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MUSEUM DEPOSITORY OR STORAGE: These terms refer to the designated areas within a museum where collections are stored when not on display. Such spaces are essential for the preservation, conservation, and study of cultural heritage items.
Inside the museum storage room known as Deposito dell'Ospite Eccellente
Inside the museum storage room known as Deposito dell'Ospite Eccellente
Wednesday 11th June 2025 - visit to Fondazione Brescia Musei
We enjoyed a fascinating tour guided by Davide Sforzini to discover paintings and artworks not on public display in the museum.
It was an occasion to speak with an expert about the conservation of works of art and the possible intervention to fix damaged ones.
Is it always worth restoring a piece of art?
Is it always worth restoring a piece of art?
Not really!
Rule number one is not to alter it too much.
Sometimes the marks of time are chosen to be left, as part of the history of a work.
Rule number two is that every restoration must be reversible, so if new techniques are developed tomorrow, the work can be better restored.
Has the approach to restoration changed in time?
Has the approach to restoration changed in time?
Until the 1920s, it was common to intervene and try to restore it to its original beauty, though sometimes heavily manipulating the artwork.
Then it was deemed necessary to make the intervention visually identifiable ( making it evident by using a different colour - for example, the columns of the Capitolium in Brescia)
Nowadays, a softer approach is preferable, aiming to preserve the original beauty without covering up the traces of restoration.
What characterizes the current approach to restoration?
What characterizes the current approach to restoration?
The attempt to find a balance between the aesthetic instance and the historical instance. These concepts are pivotal in the field of art restoration, particularly in the theories proposed by Cesare Brandi.
A work's visual and formal qualities cannot be the only focus of restoration. Surely, the aesthetic integrity, as well as the original artistic intent, should be maintained. However, restoration should also aim to preserve all layers and modifications accumulated over time as integral parts of the artwork's history. In other words, the artwork should reflect its historical and cultural context, to which every change contributes to the artwork's historical narrative.
Can the visitor be held responsible for the damage?
Can the visitor be held responsible for the damage?
It depends.
If damage is accidental, museums are usually covered by insurance.
If damage is made on purpose, or the visitor's actions are deemed negligent, then the visitor will be liable for it and will be asked for compensation or even sued and taken to court.
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