Abstract

Natural dyes used in Japanese woodblock prints are known to fade due to light exposure, but the extent of this degradation in the Rijksmuseum’s collection was unclear until the launch of the 2024 research project Japanese Prints: A Closer Look. This interdisciplinary effort builds on earlier studies, including a 2008 investigation by Museum Volkenkunde and the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE), which found that even limited light exposure during exhibitions could exceed acceptable fading limits. This article shares new findings from light-aging tests on traditional Edo-period (1603-1868) colorants and pigments, using a reference set provided by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. The tests combine xenon testing and microfading testing to evaluate pigment durability. By comparing past and present data, the study aims to improve exhibition planning strategies to balance public access and preservation of Japanese prints in the Rijksmuseum’s collection.

Bio

Juliet Baines graduated from the University of Amsterdam in 2018. From 2018 to 2020 she was a Mellon paper conservation fellow at the Conservation Center for Art and Historic Artefacts in Philadelphia. Since 2021 she is a junior paper conservator at the Rijksmuseum. Starting in 2024 she works on the project; Japanese prints a closer look. Within this project she conducts XRF analysis and helps interpret data from pigment analysis and imaging techniques.

Gauthier Patin has been working as a scientist at the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands since 2023. Originally trained as a paper conservator, he completed his doctoral thesis at the University of Amsterdam in 2024, focusing on light-induced colour change phenomena. His research interests encompass microfading, colour measurements, imaging and IT technologies.