Context of the project

MS 230 iii Fragment historically significant as
an early example of artist signature in lower
right medallion 'W. de Brailes me fecit'

© The Fitzwilliam Museum

About the collection

The Fitzwilliam Museum holds one of the largest and most important collections of fragments from medieval manuscripts in existence. It compromises 500 leaves, full page miniatures and cuttings dating from the 11th through the 16th century CE, and covers a geographical area stretching from Jerusalem to England and from Italy to the Netherlands. They represent devotional, lithurgical, scientific, and literary texts, and works by leading medieval and Renaissance artists. The material includes private collections formed in the 19th century as examples of 'lost art' (i.e. medieval painting).


An initial survey of the collection established that about half the collection need treatment, with 91 selected as requiring 'sustained interventive conservation'. During the project a more extensive survey will be carried out on the selected fragments followed by -as needed- conservation treatment of the parchment, and pigment consolidation. Full rehousing such as re-mounting and re-boxing will follow conservation to ensure the continued protection of the delicate fragments.




Intern's role

The degradation of illuminated medieval manuscripts, caused by time, handling, and environmental changes, is a serious conservation problem. The complexities of treating pigmented surfaces on parchment substrates is complex and delicate precision work, requiring absolute attention to detail under high magnification. The interventive conservation of manuscript fragments forms the central component of my internship. Under the supervision of the Conservator of Manuscripts and Printed Books (Assistant Keeper) I will be encouraged to take initiative and responsibility for the conservation of individual objects while developing and enhancing my skills in the consolidation of pigments and in repair of damaged substrates. Remounting and re-housing will follow conservation of the objects. To ensure the best standard of treatment, my work will be informed by collaboration from art and manuscript scholars and conservation scientists to ensure the successful and sympathetic conservation of pigments, binders, and their supports.

MS 2-2005.13 fragment in need of pigment consolidation
 and remounting © The Fitzwilliam Museum

This work will contribute to on-going projects in the Department of Manuscripts and Printed Books. Conservation of these fragments will prepare them for display in the Museum's bicentenary exhibition in 2016, and the work will contribute to the research project MINIARE (www.miniare.org), which focuses on the non-invasive pigment analysis of illuminated manuscripts and involves collaboration with scientists, art historians and conservators in Cambridge as well as academic and art institutions nationally and internationally.

The next post about the progress of the survey will post on Friday the 25th of October.


This post was based on the NMCT grant description and the internship application description on Kristine Rose's blog.