Denver Art Museum Blogs

Frank Mechau’s Rodeo #1

Learn about the Colorado artist's 1934 painting.

Rodeo #1 de Frank Mechau

El pintor y muralista de Colorado Frank Mechau (1904-1946) fue un impulsor del Oeste norteamericano como tema para el arte moderno en el país.

Vida y Arte—Denver Art Museum Podcast

The Vida y Arte podcast brings the art of the Americas to the forefront and shows you why it matters now.

Conserving a Ming Dynasty Map Made in Japan (Video & Photos)

This article tells the story of how the Denver Art Museum conserved this map. To learn more about the map itself read this article. No longer on view.

History, Artistry & Science

Traditional conservation embodies what I like to refer to as the “holy trinity” of disciplines: history, artistic competency, and science. The marriage of these three areas make conservation stand apart from restoration—or simply making something look good or better.

Details of the Conservation of The Virgin of Valvanera

These videos tell the story of how curators, conservators, and educators worked to conserve The Virgin of Valvanera (on view in Revealing a Mexican Masterpiece: The Virgin of Valvanera), a painting created in the 1700s.

The Virgin of Valvanera: Varnish

Artists have used varnishes to coat their paintings since the 1400s—some claim as early as the eleventh century. Varnishes serve to saturate the paint colors, provide some degree of protection for the paint surface, and to impart an even surface sheen. Some artists have used varnishes as an aesthetic medium, mixing resins into wet paint to create rich translucency or selectively applying them to juxtapose areas of matte and gloss.

Conservation & Varnish

The Virgin of Valvanera: Examination In-Depth

For a painting that is over 300 years old, The Virgin of Valvanera is in remarkably good condition. One would fully expect that a painting of this age has undergone several attempts at restoration (by both skilled and amateur hands). Contrary to what is usually the case, this painting has not incurred major structural damage in the form of tears or losses, has never been lined (i.e. attached to a secondary canvas or solid support material), and has not been severely over-cleaned or extensively repainted.

A Research Trip to Mexico City (Video)

As part of the research for the conservation treatment of the painting The Virgin of Valvanera, attributed to Cristóbal de Villalpando, a team from the Denver Art Museum traveled to Mexico City in March, 2017. There, the team was fortunate to visit several sites and meet with specialists on Mexican painting of the baroque period.

Conserving The Virgin of Valvanera–Overview of the Process

Art conservation is a field that encompasses a breadth of expertise. As we roll up our sleeves in anticipation of improvements and potential discoveries, a plan that will provide optimum preservation is essential.

Conserving a Painting from the 1700s: The Virgin of Valvanera

Entering its seventh year, the Bank of America Art Conservation Project has funded more than 100 projects in 29 countries, on six continents. In 2016, the Denver Art Museum was among 21 institutions to receive one of these prestigious grants. As a result of this generous support, the conservation and New World curatorial departments will be able to undertake the full scope of historical and technical research as well as the conservation treatment of a very important painting from the museum's Spanish Colonial collection.

Conserving the Denver Art Museum's Cow and Calf Re-Patination and Waxing

You may have recently seen Scottish Angus Cow and Calf—the larger-than-life bronze sculptures by artist Dan Ostermiller—getting their annual summer bath. Above and beyond their cleaning with a specialized mild detergent, the Cow and Calf sculptures needed other treatments, including re-patination and waxing, due to the constant physical interaction they receive from the public.

The Conservation of Linda's Modern Materials

The highly realistic sculpture Linda by Colorado artist John DeAndrea has been a visitor favorite at the Denver Art Museum since it became a part of the collection in 1984. Linda is also an important work of contemporary art in which DeAndrea made innovative use of a material that was fairly new to art at the time: plastic. This is why Linda is of such interest to us in the museum’s conservation department. This is a material that has not yet stood the test of time, and we watch Linda carefully to understand how the plastic is aging.