The luscious blue of the ultramarine game bag in Willem van Aelst’s Hunt Still Life with a Velvet Bag on a Marble Ledge dazzles and seduces, its velvety texture so real as to be palpable. But was it blue when the artist completed his painting? To continue reading, scroll down to the third section of this page.

Welcome and Introductions 
Anikó Bezur, the Andrew W. Mellon Research Scientist, MFAH and Menil Collection

“Sensing Sensitivity: Avoiding Light Damage to Colors with Stability Tests on Art Objects”
Paul Whitmore, director of the Art Conservation Research Center, and research professor in the department of chemistry, Carnegie Mellon University

“CSI: Picasso”
Francesca Casadio, Andrew W. Mellon Senior Conservation Scientist, Art Institute of Chicago

“Modern and Contemporary Art: A Scientist’s Perspective” 
Narayan Khandekar, senior conservation scientist, Harvard Art Museums, Straus Center for Conservation

Questions/Discussion

Reception
At the conclusion of  the symposium, please join the speakers for a wine reception in the lobby of the Beck Building.

Watch the Symposium via Webcast!
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“Analyze This: Looking at Art through the Prism of Science”
The luscious blue of the ultramarine game bag in Willem van Aelst’s Hunt Still Life with a Velvet Bag on a Marble Ledge dazzles and seduces, its velvety texture so real as to be palpable. But was it blue when Van Aelst completed his painting?

Scientists and conservators are unlocking the answers to this and many other questions related to history’s cultural treasures. Although works of art have been created since the dawn of humanity, the field of conservation science only emerged in the 19th century, when scientists in England began to study the effects of the environment on works of art.

Today, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation plays a leading role in the advancement of cutting-edge art conservation science. Since 1993, the foundation has awarded more than $44 million to universities and museums, including the MFAH and the Menil Collection, to strengthen the training of conservation scientists and the role of scientific research in the preservation of art.

This symposium celebrates the diversity of scientific research being funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation at museums across the United States. Friday’s opening address details one of  the most significant projects recently undertaken by the MFAH and the National Gallery—the collaborative study of Willem van Aelst’s painting techniques and materials in preparation for the exhibition Elegance and Refinement: The Still-Life Paintings of Willem van Aelst.

This program features presentations on how scientific tools can help protect cultural heritage by pinpointing areas of vulnerability to specific types of degradation; how materials analysis can be used to identify an artist’s materials and the specific time and place in which a work may have been created; and the special challenges presented by modern and contemporary art.

This event is open to the public and free with general museum admission.
MFAH Members always receive free admission. Seating is limited.