“Kneeling Youth with a Shell,” 1923, bronze by George Minne (1866-1941)
The image of the kneeling youth was an often repeated one by sculptor George Minne. This particular bronze had clearly been displayed outdoors by a private collector before being acquired by the Harvard Art Museums. Years of outdoor exposure had resulted in unstable corrosion products as well as disfiguring drips on the object's surface. The goal of the conservation treatment was to remove the unstable corrosion and fill materials as well as improve the visual appearance of the sculpture so that it could be exhibited.
Images courtesy of the Straus Center for Conservation, Harvard Art Museums. Photographs by S. Balachandran.
Left image: The bronze showed corrosion and wear patterns from years of display outdoors
Center image: The fiberglass plugs that had been used to fill old losses in the bronze (see bright spots above the hip and on the thigh) were also discolored and failing.
Right image: The back was especially disfigured by uneven corrosion and drip marks.
Left image: Using walnut shell blasting, a minimally abrasive method, to remove corrosion products from the sculpture's surface.
Right image: The left leg shows the appearance of the bronze after walnut shell blasting and cleanign with solvents. The right leg has been inpainted with dry pigments in an acrylic resin medium and coated with a reversible, protective wax.
The sculpture after treatment. While it is impossible to remove all of the traces of corrosion on the object, careful cleaning, subtle toning and appropriate lighting can minimize the prior damage.