WORKING WITH US
Conserving a painting is a rather complicated undertaking, requiring
considerable skill on the part of the conservator and great trust on the
part of the owner. Understandably, most owners want to learn about the
process of conservation and what it means for their treasured artworks.
For this reason, we approach the whole process in a series of steps that
allow our potential clients to become well informed before they permit
us to begin conservation treatment of their paintings.
Step 1: Getting started. For most people, the first step in working
with Page Conservation is a phone call to our office (202-387-2979). We
are usually able to answer the phone personally on weekdays between the
hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Eastern time. At other times, a voicemail system
is likely to answer. When you call,
we will be more than happy to answer any questions you have about working
with us or about conservation generally. To some extent, we can also address
specific questions about your painted artwork(s). However, since every
artwork is unique, there is a limit to what we can tell you over the phone.
Step 2: Preliminary examination. The next step in the process,
then, is to meet for a preliminary examination of your painting. Whenever
possible, the examination should be done at our studio, where all of our
equipment and materials are readily available. Preliminary examinations
conducted at our studio are normally free of charge or obligation. If
possible, you should be present, so that we can discuss the painting's
needs with you firsthand. In some cases, it is not possible or practical
to examine an artwork at the studio. Murals are an obvious example, and
many easel paintings and polychromed sculptures are too large or heavy
to move without professional assistance. We are happy to examine such
artworks in situ, but we may need to invoice you for travel time,
labor, and/or equipment costs (e.g., scaffolding). If we anticipate that
this will be the case, we will give you an estimate of costs in advance.
During a preliminary examination, we are usually able to identify most
of a painting's needs and offer an rough estimate of conservation treatment
costs. It is then up to you to decide whether to go on to the next step
in the process.
Step 3: Detailed examination, report, and recommended treatment.
If, after hearing the results of the preliminary examination, you are
interested in going further, then the next step is usually a detailed
examination of the artwork. This is normally done either at our studio
or in situ. Examinations done at the studio are generally completed
within two weeks or so. For in situ examinations, we may need additional
time and may need to set up ladders or scaffolding to gain access to the
artwork.
When an artwork is to remain at our studio for examination or treatment,
we will give you a receipt for it. At that time, we will also ask you
to declare a value, so that the artwork can be insured against ordinary
hazards (fire, theft, etc.) while on our premises. Most owners elect to
have us provide insurance at a nominal cost under the studio policy. On
rare occasion, it is possible to arrange insurance under an owner's fine
arts policy. However, we require that Page Conservation, Inc. be named
as co-insured or that it be issued a waiver of subrogation.
Upon completing a detailed examination of your artwork, we will write
a detailed, narrative-style Report of Examination with a step-by-step
Recommended Treatment and an exact, itemized Cost of Treatment. (Occasionally,
when circumstances warrant, we may offer two or three different treatment
options, each with its own itemized cost.) We then send this document
to you, along with two copies of a contract. You should read the report
carefully and contact us if you have any questions. For most easel paintings,
there is no separate charge for the examination and report if you subsequently
authorize conservation treatment. If, however, you elect not to authorize
treatment, you will be invoiced a modest report fee. The fee may
later be applied toward conservation treatment of the painting, but only
if treatment is authorized within one year of the date on the report.
For some artworks, especially those requiring in situ examination, we
may incur substantial costs during the detailed examination process. If
this is the case, we will tell you in advance what you will be invoiced
for this stage of the work.
Step 4: Treatment. If, after receiving our written materials,
you would like to authorize conservation treatment, you simply execute
one copy of the contract and return it to us with your deposit (generally
50% of the labor cost). Upon receiving these materials, we schedule
the work. We are very sensitive to our clients' desired completion schedules
and do our best to arrange our workload to accommodate them. Requests
to view a painting during treatment are also honored whenever possible.
The amount of time necessary to complete a treatment depends on several
factors, including: the amount of labor involved; the availability of
conservators with the appropriate skills to perform the treatment; the
amount of time required to manufacture or obtain any custom-made materials
that may be required (e.g., a new stretcher); and the overall studio workload
at the time. Sometimes conservation treatment may take longer than anticipated.
This may be the result of discoveries made during treatment, such
as old damages that were not visible during our detailed examination.
On rare occasion, unexpected discoveries may require us to rethink our
treatment approach and consult with you before proceeding.
Step 5: Completion. When treatment has been completed on your
artwork, we will notify you immediately and attempt to arrange a time
for you to view and approve our work. In most cases, we will ask that
you pay the balance due upon approval.
A note about transporting paintings. In many cases, owners are
able transport their artworks to our studio in their own vehicles. The
safest method for doing this is usually to place the artwork flat, face
up, in the trunk of a sedan or on the cargo deck of a van or SUV. To prevent
sliding while the vehicle is in motion, position the painting toward the
front of the cargo area, carefully blocking it in place with other objects
if necessary. It is usually a good idea to leave the painting in its frame
(if any), unless the frame's size or weight poses problems.
Another method of transporting the paintings to our studio is to utilize
the services of a company which specializes in the handling, packing,
and transport of artwork. We will suggest appropriate companies upon request.
Unless your artwork has been professionally crated by one of these art
handling companies, we strongly recommend that you not utilize
the services of ordinary moving companies, common carriers, the Postal
Service, or package delivery services. Painted artworks can be seriously
damaged in transit by carriers who are not set up or qualified to transport
delicate items. Seriously deteriorating artworks pose special transport
problems because so much damage can occur in transit. We have seen paintings
that have lost as much as half of their remaining paint while being shipped.
If you think that flaking or other serious conditions may pose packing
or transport problems for your artwork, please consult us beforehand.
What about frames? If you have a frame that you intend to continue
using with a painting, we normally prefer to have it available when the
painting is being examined and treated. This allows us to ensure that
the painting and frame will mate properly after treatment, and to properly
and securely mount the painting in the frame before it leaves our care.
On the other hand, if a frame is damaged or deteriorating, we may recommend
that it be evaluated by a frame conservator. (Page Conservation performs
only minor work on frames.) If you wish, we will gladly suggest qualified
frame conservators and/or help coordinate frame examination and treatment.
When possible, we will endeavor to coordinate our work so that both painting
and frame are ready at about the same time.
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