Postgraduate
MA in conservation of wall painting
formal teaching
In the first year, formal teaching is devoted principally to conservation science, the technology of wall paintings, the theory and practice of conservation, the history of wall painting and its conservation, and documentation. All this teaching starts with fundamentals, so that previous experience in science or art history (though desirable) is not required. Conservation history, theory, materials and practice are taught both in formal courses and in practical sessions (one day each week), culminating in a period of 6 to 8 weeks in the field at the end of the year. Associated with the teaching are numerous site visits to study wall paintings and conservation problems first-hand.
The formal teaching in the first year provides the basis for specialised courses in the second year on scientific examination, environmental causes of deterioration, and the cleaning and consolidation of wall paintings. These courses include teaching by leading international specialists, and they are also integrated closely with the departmental conservation programmes. The final year is devoted wholly to fieldwork and the individual research projects.
field work
A great deal of fieldwork is scheduled throughout the 3 years, comprising about 50% of the course work. The MA is exceptional in that all the travel and accommodation costs for this fieldwork are paid by the Department. Fieldwork consists of participation in departmental conservation programmes, which in recent years have focused on China, India and the Mediterranean. Such projects not only allow maximum individual supervision, but are also designed to include all aspects of conservation— from technical examination, environmental assessment and diagnostic investigations, through passive and remedial interventions.
In China, we work in collaboration with the Dunhuang Academy and the Getty Conservation Institute at the extraordinary site of Dunhuang, with some 500 painted cave temples, dating from the 5th to the 14th centuries. In India, in collaboration with the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, we have an our ongoing project at the Nagaur Fort in Rajasthan, where fascinating paintings in various royal palaces present a wide range of conservation challenges.
In the Mediterranean, Departmental projects have included the conservation of medieval and later paintings in Ibiza, of Renaissance and Baroque paintings in Malta, and of Byzantine paintings in four churches in the Troodos Mountains in Cyprus. Of these, our programme at the monastery of Agios Ioannis Lampadistis continues with conservation of the important 13th-century and later wall paintings.
In addition to projects incorporated in the MA curriculum, the Department has further fieldwork and research projects that enrich the students’ learning environment, as at Petra, Jordan, where a programme to conserve the hugely important Nabataean wall paintings began in 2007, and in Bhutan where a study of the technology of the wall paintings aims to lead to their improved care.
dissertations
A major component of the MA is the final-year research project. Resulting in an 18,000-word dissertation, each project is designed to develop the particular interests, aptitudes and skills of the individual student. Topics are intended to contribute to the field of wall painting conservation, and many have been subsequently published in major journals or conference proceedings.
Each project considers in detail a particular aspect of the technology, recording, examination, or conservation of wall paintings. Many incorporate scientific analysis, testing and evaluation, skills that have been encouraged and developed throughout the formal teaching. Simultaneously, they develop research skills, in planning, implementation, information management and networking.
Students select a research topic from a very wide range of areas, from causes of deterioration to imaging, from analytical techniques to diagnostic monitoring, from remedial interventions to management issues. The resulting research leads to acquisition of highly transferrable skills, often to career paths, and, importantly, to a significant net contribution to research in this very specialised field. Recent topics have included: studies of the deterioration and cleaning of external murals; correction of UV-induced fluorescence imaging; assessment of ELISA (Enzyme-linked ImmunoSorbent Assay) for wall painting samples; evaluation of ATR-FTIR for analysis of cross-sections; technical studies of Buddhist wall painting in India and medieval wall paintings in England; characterising consolidant penetration; and removing non-original varnishes from oil-based wall paintings. Earlier studies of sampling strategies for biodeterioration, the visualisation of air flow in historic buildings, and the reburial of archaeological wall paintings, clearly demonstrate the diversity of topics and the ways in which students find research avenues that build on and significantly develop their individual interests and skills.
- Research Projects in Wall Painting Conservation
- Programme specification summary:
MA Conservation of Wall Painting Programme Specification - Summary
- Detailed information about the aims and objectives of the course can be found in the full programme specification below:
MA Conservation of Wall Painting Programme Specification - Detailed