Shan Kuang jokes that she got scolded one too many times for getting too close to paintings at museums, so she made it her job.
Either she or Peter Van de Moortel looks over every piece of artwork that enters or exits the .
Kuang is the Fort Worth museum鈥檚 conservator of paintings and Van de Moortel is the chief conservator. Together, the pair research and treat works within the Kimbell鈥檚 own collection, in addition to lending their time and expertise to other museums.
The pair have a vast array of pigments, paintbrushes, books and chemical solutions at their disposal.
Some days might be spent cleaning and retouching works, researching and writing reports or using X-rays and microscopes to learn more about the first draft of a painting or the materials that were used to make it.
鈥淲e are very lucky in that our work day is never the same,鈥� Van de Moortel said.
Though they might spend several weeks or months on trying to showcase a piece鈥檚 original glory, they aim to make their work as unobtrusive as possible.
鈥淚f the conservator did their job well, you wouldn鈥檛 know they had their hand in it,鈥� Van de Moortel said.
鈥榃hat do I have to add to all of this鈥�
Both Van de Moortel and Kuang are adept at handling a paintbrush, and while they enjoy using it, neither would call themselves artists.
鈥淚 find that working with great art and having the privilege to work with and be surrounded with great art all the time makes you incredibly humble when that question arises: What do I have to add to all this?鈥� Van de Moortel said.
Kuang also agreed that humility is key to doing the job well.
鈥淥ne might have certain conceptions coming in about what a piece of artwork needs. But, really, you have to let the artwork dictate that to you,鈥� Kuang said. 鈥淪ometimes it鈥檚 straightforward. Other times, it鈥檚 a full treatment, a varnish removal.鈥�
The process for removing the varnish can take several weeks or months, but the effect is similar to driving with a freshly cleaned windshield versus a dirty one, which can make you lose your sense of perspective.
鈥淚f you look side by side, suddenly you realize how dark the varnish was and how the range of colors was muted; it dulls down what was a bright and lively painting,鈥� she said.
During a restoration, conservators take care to make sure that their changes are long-lasting, but not permanent.
鈥淚f the treatment of a painting lasts 70 years, that is infinitely preferable to 30 years because you don鈥檛 want to subject the work to more cleaning than it actually needs,鈥� Van de Moortel said.
鈥業t鈥檚 as close as you can get to turning back the clock鈥�
Several paintings that the conservators work with were created hundreds of years before either Kuang or Van de Moortel were born.
Technology can help shrink that distance, but many of the tools they use weren鈥檛 made with this specific purpose in mind, but, rather, were borrowed from other disciplines.
鈥淪ome of our analytical tools like come from the medical field. Our set up is actually from the military,鈥�&苍产蝉辫;Van de Moortel explained.
These tools help them look at multiple layers of the painting, including the underdrawing that the artist might have sketched out as an early guide, or see previous drafts where a detail was changed or a person was painted over.
鈥淵ou can see something that鈥檚 completely invisible to the naked eye or, if you鈥檙e lucky, a whole different painting is underneath,鈥� Kuang said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 as close as you can get to turning back the clock and peeking over the artist鈥檚 shoulder.鈥�
They also have the ability to make an elemental map, which helps them determine what materials were used and when.
鈥淚t may sound very specific (to know) there鈥檚 copper here, cobalt there, but in the grander picture, all of this information helps scholars determine more information about the artist鈥檚 work and practice,鈥� she explained. 鈥淭here鈥檚 always questions of who actually painted this, whether it鈥檚 the artist, the studio or a follower, so those are all important pieces of evidence to have.鈥�
During Conservator Emerita tenure at the museum, an X-ray revealed a finished portrait of a young girl beneath James Ensor鈥檚 鈥�.鈥� The Belgian painter is suspected to have reused a canvas due to financial difficulties.
The tools and expertise the Kimbell has on hand make it a sought-out resource for other museums in Fort Worth, like the and , and the in Dallas.
Both conservators consider their roles, getting to work with so many different works of art, a privilege.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a moment where vulnerability seeps in,鈥� Van de Moortel said. 鈥淵ou鈥檙e spending so much time with that piece. And very few, if any one, will know that particular piece as well as you do in your lifetime.鈥�
Marcheta Fornoff covers the arts for the Fort Worth Report. Contact her at marcheta.fornoff@fortworthreport.org or on . At the Fort Worth Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy .