Date of Award
9-2026
Access Control
Open Access
Degree Name
Conservation of Art and Cultural Heritage and Conservation Science and Imaging , M.A./M.S.
Department
Art Conservation Department
Advisor
Fiona Beckett, M.A.
Department Home page
https://artconservation.buffalostate.edu/
First Reader
Jiuan Jiuan Chen, C.A.S.
Second Reader
Rebecca Ploeger, Ph.D.
Third Reader
Glennis Rayermann, Ph.D.
Abstract
This project focuses on an oil on canvas painting from the Buffalo AKG Art Museum titled “Still Life” by French artist Antoine Vollon (ca. 1880). The painting was brought to the Garman Art Conservation Department for research, technical analysis, and treatment in the Fall of 2024, after the being deemed unfit for exhibition. Art historical research, a full technical study and a treatment of the painting were conducted. Imaging techniques to document the artwork and gain understanding of the artist’s materials and process included visible illumination, ultraviolet (UV)-induced visible fluorescence, UV reflectography, infrared (IR) reflectography, visible-induced IR luminescence, X-ray radiography, and multispectral imaging (MSI) were used. Further material analyses using scientific instrumentation were completed using the following methods: x-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (py-GC-MS), polarized light and optical microscopy, fiber optics reflectance spectroscopy (FORS), and scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS). This research and analysis helped to inform treatment decisions, and the project provided an opportunity to add to the knowledge of the materials used by Vollon. The palette was characteristic of 19th-century artists and included lead white, bone black, madder lake, yellow iron oxide, synthetic ultramarine, vermilion, Naples yellow, and other iron earth pigments. The treatment restored planarity to the canvas, reduced the disfiguring varnish layer, stabilized sharp edge cracks and visually reintegrated the areas of loss. The painting was successfully stabilized and returned to a suitable condition for exhibition.
Recommended Citation
Gold, Stephanie. 2026. From Kitchen to Canvas: Technical Study and Conservation Treatment of Antione Vollon’s Still Life. M.A./M.S. Master's Project, SUNY Buffalo State University, Buffalo, NY.
Archival Statement
This material is part of a digital archival collection. This item was created or digitized prior to April 24, 2026, or is a reproduction of physical media created before that date. It is preserved specifically for research, reference, or historical recordkeeping. In accordance with the ADA Title II regulations, Butler Library provides accessible versions of archival materials upon request for affiliated faculty, staff, and students. To request an accommodation for this item, please submit a remediation request form.
