Scientific Research and Scholarship in the SRAL at Winterthur

The staff of the Scientific Research and Analysis Laboratory (SRAL) at Winterthur is currently involved in many new and exciting endeavors in the research of artists’ materials and the further development of the Art Conservation academic curriculum. Dr. Jennifer Mass, Dr. Joseph Weber and Catherine Matsen comprise the SRAL team of scientists who are working with Winterthur Museum Staff, WUPAC students, University of Delaware undergraduates and conservation professionals from other institutions on various projects in the capacities of professional research and academics.

Dr. Mass is currently working on several research projects involving analytical testing of painted surfaces of New England furniture and Han Dynasty bronze sculptures. Dr. Mass and Catherine Matsen, assistant scientist for the Winterthur SRAL, will be presenting a paper at the IIC Infrared and Raman Users Group Conference in Vienna this March on the findings of their research of the painted surfaces of these bronze objects. Additionally, Dr. Mass is working on a project with Jo-Fan Huang from the Philadelphia Museum of Art related to the analytical detection of synthetic pigments in Himalayan thangkas. This data is being gathered to help determine the point at which synthetic pigments were introduced in this region. This analysis will be presented at the upcoming AIC conference in Denver. Dr. Weber will be launching a new research effort to study the degradation of polyamides which have been used both as materials of art as well as consolidants in art conservation. The intent of the program is to evolve into an undergraduate research opportunity for future students.

Dr. Weber has been working on the implementation of new science focused courses into the undergraduate Art Conservation curriculum. For the past two fall semesters he has taught a course on the science of color, in particular the physics behind the mechanisms of formation of color. In upcoming semesters this course will be a fulfillment of the undergraduate Art Conservation major requirements as an alternative to the color mixing and matching course. He is currently developing a new course which will be offered to UD students regarding the chemistry of art and conservation materials. The objective of this course will be to show students the application of the chemical principles they learned in General and Organic Chemistry to the field of art conservation. This is all part of an effort to heighten the scientific focus of the undergraduate conservation program and better prepare pre-program students to enter an art conservation graduate program.

While this may seem to be enough to fully occupy the time of this three person staff there are many other projects that are on going as well. Dr. Mass assists with teaching WUPAC science courses and is involved with fundraising for the Instrumentation Endowment to purchase and replace equipment for the lab. The staff also aid 2nd-year students with analytical research and testing for their in major projects and independent study projects. Additionally, the lab also provides assistance to 3rd-year WUPAC students and WUPAC alumni who work in outside institutions that may not have the appropriate analytical equipment necessary for certain tests they wish to perform as part of a treatment or research project.