TEFAF Talks presented by Apollo
The Museum as a Collection of Collections
Discover the stories—and personalities—behind private collections in three international museums
Saturday, March 11th
4PM – 5PM CET
What happens to artworks that were once in the possession of private collectors after they enter public institutions? While museums that are named after a single benefactor seem to require little explanation—the Frick Collection in New York or the Wallace Collection in London—encyclopedic museums such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art or the Louvre can be regarded as a “collection of collections,” offering a home to works collected by private individuals in various ways.
In this talk, Guillaume Kientz, director of The Hispanic Society of America, Katherine C. Luber, director of the Minneapolis Institute of Art, and Per Hedström, head of exhibitions at the Nationalmuseum Sweden, explore the private collections that are now in their care, the differing ways this came to be, and discuss if it is possible, or even desirable, to convey not only the story of the collected works, but also the personality of their respective collectors.
TEFAF Talks are interactive panel discussions exploring today’s most fascinating topics in the worlds of art, antiques, and design. Paired with leading content partners, these talks showcase the knowledge of leading experts in the broader TEFAF community. This talk is presented in partnership with Apollo Magazine and moderated by Fatema Ahmed, deputy editor of Apollo Magazine.
Panellists:
Per Hedström, Director of Exhibitions, Nationalmuseum Sweden
Guillaume Kientz, Director, Hispanic Society Museum & Library
Katherine Crawford Luber, The Nivin & Duncan MacMillan Director & President, Minneapolis Institute of Art
Moderator:
Fatema Ahmed, Deputy Editor, Apollo Magazine
TEFAF Talks presented by ICOM-CC powered by AON
Conversations on Conservation with KMSKA
Unique challenges in restoring a 400-year-old painting by Michaelina Wautier
Sunday, March 12th
10AM – 11AM CET
As a recipient of the 2023 TEFAF Museum Restoration Fund, The Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA) will be restoring a key work from their collection: Two Girls as Saint Agnes and Dorothea (c. 1650) by Flemish Baroque painter Michaelina Wautier (1604–1689), who occupies an exceptional place in art history. While it was a difficult undertaking for women to become artists, for those that succeeded it was conventional to concentrate on a specific genre deemed appropriate, such as flower and food, still lifes or portraits. Wautier broke with conventions as an unmarried woman, painting—and excelling—across genres, even those usually reserved for her male counterparts, such as genre paintings and large-scale history paintings.
In this talk, the KMSKA will discuss and debate the upcoming restoration of their painting by Wautier as they prepare their approach for this almost 400-year-old artwork. While past treatments have ensured that the painting has survived until today, the selection of materials used may not always have been conducive to the longevity of the artwork or may have irrevocably altered the appearance of the image. The challenge for the modern conservator is, can these past treatments be reversed? Can we accept the condition and appearance of the painting as it is seen today? Do past treatments impact the choices the modern-day conservator makes in terms of material selection or application?
TEFAF Talks are interactive panel discussions exploring today’s most fascinating topics in the worlds of art, antiques, and design. Paired with leading content partners, these talks showcase the knowledge of leading experts in the broader TEFAF community. This talk is presented in partnership with ICOM-CC and powered by Aon.
Panellists:
Gwen Borms, Head of the Conservation Studio, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA)
Natalia Gustavson, Freelance Paintings Conservator, Lecturer at the University of Amsterdam
Carmen Willems, General Director, Royal Museum of Fine Arts Antwerp (KMSKA)
Moderator:
Kate Seymour, Chair, ICOM-CC
