A fresh look: technical analysis and treatment of Picasso's Science and Charity at the Museu Picasso

Abstract

The condition of the Picasso’s Science and Charity has always been a matter of concern for the Conservation Department at the Museu Picasso in Barcelona. In the last few years, several historical and technical lines of research (based on vintage photographs and physicochemical studies) have increased the understanding of the painting’s materials and how they have responded to the different environments since the painting was created. In 2017, a campaign was launched to consolidate flaking paint, remove traces of animal glue, and correct colour retouching from previous inpainting campaigns and filling issues from previous treatments from 1970. The new treatment was successful, with cracks and cuppings being stabilized. The treatment heavily relied on high-resolution, multi-band images, as well as research from a previous study published in 2010. Infrared reflectography and colorimetry provided new information and corroborated a new vision of the creative process that had previously only been based on micro-analyses of samples. Science and Charity provides a relevant case study as the painting suffers from many degradation problems that are found in other Picasso paintings restored in the same period.