Masterclass The Dutch Method Unfolded

The Dutch Method Unfolded aims to help professionals in the fields of art history and conservation to understand the material and physical condition of wax-resin lined paintings. In doing so, the masterclass builds professional capacity that influences the future conservation and preservation of wax-resin lined paintings. The program specifically does not teach how to perform wax-resin lining. The masterclass stimulates a multidisciplinary approach and is intended for mid-career professionals in conservation including conservators, curators, collection managers, and art historians, who aim at developing knowledge in the history of wax-resin lining as well as in the impact of the technique on the material and physical characteristics of paintings.

Teaching methods include lectures, hands on activities and examination of historical paintings in collections of Dutch museum.

The selection of trainees (now closed) was done through an open call published in various on-line professional platforms. The plan is that the 2022 session of the masterclass (the initial date in June 2020 had to be delayed because of the Covid-19 pandemic) will serve as a pilot for biennial series of workshops to be held in 2023 and 2025.

The masterclass is a joint initiative of the University of Amsterdam with the following Dutch museums: Frans Hals Museum, Amsterdam Museum, Mauritshuis, Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Boymans van Beuningen Museum and Van Gogh Museum, in collaboration with the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (RCE) and the Stichting Restauratie Atelier Limburg (SRAL).

We created an interactive website in order to give access to visuals and documents related to the 2021 session. Note that some sections of the website are only accessible to the participants of the masterclass.

Courses in the MA Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Heritage

The Master's programme in Paintings conservation includes classes on conservation history. In the second semester of the first year, the subject taught regards the practice of wax-resin lining in the Netherlands. The programme includes lectures and practical lessons. The latter enables students to experience the technique by going through each step of the lining process using historically accurate materials and procedures. The goal is to develop practical understanding of the lining process and to support the identification of unwanted effects caused by past lining of paintings.