The Expanded Field of Conservation

A global reconsideration and broadening of the definition of art conservation through the lenses of theory, ethics, culture, and history

Thought-provoking and timely, this volume challenges inherited thinking on art conservation practice and purposefully reconsiders the definition of the field. Scholars from around the world discuss topics including the conservation of global painting practices, cold storage and digitization, conservation within institutions, and the decolonization of art conservation. The authors seek to broaden the scope of conservation practice and challenge the boundaries that set it apart from art history and art making. They thoughtfully consider the implications of conservation beyond museum walls. This volume in the esteemed Clark Studies in the Visual Arts maintains the series’s tradition of providing a nuanced reckoning with vital themes in the field.

Distributed for the Clark Art Institute

Caroline Fowler is the Starr Director of the Research and Academic Program at the Clark Art Institute and teaches in the graduate program in the history of art at Williams College, Williamstown, MA. Alexander Nagel is the Craig Hugh Smyth Professor of Fine Arts at the Institute of Fine Arts, New York University.