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By way of introduction to the second number
of the yearbook TECHNOLOGIA ARTIS allow me to give a few
facts on the situation under which the Archives of Historical
Art Technology came into existence. The chaotic changes
in the structure of the care for ancient monuments in
the eighties, implemented by non-specialists using direct
political pressure, were motivated, among others, by the
endeavour to reduce the sum-total of such monuments, their
exploitation through sale to foreigners or by politically
and economically motivated exhibitions and, as a consequence,
involving a threat to them or degradation as a result
of unqualified workshop restoration work by laymen. The
ill-devised law 20/87 on the Care for Ancient Monuments
was adjusted to these intentions.
Yet the very threat to the existence of this field had
its positive aspects: it welded together the restorers
and made them speak out against this ill-devised law on
the Care for Ancient Monuments and formulate clear professional
ethic principles, points of view and requirements of practical
work and, in co-operation with other experts, finally
formulate concrete legislative proposals for the protection
of the cultural heritage.
The consequence was the establishment of an Association
of Restorers with a membership of expert artists-restorers
within the Union of Artists. The members took part in
drawing up a new law on the Care for Ancient Monuments,
which is ready for discussion in the Government. They
further drew up a proposal for the setting up of
a Chamber of Restorers, which as a professional
association is to ensure the expert and qualified execution
of restoration care for the cultural heritage.
Apart from the endeavour to create legislative guarantees
for the protection of ancient monuments it is most important
that steps be taken to intensify the work of restoration
as a highly qualified profession. The first prerequisite
is the establishment of a specialized scientific
and technical work centre for the restoration of works
of art under the Academy of Fine Arts, best in co-operation
with the National Gallery; this is to help intensify the
training of students and acquainting them with the most
up-to-date methods of research. It is further to carry
out applied research given by the needs of practical work,
to test new technologies and materials and provide a service
for the daily work of restorers. This project prepared
by the School of Restoration of the Academy of Fine Arts
and the Association of Restorers has met with the approval
of the Ministers of Education and Culture, the National
Gallery and the State Institute for the Care of Ancient
Monuments.
A no less important step is the establishment of an Information
Centre in the field, which is to assemble and publish
the results of present-day scientific and technical data
and of concrete achievements in restoration in the Archives
of Historical Art Technology. The collaboration of the
Academy of Fine Arts, the National Gallery, the Association
of Restorers and the Institute for the History of Art
provides a prerequisite for the high quality function
of the field also in co-operation with institutes abroad.
The foundation of the Archives of Historical Art Technology
must be regarded as a basic step in broadening the
spread of information and the adequate presentation of
the work of the Czech School of Restoration, following
the far-seeing basis laid by Professor B. Slánský. Gratitude
should be expressed for the foundation of the Archives
of Historical Art Technology and the publication of its
two yearbooks to all members of the editorial board, to
contributors and participating institutions, and, in the
first place, to the tireless activity of the executive
editor Academic Painter Antonín Novák.
It is to be hoped that the initial difficulties associated
with the establishment of the Archives of Historical Art
Technology and the publication of the yearbook, and the
approval of the Chamber of Restorers, the guarantee of
the quality of restoration work through the issue of licences,
the adoption of legislative provisions for the protection
of ancient monuments by a new law
will soon be solved and that subsequently the collective
of restorers, art historians and experts in other participating
professions will be able to devote themselves with full
intensity, each in his own field, exclusively to specialist
work.
 author
Academic Painter Karel STRETTI, Professor of the School
of Restoration at the Academy of Fine Arts, Prague
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The Archives of Historical An Technology
are located in the building of the Library of the Academy
of Fine Arts, built according to the plans of architect
Professor Jan Koťera in 1914. The stock of books of the
Academy of Fine Arts goes back as far as the beginnings
of this institution, first the Academy of Drawing (Kreslířská
akademie), originally occupying premises in the Prague
Clementinum. The first record concerning the Library comes
from around 1838 – it is a list of literature dedicated
to the school library by the then Director of the Academy
František Tkadlík. The Library came gradually into being
with the support of the Society of Patriotic Friends of
the Arts.
After a transitional period when the Academy, along
with the Library, was moved to the School of Applied Art
(Uměleckoprůmyslová škola), built in Křižovnická street
in 1884 according to the project of Schmoranz and Machytka,
the nationalised Academy of Fine Arts (AVU) acquired a new
building at Letná, on the edge of Stromovka Park. It was
completed in 1903 according to the plan of architect Roštlapil.
The present interior of the Library, completed by Professor
Kotěra, has high quality internal furnishings combined
with a gallery reached by a winding staircase.
It is maintained in its original state as a monument
to its period.
author
PhDr Vojtěch Krob
The Council of the AHVT (Archives of Historical Art Technology)
expresses its thanks to all institutions which welcomed
the programme of our yearbook and expressed support for
our aims:
The International Institute for Conservation of
Historie and Artistic Works, London, and its
regional groups,
European University Center for the Cultural Heritage,
Ravello, Doerner-Institut, München,
Centraal Laboratorium van Kunst en Wetenschap,
Amsterdam,
Bundesdenkmalamt, Restaurier - Werkstätten,
Wien,
The Getty Conservation Institute, California,
Ministere de la Culture de la République Française,
Paris, ICOM - Conseil International des Musées,
Paris
and many others, in particular various galleries, museums,
universities and art academies. We would also like to
thank individual friends all over Europe and on the continent
of America for the promotion of our project. We fully
hope that the idea of international cooperation in our
field - an imprint of thought on material -will be reflected
in the near future in the form of the publication and
the appearance of this periodical and that it will stimulate
many others to study those aspects of art which usually
remain outside the framework of normal conservation attention.
Council of the AHVT
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