In the paintings conservation lab, we have been working away steadily on the varnish removal of Poedua. Every now-and-then we come across a painting where this stage of the treatment is relatively easy, where a simple organic solvent solution is effective in removing the varnish without any effect to anyRead more
Now that the painting has had its layer of surface dirt removed, the next step in the treatment is the removal of the varnish layer. A lot of the principles that we talked about with surface cleaning, also apply to the removal of varnish layers. Therefore, prior to beginning it’s importantRead more
In our last post we discussed the process of testing to identify the most appropriate cleaning solution to remove the surface dirt layer from the painting. After finding the best cleaning solution for the painting the surface cleaning can begin, but we always carefully monitor our progress to ensure thatRead more
Now that we have cleaned the back of the canvas we can look at surface cleaning the front of the painting. This is a separate procedure from the removal of varnish and overpaints and is completed first because surface dirt is the first layer encountered. The reason we remove the dirt layerRead more
Before the closing of the Brian Brake: Lens on the World exhibition on Sunday 8th May, I thought it might be nice to share a few images of Brian’s work in Fiji and Tonga during the Royal visit of Queen Elizabeth and Prince Phillip from 1953 to 1954. Although theseRead more
After completing our technical examination of the painting, taking lots of pre-treatment photographs and writing the condition report, we write a treatment proposal for the painting. We consider the current condition of the painting and what we would like to achieve with different treatments. Our proposal is discussed with theRead more
Poedua is an oil painting on stretched canvas, meaning the composition is painted on a fabric support which is stretched to keep it evenly tensioned, over an expandable wooden stretcher. Canvas supports began to replace traditional wooden panel supports from about the 16th century and were the most commonly used typeRead more
Welcome to the first blog to keep you up-to-date with the conservation treatment of John Webber’s portrait of Poedua. Katherine Campbell and I, the two paintings conservators here at Te Papa, will aim to post fortnightly on the progress of our work, offering you insight into what happens to aRead more
2011 Māori and Pacific Textile Symposium The beating of aute, or tapa, is a heartbeat that resounds across the ocean of Kiwa. The harakeke of Aotearoa, symbolising family, acknowledges the relationship of the Pacific people as one, through weaving. These genealogical and material connections will be explored at the inauguralRead more
Since 2009, Roger Rasmussen, alongside his role as a Te Papa host, has vounteered to re-house, measure and photograph a collection of to’i ma’a (stone adze) from Sāmoa which were gifted to the museum by Rhys Richards in 1991. Because of Roger’s important work, the images of the collection are nowRead more
The blessing for the painting of Poedua (Poetua), a princess from the Society Islands, by John Webber (1751-1793) was a much needed bright spot at Te Papa last week – a week when New Zealand reeled from news of the Pike River mining disaster. This remarkable painting, recently purchased by Te Papa,Read more
Does the plant in the above photo look familiar? That’s probably because the tree in the photo is in the same genus—Sophora—as the kōwhai. There are about 45 species of Sophora worldwide, including the toromiro tree from Rapa Nui (Easter Island) shown above. There are eight different species of SophoraRead more
This striking work, Look Within 2 (2007) by Papua New Guinea artist Daniel Waswas is the latest addition to Te Papa’s collection of contemporary Pacific artworks. It depicts four images of the same person, conveying a message of self reflection and addressing the idea of identity from within one’s ownRead more
Paperskin – the art of tapa cloth is closing this weekend, on Sunday 12 September. If you haven’t been to see these amazing tapa works, now is the time to come into Te Papa. It will also be your last chance for some time to see the 22 metre Tongan ngatu (tapa), made inRead more
Music and museum exhibitions haven’t always gone together – all part of the old idea that a museum should be a solemn and silent place. Today, sound compositions in exhibitions are being used as part of the visitor experience. They offer a different way to approach the things on display – oneRead more
