, online edition of the NICAS colloquium on Thursday 11 June 2026 starting at 12.00 hrs. The colloquium will take place online through Microsoft Teams.
Throughout the year, NICAS organizes a bi-weekly Colloquium featuring short lunch lectures where researchers share updates, present new ideas, or discuss the outcomes of their work. The Colloquium aims to keep the field informed about the latest developments, foster the exchange of knowledge, and encourage collaboration.
This week’s presentation is by Victoria Ward (Rijksmuseum). This session will be chaired by Han Zhou (University of Amsterdam).
►Victoria Ward – Historic Methods, New Insights: Evaluating Conservation Recipes for Varnish Removal on Oil Paintings
Abstract
This presentation will focus on two historically inspired cleaning methods for oil paintings that have been further developed with the use of modern conservation equipment and a range of analytical and imaging techniques: Clay poultices for varnish removal and raising the temperature of organic solvents during varnish removal.
Our research has been carried out at the Rijksmuseum’s Conservation and Science department and in collaboration with the GoGreen research team. The presentation will provide fascinating physical and chemical insights into the risks and the benefits of historical cleaning methods that relied on natural materials and simpler technologies.
Biography
Victoria Ward is a paintings conservator with a bachelor of arts in the History of Art from University College London and an MA in the Conservation of Easel Paintings from the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Victoria has held conservation positions at the National Trust (England), Palaces of Westminster (London), Southampton City Art Galleries and a research role at the British Museums’ Latin American Art department. She has published on sustainable, alternative materials for paintings conservation. Victoria is the current Migelien Gerritzen Fellow for Conservation and Scientific Research at the Rijksmuseum.