Cultural heritage is an indispensable source of information about societies. It can offer unexpected insights into our history and identity. Art and cultural heritage connect people to the past and to each other. The aim of the call ‘An Integrated Approach to the Scientific Study and Conservation of Art – Tracing change (NICAS)’' is to strive for a full understanding of the creation processes of objects and their original appearance; and the processes that take place in the objects over time and through which they change, in order to preserve them optimally for future generations.

Awarded UvA projects

PREservation of PAintings in a sustainable futuRE (PREPARE)

dr. J.J. (Joen) Hermans (Faculty of Humanities), Conserving and Restoration, University of Amsterdam

Like all of us, museums are faced with the need to reduce energy consumption. Widening indoor climate tolerances would have a big impact, but scientific support to do so safely is currently lacking. The PREPARE project addresses this urgent issue by studying oil paintings in Dutch historic interiors with little climate-control, and by designing model systems that are very sensitive to climate fluctuations. This combined approach allows finding the root cause of climate-induced mechanical failure in paintings. Moreover, the project will yield low-tech monitoring protocols for chemical early-warning sign detection and a risk classification of paint materials and climate conditions.

Black Magic – (Re)discovering the development and changes of black woollens quality standards in the 18th-century Leiden's staalmeesters sample books

Prof. dr. ing M.R. (Maarten) van Bommel (Faculty of Humanities/Faculty of Science), Conservation Science, University of Amsterdam

Museum De Lakenhal holds a unique collection of sample books (1690-1791), with hundreds of black wool samples produced in Leiden. The city followed strict regulations and used several grades to control the quality of its black woollens, which were often meant for export. Yet, the samples for each quality grade vary considerably, suggesting that this control was not as standardised as initially assumed. By studying these books and their wool samples, this project aims to (re-)discover the development and changes of 18th-century Leiden quality-control standards, and establish the city’s role in the globalisation of trade in textiles and textile materials.