Revisiting the surface, Edvard Munch and varnishes : a group case study and non-invasive approach to decision-making for painting collections

Abstract

Norway’s National Museum houses the first publicly owned collection of paintings by Edvard Munch (1863-1944). The 57 paintings are considered the museum’s ‘crown jewels’. Many of the iconic works are displayed collectively in a separate Munch Room. However, are the paintings we see here as Munch had originally intended them, and how should they be conserved? In his thesis, Revisiting the surface, Edvard Munch and varnishes, conservator Thierry Ford focuses on Munch’s painted surfaces and the use of varnish. He traces the history of the museum’s debated conservation treatments. Munch preferred a matt surface, while later restoration varnishing has in some cases given them a glossier finish. Among Ford’s major discoveries are the revelation of original surface finishes in Munch’s early paintings, which raises important questions about later varnishing and future conservation. To limit physical sampling, non-invasive diagnostic techniques were used for the identification of the varnishes. The study provides the first complete conservation and varnish overview of the collection which gives a clearer understanding of how best to conserve the paintings and their varnishes. Results from the investigations feed into a self-designed conservation decision-making model which can assist art historical and conservation challenges in the Munch collection. This model can be easily adapted for similar single-artist collections.