Paolo Cremonesi, the most prominent adherent of the methods of Richard Wolbers, has taken up the fight against the harmful products being used almost on a daily base in restorative practice. While the use of less or no solvents is foremost in his concern, Cremonesi turns his attention to other substances too. Working with great conviction, Cremonesi extended the knowledge and usability of Wolbers’ micro- and macro emulsions, making it possible to construe them now using products that are marketed in Europe and conforming to Europe’s standards. Thus Cremonesi increased both diligent care for the object and worker safety in restoration.
The primary aims of the new methods remain the same as those of traditional practice: to remove an unwanted substance from a surface. This can be restricted to the sole removal of surface dirt, but could include the partial or complete taking off of varnish layer, old retouching or overpaint. These are different tasks demanding different approaches, tailormade materials and techniques.
The pinnacle of success remains working on a surface without harming the original.
Central in the methods developed by Cremonesi is the use of watery solutions containing alcohols, silicones, surfactants and chelators, all in levels of acidity appropriate to the work at hand. If a surface is especially hydrophilic and some of the more fundamental watery solutions used on less vulnerable objects could prove injurious, these methods can be adjusted accordingly.
After years of research, the workshop “Emulsions for Surface Cleaning and Removal of Film-Forming Materials” is presented for the first time outside of Italy. Paolo Cremonesi has chosen the Netherlands as a podium for a new series of workshops, specifically dealing with the cleaning of paintings using emulsions. Five days filled with both theory and practice, taking head on the three main questions in cleaning: partial removal or complete, and what to do when the surface is vulnerable to water?
“Emulsions for Surface Cleaning and Removal of Film-Forming Materials” a workshop by Dr. Paolo Cremonesi (English spoken)
Where: Werkgebouw Het Veem, van Diemenstraat 410, Amsterdam
When: 15 – 19 januar 2018
Money: € 560,- ( ARA members € 520,-)
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