Maureen Cross

Maureen was appointed in 2005 as a full-time lecturer in the conservation department. She has a joint BA Hons. in Sociology and Economics from Michigan State University and a BA Hons. in the History of Art from Hunter College: City University of New York. She worked in the curatorial department at the Brooklyn Museum of Art, before undertaking conservation fellowships at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and Cooper Hewitt National Design Museum-Smithsonian Institution as well as work in private conservation studios in New York City. In 1996 she moved to the UK to study easel paintings conservation at the University of Northumbria, Newcastle, completing her MA with Distinction in 1998. She has since worked as a professional conservator at National Museums of Liverpool, Manchester Galleries, Tate before joining the Courtauld. Maureen became a Senior Lecturer in 2019.

Teaching 2020-21

MA in the Conservation of Easel Paintings

History of Artists Materials and Techniques
Modern and Contemporary Paintings Conservation
History and Practice of Written and Photographic Documentation
Practical Paintings Techniques for Replicas
Practical Conservation and Restoration of Easel Paintings
Physical History of Works of Art for Curators

Research interests

Materials and techniques of modern and contemporary artists.

Applied conservation research for treatment solutions

Recent publications

Books and chapters in books

Horovitz, Isabel, Cross, Maureen, Ormsby, Bronwyn et al., ‘History and Use of Other Rigid Supports for Easel Paintings from Early Renaissance to 20th Century,’ in The Conservation of Easel Paintings. ed. J. Hill-Stoner and R. Rushfield; Butterworths-Elsevier, London (2012) Total pages in book 889; Chapter pages 51-115 (Pages of contribution 103-110)
Sims, Shelley, Cross, Maureen and Smithen, Patricia, ‘Acrylic Retouching’, in Mixing and Matching: Approaches to Retouching Paintings, Archetype Books, London (2010) Total pages in book 179; Chapter pages 163-179

Essays, articles and conference proceedings

Polkownik, Camille, Richardson Clare, Cross, Maureen, Maisey, Sarah, ‘Lining at the National Maritime Museum and at the Courtauld Institute of Art: Past and Present,’ Contribution to the Conserving Canvas Conference, 14-17 October, Yale University & Art Gallery, ed. Schwarz et.al., Yale University and Getty Foundation Press, (2023) 1:4
Burnstock, Aviva, Cross, Maureen, Serres Karen, ‘Goya’s Portrait of Francisco de Saavedra: Materials, Techniques, Conservation and Context, Technè, No 53, (2022), 40-47
Amato, Silvia R., Cross, Maureen, et al, ‘Examining Edouard Manet’s Le Dejeuner sur l’herbe from the Courtauld Gallery using spectral imaging techniques’, in Tales of the Unexpected in Paintings Conservation, Contribution to British Association of Picture Conservator/Restorers Conference, BAPCR, 31 January 2020, Archetype Publications, London (2020) 98-110
Diamond, Olympia, Barkovic, Margaret, Cross, Maureen, Ormsby, Bronwyn, ‘Pioneering Solutions: Treating Water Stains on Acrylic Paintings | Case Study Composition, 1963 by Justin Knowles’, Treatment 2017: Innovation in Conservation and Collection Care, Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, Vol 58 (3) (Spring 2019) pp 144-157
Amato S.R., Burnstock A., Cross M., Janssens K., Rosi F., Cartechini L., Fontana R., Dal Fovo A., Paolantoni M., Grazia C., Romani A., Michelin A., Andraud C., Tournié A., Dik J., ‘Interpreting technical evidence from spectral imaging of paintings by Edouard Manet in the Courtauld Gallery’, X-Ray Spectrometry 48, no.4 (2019): 282-292. DOI: 10.1002/xrs.2828.
Barkovic, Margaret, Diamond, Olympia, Cross, Maureen, ‘The Use of Agar Gel on Water-Stained Acrylic Canvases’, in Gels in Conservation, Contributions to the IPA/Tate Conference, 16-18 October, Archetype Publications, London (2017) 51-55
Burnstock, Aviva, Cross, Maureen, Serres, Karen, ‘Insoluble Surface Spots, Metal Soaps and Challenges in the Conservation of Goya’s Portrait of Francisco de Saavedra, Contributions to ICOM-CC 18^th Triennial Conference, 4-8 September, Copenhagen, Denmark: Preprints ed. J. Bridgland, art. (2017) 1301. 1-7
Rutka, Fiona and Cross, Maureen, ‘The Making of Fiona Rae, RA: In Conversation with a Young British Artist’, Immediations 3, (3) (2014)
Pearson, Harriet, Cross, Maureen and Barker, R., ‘Protecting Impermanence: a preliminary investigation into the care of temporary artworks’, Immediations 3, (1) (2012)
Brummitt, Sophie and Maureen Cross, ‘”A Painter of ‘Strong and Good Likenesses” Studying some Gilbert Stuart portraits from Saltram House’, National Trust: Arts Building Collections Bulletin, Autumn Issue (October 2011) 14
Ormsby, Bronwyn, Maureen Cross, Elli Kampasakali, Lise Chantrier-Aasen, Patricia Smithen, ‘An Evaluation of Artists’ and Conservation Varnishes for Acrylic Emulsion Paint Films.’ in ICOM-CC 16th Triennial Conference, Lisbon, Portugal, 19-23 September 2011: Preprints, Mng. ed. Janet Bridgland, International Committee of Museums, Paris (2011) 1-11
Cross, Maureen, Sophie Brummitt, ‘Gilbert Stuart In Britain (1775-1787): A Technical Study of Selected Work from Saltram House, National Trust Property, Devon,’ Journal of the American Institute for Conservation, 51 (2) (Fall/Winter 2011) 87-104
Tate-Harte, Alice, Chantal-Helen Thuer and Maureen Cross, ‘Materials Focus: Funori: A New Medium for Consolidation and Retouching’, The Picture Restorer 36 (Spring 2010) 13-14
Cross, Maureen, ‘Complexities of a Woman in a Courtyard (1933)’, in Modern Paints Uncovered, Contributions to the Modern Paint Uncovered Symposium, 16-19 May 2006, ed .T. Learner, P. Smithen, J. Krueger and M. Schilling, The Getty Conservation Institute, Los Angeles (2007) 276
Cross, Maureen and Sarah Skinner, ‘Restoring Spontaneity: Conserving Duncan Grant’s ‘Caryatid’ from the Collection of Manchester City Galleries’, Cr: Interdisciplinair Vakblad voor Conservering en Restauratie (2004) 18-27
Cross, Maureen and Kathleen Flynn, ‘From Sausage Rolls to Sushi and Back Again: Lessons for successful travelling block-buster loans’, The Paper Conservator, 27 (Autumn 2003) 59-68
Cross, Maureen, et al., ‘From Fireplace to Fine Art – The Conservation of Duncan Grant’s Collage, Caryatid’, in IIC Works of Art on Paper: Books, Documents and Photographs, Techniques and Conservation. Baltimore Congress, Baltimore, Maryland, USA, 2-6 September 2002, ed. V. Daniels, A. Donnithorne and P. Smith, International Institute of Conservation, London (2002)
Bennett, Richard, Maureen, Cross and Joseph Padfield, ‘Conference Review, Under Pressure’, University of Northumbria, 7-11 April 1997, The Picture Restorer, 12 (Autumn 1997) 21-24

Lectures and conference presentations

‘Minimalism in context: the Courtauld Institute of Art and the Royal Museums Greenwich,’ AIC 50th Annual Conference 13-18 May, Los Angeles, CA, USA (2022)
‘Lining at the National Maritime Museum and at the Courtauld Institute of Art: Past and Present,’ Conserving Canvas Conference, 14-17 October Yale University, New Haven, CT (2019)
‘The Use of Agar Gel on Water-Stained Acrylic Canvases’, in Gels in Conservation, IPA/Tate Conference, 16-18 October, London, UK, (2017)
‘Insoluble Surface Spots, Metal Soaps and Challenges in the Conservation of Goya’s Portrait of Francisco de Saavedra, ICOM-CC 18^th Triennial Conference, 4-8 September, Copenhagen, Denmark (2017)
‘Condition Assessment and Documentation: An Overview, Contributions to The Basics of Artist’s Estates organised by The Institute of Artist’s Estates, 9-10 October, London, UK (2017)
‘A Technical Study of the Courtauld Gallery’s Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe using Macroscopic X-ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy to Provide New Insights into Manet’s Painting Practice’, Contributions to Writing Impressionism Into and Out of Art History, 1874 to Today conference, 3-4 November, London, UK (2017)
‘Gilbert Stuart Across the Atlantic’, Lunder Conservation Center: Conversations with Conservators, Smithsonian American Art Museum, 23 July, Washington, DC, USA (2013)
‘An evaluation of artists’ and conservation varnishes for acrylic emulsion paint films.’ ICOM-CC 16th Triennial Conference, 19-23 September, Lisbon, Portugal (2011)
‘Frederick Pickersgill’s Samson Betrayed: A Conversation with Paintings Conservation’. Manchester Art Galleries, 24 June, Manchester, UK (2003).
‘A Preliminary Study of the Tensile Properties of a Degraded Natural Linen Canvas with a View Towards Determining a Lining Programme’. The 16th Gerry Hedley Student Symposium, 29 May, Queens College, Cambridge (Hamilton Kerr Institute), UK (1998).