Email digest for the Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList) egroup. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. RE: Pastel Portrait Painting's Artist/ Provenance - Input Needed 2. RE: Book Launch: Art Restoration Under the Nazi Regime: Revelation and Concealment. 3. RE: MFT-IDG Webinar, Jan 29: "From Data to Decisions: Interpreting, Sharing, and Acting on Microfading Tester Results" ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1.From: Valeria Orlandini Posted: Saturday January 24, 2026 2:29 PM Subject: RE: Pastel Portrait Painting's Artist/ Provenance - Input Needed Message: George, Thanks for your reply and interest in this post. I don't know what do you mean by "Perhaps, it's old news?" Another very interesting resource that I'd like to share with this inquiry is the link Neil Jeffares | The Frame Blog <https://theframeblog.com/tag/neil-jeffares/>. ------------------------------ Valeria Orlandini Conservator of Works on Paper and Photographic Materials Chevy Chase MD (301) 657-2682 ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 01-23-2026 11:17 From: George Schwartz Subject: Pastel Portrait Painting's Artist/ Provenance - Input Needed Valeria, for some reason Google lens produces this result? https://do.linkedin.com/in/ruahidy-lombert-1922bb13 <https://do.linkedin.com/in/ruahidy-lombert-1922bb13> Perhaps it's old news? Cordially, George ------------------------------ George Schwartz Principal, Senior Conservator ConservArt, Inc. Boca Raton FL [email protected] <[email protected]> Chair CIPP 2011-2013 Conservators in Private Practice ------------------------------ Original Message: Sent: 01-22-2026 13:46 From: Valeria Orlandini Subject: Pastel Portrait Painting's Artist/ Provenance - Input Needed Dear colleagues, I treated a pastel painting with mold and would like to have information about the artist. It's a portrait of a "Young Lady" executed on laid blue paper support lined onto a linen canvas attached to a wooden strainer. The pastel was under a glass and inside in an ornate gilded frame in very bad condition. Both the artwork and the frame were stabilized to protect it from further damages. This painting belongs to a private client who inherited this object without its proper provenance. It's likely that the artwork was purchased in Paris, France and then brought to the US.There is a wooden backing board on the reverse of the frame and has an inscription that it's not legible. There are only fragments, this laid paper support is very fragile and in poor condition. Am not certain if this painting is from the (early) 18th century or is in a 19th century French Rococo revival style or something else.Attached find several images for your review. From examining the backs and bottoms of countless works of art, I would argue that the most common preservation mistake artists make is not properly marking their work. Every piece should have the artist's name, the title of the artwork, the date, signature and the place of creation clearly printed (somewhere on it) in block letters. I contacted Dr. Thea Burns, Adjunct Associate Professor at the Department of Art History and Art Conservation Program, Queen's University, in Kingston, Canada. Thea has researched extensively on pastels, blue paper and other topics and was very helpful in addressing the possible ways to identify the artist and dating. She encouraged me to contact Neil Jeffares in England to inquire about this pastel and introduced me to this wonderful resource/ website.Pastels & pastellists: The Dictionary of pastellists before 1800 <http://www.pastellists.com/>Neil Jeffares London, United Kingdom Website www.pastellists.com <http://www.pastellists.com/> Twitter http://twitter.com/neiljeffares <http://twitter.com/neiljeffares> Hope that you might recognize the artist and possibly find other artworks by this same artist, such as drawings and oil paintings of a woman with a turban or an Odalisque - "L'Odalisque" commonly seen in French Rococo style. The pastel painting is very delicate and beautiful thus deserving this stabilization treatment. It was framed without the original wooden backing board (verso) after treatment to prevent further fungal attack. Please, I'd greatly appreciate any further information and guidance. Many thanks in advance for your time and kind attention. Valeria email: <[email protected] <[email protected]>> References: Thea Burns,The invention of pastel painting. Archetype Publications, London, 2007. ISBN 978-1904982128 Thea Burns,The art of the pastel. Abbeville Press <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbeville_Press>, 2015. (With Philippe Saunier) (Translated by Elizabeth Heard) ISBN 978-0789212405 Thea Burns, The Overlooked History of a Drawing, Printing and Writing Material 1400-1600 (2025) ISBN 978-1904982128 Blue paper : the overlooked history of a drawing, printing and writing material 1400-1600 <https://librarysearch.northumbria.ac.uk/primo-explore/fulldisplay/44UON_ALMA21207626930003181/northumbria>Drawing on Blue: European Drawings on Blue Paper, 1400s–1700s By Edina Adam Michelle Sullivan, eds., with the assistance of Alec Aldrich with essays by the following authors Mari-Tere Álvarez Thea Burns Marie-Noëlle Grison Camilla Pietrabissa Leila Sauvage Michelle Sullivan Copyright Date: 2024 Blue paper - Wikipedia <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_paper> <http://www.pastellists.com/> ------------------------------ Valeria Orlandini Conservator of Works on Paper and Photographic Materials Chevy Chase MD (301) 657-2682 ------------------------------ 2.From: Ellen Pearlstein Posted: Saturday January 24, 2026 2:30 PM Subject: RE: Book Launch: Art Restoration Under the Nazi Regime: Revelation and Concealment. Message: Thank you for your work. Is virtual attendance at either book launch possible? ------------------------------ Ellen Pearlstein Emerita Research Professor UCLA/Getty Interdepartmental Program in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage Santa Monica CA ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 01-23-2026 05:24 From: Morwenna Blewett Subject: Book Launch: Art Restoration Under the Nazi Regime: Revelation and Concealment. Book Launch: Art Restoration Under the Nazi Regime: Revelation and Concealment. This book is the first in-depth study of the restoration and conservation field in the National Socialist era. It presents a completely new perspective on the physical manipulation of fine, applied arts and other cultural property, under the regime from 1933 to post war in 1948. It investigates the motivations behind the participation of the conservation and restoration profession in this network of profit, crime, persecution and ideological broadcast. The book is being launched next month at two events (London and Oxford). All welcome. Please see the events below for registration and (free) ticketing. 'Art Restoration Under the Nazi Regime' book launch - Worcester College <https://www.worc.ox.ac.uk/news-events/events/art-restoration-under-the-nazi-regime-book-launch> Event: Book Launch: Art Restoration Under the Nazi Regime: Revelation and Concealment | Ben Uri <https://benuri.org/events/82-book-launch-art-restoration-under-the-nazi-regime/> It is available for pre-order from most booksellers. 3.From: Vincent Beltran Posted: Saturday January 24, 2026 4:35 PM Subject: RE: MFT-IDG Webinar, Jan 29: "From Data to Decisions: Interpreting, Sharing, and Acting on Microfading Tester Results" Message: A quick reminder that the Microfading Tester International Discussion Group (MFT-IDG) will host its next webinar titled "From Data to Decisions: Interpreting, Sharing, and Acting on Microfading Tester Results" on Thursday, January 29, from 9-1030am (San Francisco) / 12-130pm (Philadelphia) / 2-330pm (Buenos Aires) / 6-730pm (Paris) / 1-230am (next day, Manila) / 6-730am (next day, Auckland).Attendance is free, but requires event registration at the following link: https://getty.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JpfplSB7QYCmeWdE9xXGKw <https://getty.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JpfplSB7QYCmeWdE9xXGKw> Many thanks to our speakers, who include Mark Benson, Associate Conservator, Getty Research Institute; Bruce Ford, Independent Conservation Scientist; Ian Langston, Objects Conservator, Tāmaki Paenga Hira - Auckland War Memorial Museum; Rio Lopez, Associate Objects Conservator, Academy Museum of Motion Pictures; and Patricia Silence, Director, Conservation Operations, Colonial Williamsburg. Moderators will be Cindy Connelly Ryan, Preservation Science Specialist, Library of Congress; and Vincent Laudato Beltran, Scientist, Getty Conservation Institute. We hope that you'll consider joining the webinar (and our MFT-IDG community <https://www.culturalheritage.org/groups/mft-idg>)! For those unable to attend, the webinar will be recorded and posted to the AIC YouTube channel. ------------------------------ Vincent Laudato Beltran Scientist, Getty Conservation Institute Chair, MFT-IDG [email protected] ------------------------------ ------------------------------------------- Original Message: Sent: 01-13-2026 15:55 From: Vincent Beltran Subject: MFT-IDG Webinar, Jan 29: "From Data to Decisions: Interpreting, Sharing, and Acting on Microfading Tester Results" The Microfading Tester International Discussion Group (MFT-IDG) will host its second webinar titled "From Data to Decisions: Interpreting, Sharing, and Acting on Microfading Tester Results" on Thursday, January 29, from 9-1030am (San Francisco) / 12-130pm (Philadelphia) / 2-330pm (Buenos Aires) / 6-730pm (Paris) / 1-230am (next day, Manila) / 6-730am (next day, Auckland). Attendance is free, but requires event registration at the following link: https://getty.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JpfplSB7QYCmeWdE9xXGKw <https://getty.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_JpfplSB7QYCmeWdE9xXGKw> Lighting choices for an exhibition may be affected by different criteria, including the desired color temperature and color rendering quality of the lamps, the desired brightness and duration, and the light sensitivity of the objects to be displayed. It is this last criteria for which data from the microfading tester (MFT) is directly impactful, contributing evidence-based information about an object's vulnerability to light that can guide both object selection and lighting policy. But how is MFT data translated into meaningful discussion that empowers the varied stakeholders-collection care managers, conservators, registrars, art handlers, curators, directors-to better manage the risk of color change during display, guide the selection of cultural heritage objects for exhibition, and allow for greater access to the public? The webinar will begin with a brief overview of the MFT data collected, the various ways of interpreting and reporting these findings, and how this can lead to object-specific options for display. This will be followed by several case studies detailing how different cultural heritage institutions with a range of collection types incorporate MFT data into decision-making. We will close with a panel discussion and Q&A. For those interested but unable to attend, the webinar will be recorded and posted to the AIC YouTube channel. Further discussion about MFT practice and lighting policy development can be found in the MFT-IDG online community <https://www.culturalheritage.org/groups/mft-idg>, which you can join for free. The MFT-IDG is supported by the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) and sponsored by the AIC's Preventive Care Network. Thanks also to the Getty for supporting organization of this MFT-IDG webinar. We hope to see many of you at the January 29 event and in our MFT-IDG community! ------------------------------ Vincent Laudato Beltran Scientist, Getty Conservation Institute Chair, MFT-IDG [email protected] <[email protected]> ------------------------------ You are subscribed to "Global Conservation Forum (ConsDistList)" as [email protected]. To change your subscriptions, go to http://community.culturalheritage.org/preferences?section=Subscriptions. 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