Services

Painting conservation today is a cooperative effort among of several disciplines. Conservators need to be part scientists, part scholars, and part artists with strong artisan skills.

We offer a full range of services in painting conservation. Paintings that are candidates for conservation will undergo an examination before any treatment is recommended. A visual condition assessment will determine the state of preservation of the painting and the extent and location of any damage. When required, specific analytical tools such as ultraviolet and infrared photography, radiography, and digital image processing are utilized as part of the assessment. Prior to treatment we provide the owner/custodian with a preliminary examination report for review and approval along with our recommendation of the proposed treatment, including expectable results and the estimated cost. During treatment we will advise the owner/custodian if any deviation from the agreed-upon proposal is necessary.

The success of our work depends largely on the understanding of the physical and chemical makeup of the work of art down to the microscopic level. We rely on an array of scientific equipment to analyze and understand the works of art in our care.

Analytical services and authentication studies

Biro Fine Art Restoration routinely handles some of the most demanding authentication and analytical projects through its network of professionals of excellence.

Peter Paul Biro has designed and built an important innovation in imaging and the analysis works of art.

The instrument is essentially a highly precise robotic platform capable of groundbreaking gigabit resolution in imaging across the spectrum from the ultraviolet to the mid-infrared. Non-destructive in situ elemental analysis capability is now under construction. The instrument is capable of handling a painting 9 feet by 6 feet (approx. 3 x 2 meters) in one pass while achieving positional accuracy to the pixel level with full imaging capability and software implementation. The images produced permit the examination of a work of art in its entirety or in microscopic detail simply by zooming on the image at selectable wavelengths.

The imaging platform permits the imaging of fingerprints in microscopic detail at any wavelength - far surpassing any current standard in forensic work. The ongoing further development of the instrument's payload with a international team will provide an unprecedented method of data gathering from imaging to elemental analyses in one pass. What took from weeks to months to accomplish before will soon be possible in under an hour.

Provenance research and curatorial services

Information on the provenance of a work of art is a key part of documentation and one of the important factors in attribution and appraisal. We provide provenance research services to both the institutional or the individual collector.

We can also assist you in the maintenance of your collection by regular inspection and by advising you in preventive care that is appropriate to the specific surroundings of your works of art.

Please visit our showcase, a selection of documentation of past research and restoration projects.