This nameless inmate is imprisoned behind more than just walls, says art conservator Lyn Koehnline. Over the decades, the uneven layers of varnish covering the painting have darkened and, in places, are almost opaque. The linen canvas, stretched with uneven tension, has become slightly distorted. And gaps where the paint is thin have joined the tiny stress cracks that come with the territory as paint ages.
Through the Ackland Art Museum’s new “Adopt a Work of Art” program, you can help fund individual conservation treatments—which in Italy’s case will include feeding adhesive into the cracks to secure loose flakes of paint, flattening the canvas, and swabbing off the old, dirty varnish. Sponsors can follow the treatment’s progress through written reports and photos from the conservator, and, in some cases, lab visits.
For more information, or to reserve your work of art, visit www.ackland.org, or contact Ackland conservator Lyn Koehnline (919-843-3689, koehnlin@email.unc.edu).