From the life school to the gallery wall, via the portfolio: the collection, treatment, and display of oil sketches on paper produced in the contexts of the Carracci school

The three oil sketches on paper forming the basis of this study—all of elderly, male sitters—are attributed to unknown sixteenth- or early seventeenth-century Bolognese artists: painters associated with the Carracci family and their Academia degli Incaminati. This context was notable for its near-constant examination of the world around it through consistent drawing and painting, and for its success in exporting its negotiations of the contemporary religious landscape beyond Bologna, to Rome and further afield. A brief overview of the original intention, forms and early functions of these works is given, before focus turns to traditions of ownership and collection in the generations immediately after their creation. The British contexts that the sketches entered during the eighteenth century—collections at Stourhead House, Saltram House and General John Guise's bequest to Christ Church—are then explored through consideration of the social and artistic milieux in which these works were acquired. All three sketches have been mounted on to canvas or panel supports: this conservation history sheds light on how these works have been altered structurally, aesthetically and in functionality as they moved from an early didactic purpose to that of display in the eighteenth century.

Peran Modal Sosial dalam Pengembangan Desa Wisata Serangan Denpasar Bali

Serangan Village as a potential area is a representation of Denpasar City Government's policy on environmental conservation, history and cultural values, the interests of the world of education, and the interests of cultural tourism full of attractions. The purpose of this study was to identify the role of social capital in the development of sustainable tourism in Serangan Village and to analyze the influence of the role of government, community participation, and social capital on the quality of destinations and sustainable tourism development in Serangan Village. The results of this study are the role of social capital norms in Serangan Village has an important role in tourism development in Serangan Village, where norms in traditional villages in Serangan Village are still very strong.

Early and late fawn mortality in a remnant population of Arabian gazelles (Gazella arabica)

The Arabian gazelle (Gazella arabica) population in Israel has experienced a turbulent conservation history and repeatedly faced local extinction. Low fawn survival was considered the main cause for the constant decline. In our study, we analyzed instantaneous fawn mortality rates, using a binomial coding at three different developmental stages, i.e., mortality rates to 3 months after parturition (weaning age), to 5 months after parturition (male fawns leave their mothers), and to the age of reproductive maturity, i.e., recruitment (12 months). We used a dataset obtained from 20 individually discernible mothers and their fawns (49 females and 48 males) born between June 2006 and September 2019. To explore causes for the fawn mortality rates, parental- (age of the mother at parturition) and offspring-related attributes (offspring sex), year of birth, together with one weather variable (mean monthly maximum temperature) were included as independent variables into three independent mixed effects cox regression models. Out of 97 fawns, 92 survived to weaning age, 73 to the age of 5 months and only 7 to the age of reproductive maturity. Temperature had significant effects on instantaneous fawn mortality rates, suggesting that low temperatures were detrimental to the survival of fawns after weaning (4–5 months) and male dispersal age (6–12 months). Male offspring encountered a higher instantaneous mortality rate than female offspring at the age of 6–12 months. Moreover, fawns from less experienced mother (young age at parturition) experienced higher mortality. Our results were in line with previous studies on fawn mortality observed in other desert dwelling ungulates.

Freshwater biodiversity in western Nepal: A review

Western Nepal is known for its rich freshwater resources that support diverse flora and fauna. Freshwater ecosystems of western Nepal provide multitudes of ecosystem goods, services (irrigation, hydroelectricity, drinking water) to humans, and provide breeding and feeding grounds for many wetland-dependent flora and fauna. But these wetlands are under tremendous pressure mainly due to anthropogenic activities. In this review, we provide a brief overview of the freshwater biodiversity, distributions of wetlands and their status in western Nepal. From this review, we found that western Nepal is rich in freshwater resources and supports diverse flora and fauna. The biologically significant Karnali River is the home of a globally endangered species, the South Asian river dolphin. We also discuss the conservation history of wetlands, identify the gaps, and further suggest priority hotspots for the formulation of future conservation strategies for these ecosystems.

The case of Capogrossi in Rome: criteria and limits in the retouching process of a contemporary mural painting

This paper focuses on the reintegration treatments studied for a contemporary mural painting, which was designed and carried out by the Italian artist Giuseppe Capogrossi in 1954. This forgotten masterpiece is located on the ceilings of the main double staircase at the entrance of the Airone, an ex-cinema theatre in Rome, which was designed and planned during the Fifties by the famous architects Adalberto Libera, Eugenio Montuori and by the engineer Leo Calini. After a brief introduction based on the conservation history of the building and on the painting itself, it will be described criteria and limits in the reintegration process of a sample area of this highly degraded polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) based mural. The materials selected in the reintegration project, based on natural polymers and synthetic polymers, will be theoretically compared with one another and it will be explained why some of these could be appropriate and effective, while others could not chromatically work in this particular case.

Towards a Systematic Approach to Digital Technologies for Heritage Conservation. Insights from Jordan

Consensus exists on the importance of heritage for ensuring sustainable futures, due to its impact on political aspects, ethical reflection and local economic development. Nowadays, using technology has become crucial in the construction industry, including heritage conservation. This paper aims to compare a selected sample of digital platforms, gathering data in support of heritage documentation, both for heritage and archeological sites. Despite the huge potential of digital technologies for contributing to heritage conservation, still there is a need for more clarity on what should be used to achieve different goals and what is the best approach under various circumstances. A team of five experts on digital technologies applied to different types of heritage worked collaboratively to gather the case studies in this paper and to analyse them comparatively. Jordan is a Middle East and North Africa country chosen as unit of analysis, because of the huge potential of digital technologies for heritage documentation. The findings from the comparative case review offers a reflection on what should best adopted for achieving different goals. Differences of approaches were revealed between the characteristics of heritage site and those of archaeological sites in Jordan’s conservation history. The findings called for a prioritization of using digital technology in both heritage and archeological sites. The discussion on digital platforms currently available in Jordan allows for highlighting strengths and limitations of different approaches and methodologies, thus drawing lessons for addressing the strategic choice of the most appropriate digital solution under different circumstances and in different contexts.

Insight into the effects of moisture and layer build-up on the formation of lead soaps using micro-ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging of complex painted stratigraphies

Metal soaps are formed in paint layers thorough the reaction of metal ions of pigments and fatty acids of organic binders. In this study, micro-ATR-FTIR spectroscopic imaging was used to analyse the formation of lead soaps in oil-based paint layers in relation to their exposure to moisture sources. The investigations were carried out on authentic samples of complex stratigraphies from cold painted terracotta statues (Sacred Mount, Varallo, UNESCO) and different IR-active lead white pigments, organic materials, and lead soaps were discriminated. The saponification of selected paint layers was correlated to the conservation history, the manufacturing technique, and the build-up of layers. The presence of hydrophilic layers within the stratigraphy and their role as a further water source are discussed. Furthermore, the modifications experienced by lead-based pigments from the core of an intact grain of pigment towards the newly formed decay phases were investigated via a novel approach based on shift of the peak for the corresponding spectral bands and their integrated absorbance in the ATR-FTIR spectra. Qualitative information on the spatial distribution from the chemical images was combined with quantitative information on the peak shift to evaluate the different manufacture (lead carbonate, basic lead carbonate) or the extent of decay undergone by the lead-based pigments as a function of their grain size, contiguous layers, and moisture source. Similar results, having a high impact on heritage science and analytical chemistry, allow developing up-to-date conservation strategies by connecting an advanced knowledge of the materials to the social and conservation history of artefacts.

An Alternative Phase-Sensitive THz Imaging Technique for Art Conservation: History and New Developments at the ENEA Center of Frascati

In recent years, THz imaging techniques have been used in several fields of application. At the beginning of the century, the low availability of powerful THz sources was one of the limiting factors to the advancement of THz technology. At the ENEA center in Frascati, two Free Electron Lasers (FELs) operating in the THz spectral region were available at that time, making it possible to exploit all the features of THz imaging. In this paper, we will describe an alternative THz imaging technique, developed over 15 years of studies at the ENEA center of Frascati, and its application in the art conservation field, reporting the latest results of such studies on the optical properties of pigments in the GHz-THz region of the spectrum, on the possibility of detecting biological weeds under mosaic tiles and on the THz analysis of ancient leather wallpapers. This alternative technique was first developed in the framework of a bilateral collaboration between Japan and Italy, the THz-ARTE Project, which involved NICT (Tokyo), NNRICP (Nara), ENEA (Frascati) and IFAC-CNR (Florence). Most of the THz imaging techniques at that time were based on THz-Time Domain (THz-TD) devices. In the paper will be described how this alternative technique is able to measure the phase of the reflected radiation, thus providing information on the optical properties of the materials under study, such as mural paintings and mosaics. This makes it possible to detect the presence of hidden artworks, additional elements under paint layers, and dielectric materials. To describe the potential and the limits of this alternative imaging technique we will start from a description of the first THz imaging setup at the ENEA center of Frascati, based upon a THz Free Electron Laser. A description of the theoretical principle underlying this technique will be given. The first results in the field of art conservation are summarized, while the new results of a systematic study on the optical properties of pigments are reported and the realization of a portable THz imaging device, and its application “on site” for the analysis of frescoes are shown. The success of this prototype lead to the identification of different types of artworks as possible targets to be studied. New results about the ability of detecting water, and possibly the water content of biological weeds, under mosaic tiles are described, while new experimental measurements on Leather Wallpapers, both “in situ” and in a laboratory environment, are discussed later. A final analysis on the pro and the cons of this alternative imaging technique and on its possible utilization with the developed prototype is carried out together with the considerations on possible future developments and its potential use as an extension of other imaging techniques.

Adam Easton and the Lutterworth Wall Paintings Revisited

In his monograph on Easton, Andrew Lee proposed that a previously unidentified contemporary portrait of the cardinal may be preserved in the form of an image added to an existing morality wall painting in the parish church of Lutterworth in Leicestershire. This proposal not only suggests the existence of a second representation of this important historical f igure, but makes this wall painting a public visual expression of the ongoing animosity between Easton and the reformer John Wyclif, the incumbent at Lutterworth. This chapter reviews the conservation history and uncovering of the painting, its probable dating, its visual conventions and its iconographic content. This examination of the evidence makes Lee’s suggestion untenable; however, careful examination of the image of the cardinal shows that it was most probably once part of a scene of the Mass of St Gregory, a late medieval devotional theme exemplifying the doctrine of Transubstantiation. The Lutterworth mural thus represents the trenchant restatement in Wyclif’s former parish of the orthodox position which Adam Easton so vigorously defended.