Conservation and Restoration: Ethics and Principles

This introductory course surveys the history of conservation and restoration, and addresses current ethical dilemmas faced by curators, art historians, scientists, and archeologists. Students will debate the various issues involved in the care of cultural heritage with reference to professional organizations, special interest groups, cultural identity and economic development. Present and past use of an artifact, whether as a functional object, as a cultural symbol, as an historical record, or as a domestic space, requires that the conservator understand both the tangible and intangible nature of object. Particular reference will be made to the art and archeology of Rome.