Throughout its history, the Gardner Museum has demonstrated a strong commitment to the conservation of its extraordinary collection. Beginning in the 1930s, the Gardner—along with the Museum of Fine Arts, the Fogg Art Museum, and the Worcester Art Museum—led the way in the research and treatment of works of art, laying the foundation for what was to become the field of modern art conservation. At the core of the principles established at that time is the notion that conservation treatments are best undertaken through careful research of the materials that make up a work of art, and a thorough understanding of its physical condition.
Foremost among the Gardner’s early conservators was George Stout, who established the Conservation Department in 1933 and was an early proponent of a more rigorous scientific approach to the treatment of works of art. Along with his colleagues, he conducted pioneering research into artists’ materials and the processes by which works of art degrade; in response, he devised innovative treatment methods. As Museum Director from 1955 to 1970, Stout strengthened the Museum’s commitment to preservation, a legacy that continues to the present day.
Over the last three decades, the Museum has carried out major initiatives, including the introduction of state-of-the-art climate control, which established a stable environment for the collection. The Museum continues to strive to upgrade lighting in order to improve the visibility of the collection while protecting it from excessive light. In addition to the treatment of individual works of art, conservators have also executed whole gallery projects restoring Gardner’s personal installations to their original splendor.