The Getty Conservation Institute is currently conducting a
research project that addresses one of the critical issues in
conservation: the cleaning of surfaces of art objects. Cleaning
the surface of an object—which ranges from dirt removal to
replacing a degraded varnish—can raise a series of questions
regarding aesthetics, the potential loss of historical
information, and the ability to control the cleaning process
adequately. The GCI research project attempts to answer some
important questions regarding the use of solvent-based gels as
cleaning systems. In light of that work, Institute staff invited
the heads of three Getty Museum conservation departments to sit
down together to discuss some of the philosophical and technical
issues related to the surface cleaning of objects in museum
collections. Participating in the roundtable discussion were
Brian Considine of Decorative Arts and Sculpture Conservation,
Mark Leonard of Paintings Conservation, and Jerry Podany of
Antiquities Conservation. Joining them in