Conservation departments
Conservator cleaning the Crewe Britannia monument
Sculpture is one of the few kinds of visual art that is often displayed outside. Public monuments, war memorials and architectural decorations all exist outside the protective environment of the museum. This can place such pieces in often harmful situations. Even works that are kept inside can become damaged or dirty over the years.
Some of the threats faced by sculptures include:
The sculpture conservation department is one of the most technically advanced in the country. It leads the way in the use of lasers to clean, record and replicate sculptures. Lasers can remove even the thinnest layer of dirt from delicate sculptures without damaging their surface. Lasers can also be used to scan works. This data is then used to produce highly accurate replicas. Such replicas can then replace original works that are threatened by weathering, pollution or other damage.
Roman relief from the Ince Blundell collection before cleaning
Roman relief from the Ince Blundell collection after cleaning
National Museums Liverpool has a large and varied sculpture collection. This ranges from ancient Egyptian and Greek pieces through to modernist works by artists such as Henry Moore and Jacob Epstein. One of the largest groups is the Ince Blundell collection of classical sculptures.
The sculpture conservation studio has excellent facilities, including large floor space, cranage, lots of storage space and a range of analytical and diagnostic equipment. This means we are able to work on a wide variety of pieces, from small decorative sculptures to large public monuments.
Besides caring for works of art, the department also runs courses on laser cleaning and scanning and participates in various public events at the National Conservation Centre.
The sculpture conservation and laser technology sections carry out a wide range of work for third parties, under the name Conservation Technologies. Find out more about what they do on the Conservation Technologies web pages.