De workshop cleaning painted surfaces given in January 2019 to UVA PI1 students of the department Historical Interiors and Wood & Furniture.
Marjan de Visser gives the workshop cleaning painted surfaces. Because since 2007 she is trained in working with these cleaning techniques. This method called Modular Cleaning Program uses products that are safe for both art and the restorer. It is also called ‘the green method’. That is why she was asked by the teachers of the Historical Interiors department to teach this method of cleaning.
About the education
These UVA Historical Interior students are in training to become the new conservators in the field. The workshop provided mixing cleaning solutions and test these on mock-ups and test panels. The workshop took the whole week. Of course this was very intense but than it provides a lot of practical knowledge. The workshop is a first introduction to the possibilities of cleaning painted and varnished surfaces. Therefore, the method is very valuable for these future conservator restorers.
About the workshop
In the workshop the student learns to make cleaning mixtures himself. A different mixture is required for each cleaning goal. That became very clear during testing. Almost every student came up with a different mixture to clean her or his object.