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The History of Art Conservation as a scientific discipline
Conservation of art is a multi-disciplinary study incorporating fine art, chemistry and scientific techniques. It has has only emerged as a discipline in the last century alongside developments in science. Prior to this scientific revolution, conservation of art was considered to be a craft and the focus was placed on cleaning and repairing rather than looking into scientific methods to conserve artwork.

The discipline of art conservation and philosophies around its intentions come to the fore towards the end of the late eighteenth and nineteenth century. During this time, there was a change of emphasis, looking beyond the mere physical rectification of the artwork or artefact to the material history and future value of its cultural heritage.

One of the first notable conservation theorists is John Ruskin. In his 1849 book 'The Seven Lamps of Architecture', Ruskin argued against repairing and rebuilding old gothic buildings, introducing the idea of 'trusteeship'. His views countered contemporaneous Architect Eugene Viollet-le-Duc's belief that these buildings should be kept in as best conditions as possible. Both men presented contrary views to conservation.

Harold Plenderleith, in his 1998 journal article 'A History of Conservation', attributed the origin of scientific conservation to post First World War Britain. Historical artefacts from the British Museum, which were temporarily held in the London Underground system, showed signs of serious damage. The scale of the subsequent operation to restore and preserve these artefacts was unlike any previous restoration project and, for the first time, was assisted by the Department of Scientific and Industrial Research. An emergency laboratory was set up under the instruction of Alexander Scott. This laboratory was officially incorporated as a Department of the Museum in 1931.

By this stage, more sophisticated scientific equipment and examination techniques were being used as a means to study artwork and artefacts. One such example is X-radiography, a technique used to examine the composition and condition of paintings and various objects. X radiography was championed by Edward W. Forbes, an art historian and director of the Fogg Art Museum between 1909 and 1944.

By 1950, the science of art conservation developed further by the founding of the International Institute for the Conservation of Museum Objects (renamed in 1959 as the International Institute for Conservation of Historic and Artistic Works).