We are pleased to announce a new, online edition of the NICAS colloquium on Thursday 18 January 2024 from 12.00 to 13.00 hrs. The colloquium will take place online through Microsoft Teams. Throughout the year, NICAS organises a bi-weekly Colloquium consisting of two short research lectures. It provides researchers with the opportunity to present ideas for, updates on or results of their activities. The NICAS Colloquium allows people to stay informed on a regular basis about the latest developments and results of research and to exchange information and expertise.
The presenters are Rianne Luimes (TU Eindhoven) and Tina Grette Poulsson (Nasjonalmuseet Oslo)
The chair is Bart Ankersmit (RCE)
► Rianne Luimes – Sustainable climate settings for susceptible oak panels in furniture and paintings
Abstract:
Multi-disciplinary research is carried out to study the effects of climate fluctuations on oak panels in furniture and paintings. For this purpose, the structural response of two cabinets attributed to Jan van Mekeren and two panel paintings in the collections of the Rijksmuseum and Castle Amerongen are investigated. While these objects have nearly identical characteristics, they are exposed to completely different indoor climate conditions. A strict, highly controlled indoor climate at the Rijksmuseum is maintained. On the contrary, a fluctuating, slightly controlled indoor climate exists at Castle Amerongen. By means of dedicated in-situ monitoring of these objects during one calendar year and advanced computer modelling, the climate-induced structural changes of the objects are analyzed in detail. This allows to draw conclusions on a possible relaxation of indoor museum climate specifications and thereby help the Rijksmuseum, as well as the wider museum community, to achieve a more sustainable climate policy.
Bio:
Rianne Luimes obtained her MSc degree in Structural Design (2011) and PhD degree in Applied Mechanics (2014-2019) at the Eindhoven University of Technology. Her PhD research focused on climate-induced damage in oak museum objects. From 2018 until 2022 she worked as a postdoctoral researcher on the condition assessment of concrete sewer pipes. Since November 2022 she is a scientific researcher at the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam and Eindhoven University of Technology analyzing the response of oak museum objects under climate fluctuations with the aim to derive sustainable climate specifications for museums.
► Tina Grette Poulsson – Thomas Fearnley’s drawing papers and fixatives: How can materiality contribute to dating, locating, and preserving fixed drawings?
Abstract:
The romantic artist Thomas Fearnley (1802-42) made many drawings with graphite pencil onto which he often applied a fixative. The fixative appears different depending on the paper is has been applied to; on some drawings the fixative has discoloured, on others it seems to have protected the paper underneath from discolouring. The PhD project builds on previous research, carried out jointly by the National Museum and the RCE (2013-2016), that identified the fixative in two of Fearnley’s drawings (1832) as milk. Fearnley’s drawing papers are being examined and classified, and a selection of drawings will be further analysed to identify fixative(s) used in different periods and locations. Based on the analysis, the aim is to investigate further the possible reasons for the different appearance of the fixative(s), as well as how best to preserve this collection of drawings.
Bio:
Tina Grette Poulsson is a paper conservator at the National Museum of Norway and currently in her first year as an external PhD candidate at the UvA. She studied art history at the University of Oslo (1995-1997), holds a BA in paper conservation (2000) from Camberwell College of Arts, London, and an MA in paper conservation (2004) from the National Gallery, Norway, and University of Oslo. The MA was published by Archetype in 2008, entitled “Retouching of art on paper”, later translated to Japanese. She worked as a paper conservator at the Museum Conservation Services in Cambridge from 2004-2006.