Conserving Old Master Drawings: A Balancing Act

A fundamental role of a museum is to care for its collection and preserve it for future generations. European drawings from the 1300s to the late 1800s, or old master drawings, are particularly vulnerable--they are on paper and hundreds of years old. A paper conservator must find the balance between maintaining the historical integrity of the drawing while preserving the appearance intended by the artist.

Watch a Getty conservator analyze and treat a drawing using a variety of techniques in this short video.