FrançaisCICRP – Centre Interrégional de Conservation et Restauration du Patrimoine
[CICRP - Interregional Centre for Heritage Conservation and Restoration]
Project Picasso Ripolin
with the Art Institute of Chicago
Ripolin document, (Photo : Emilie Hubert)
The "Ripolin Project" is an initiative spearheaded by the Art Institute of Chicago, the topic of research concerning the industrial paints used by Picasso before 1950. The AIC expressed the wish to work in collaboration with the CICRP in order to investigate works of art of this kind present both in France and in Europe.
The Ripolin project focuses on the development of a scientific assessment protocol, to enable conservators, curators, and scientists the unambiguous identification of Ripolin house paints in Picasso's works of art. The behaviour of the "industrial" paints is quite unique however, their composition shares many similarities with artists' paints, thus making the distinction of the two types of paints very challenging.
In order to make some headway into this project and considering that the long-term behaviour of these materials is presently not well known and may pose some conservation concerns, the AIC and the CICRP have established a partnership. It is based upon a multidisciplinary approach, which implies collection surveys, a step-by-step analytical protocol, and analysis of both industrial and other paints sampled from Picasso's work, along with an ancillary library research.
Ripolin Color Chart, (Photo : Emilie Hubert)
Some artists contemporary to Picasso (such as Picabia, Le Corbusier, Kandinsky and others) may be a great source of interest for this project since materials used by these artists could be of the same nature and therefore, could be included in this project.
The AIC-CICRP partnership on this project is intended to contribute to the knowledge of the conservation science and art-historians' community. The outcome of this research will be the subject of publications and an international seminar will be jointly organised (See the website of this event : www.fromcantocanvas.fr).
Page last updated on 2 August 2010.
CICRP – Centre Interrégional de Conservation et Restauration du Patrimoine
Groupement d'Intérêt Public à Caractère Culturel
21, rue Guibal, F-13003 Marseille FRANCE
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