A Deep Dive into the Conservation of 95 Old Master Prints at Royal Łazienki Museum

This report details the conservation of 95 old master prints from the Royal Łazienki Museum's collection, which illustrate Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The prints, some dating back to the 1780s and originating from Stanisław August's collection, underwent significant restoration due to damage from environmental conditions, wartime events, and repeated reframing. The process involved detailed analysis, mechanical cleaning, and chemical treatments to address various forms of deterioration.

The Royal Łazienki Museum presents a detailed account of the conservation efforts undertaken for a significant collection of 95 old master prints that illustrate Ovid’s Metamorphoses. These prints, with origins tracing back to the 1780s and forming part of Stanisław August's collection, were previously exhibited in the White Pavilion. Over centuries, they endured challenging environmental conditions, wartime relocations, and repeated reframing, leading to considerable deterioration. The conservation project meticulously addressed these issues, involving thorough analysis of the prints' state of preservation. The collection is broadly divided into three groups: 30 prints from the Stanisław August collection, 60 prints from the Jan Kanty Szembek collection, and 5 large _in folio_ prints also from Stanisław August. Each group presented unique conservation challenges, from complex multi-layered mountings and decorative borders in the first group to simpler mountings and occasional damage from poor-quality backings in the second. The large _in folio_ prints required careful separation of their 18th-century decorative borders. The conservation process involved a range of techniques, including mechanical cleaning, specialized treatments for stains and ink marks, bathing, deacidification, and pressing, often adapted to preserve specific elements like matrix imprints. Following the conservation, the museum decided to create exact facsimiles using authentic techniques and materials to replace the originals on exhibition, safeguarding the latter in optimal storage conditions.

This page details a conservation project and does not provide specific exhibition ticketing information. Visitors are directed to the museum's general admission and exhibition information for current displays.