MEET BARBARA RAMSAY

THE RINGLING’S NEW CONSERVATOR

Barbara A. Ramsay, The Ringling’s new Chief Conservator brings almost four decades of experience in art conservation with a focus on managing, directing, and carrying out complex conservation treatments on easel paintings, murals, historic painted finishes, and modern objects. Her experience includes fifteen years as Director of Conservation Services at ARTEX Fine Art Services – the largest private fine art services firm in the United States – and eighteen years as a conservator of paintings at the National Gallery of Canada, five of those years as Senior Conservator of Fine Art. She holds a Master of Art Conservation degree in paintings and paper from Queen’s University of Kingston, Canada, and a Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Toronto. She is a professional associate of the American Institute for Conservation, a board-accredited member of the Canadian Association of Professional Conservators, and a Fellow of the International Institute for Conservation of Historic & Artistic Works.

Ramsay’s work will include the examination and treatment of paintings, as well as care of the wide range of objects in the collection. Preventative conservation as well as restoration treatment will be important aspects of her responsibilities as chief conservator. The extraordinary museum collection, the state-of-the-art conservation laboratory, and the institutional support for an active conservation program at The Ringling intrigued her and influenced her decision to accept the position. She hopes to build a team of conservators to oversee the museum’s extensive permanent collection, which includes not only the museum of art but also Ca’d’Zan, the Historic Asolo Theater, and a unique collection of circus objects.

She shared with us some of the important aspects of museum conservation.

The Science Of Art

The Importance Of Conservation

Barbara A. Ramsay, Chief Conservator

Museums have the privilege and responsibility of acquiring, housing, preserving, and making accessible a broad range of cultural objects—from ancient manuscripts to modern sculpture, from Old Master paintings to contemporary electronic installations, and everything in between. Each object has been created using particular materials and technologies, resulting in inherent frailties and sensitivities that can accelerate its deterioration, alter its meaning, or lead to total loss.

Preservation or conservation of these objects relies on the adoption of best practices by all staff within the Museum, with a focus on preventative care, safe housing, and proper use and handling. It also depends on the expertise of art conservators who possess the specialized skills and knowledge that enable them to identify and mitigate potential risks to objects, or propose and carry out appropriate conservation treatments tailored to the specific needs of each object.

Systematic examination by the conservator is often augmented by scientific analysis that can assist in identifying the materials and construction of objects, thereby helping to assess their physical condition as well as the nature and causes of deterioration or damage. Conservation research provides the necessary evaluation of materials that conservators can employ to conserve or restore Museum objects safely.

The scientific approach to conservation must also be balanced by a humanistic or aesthetic approach to treatment decisions, taking into consideration the historical, art historical, or cultural context, style, and appearance—applying artistic sensibility and connoisseurship to the examination and treatment of cultural objects. Collaboration among conservators, art historians, and conservation scientists engenders an interdisciplinary approach that benefits not only the work done by these professionals but ultimately the state of the cultural objects themselves.

The blending of art and science has led to the development of art conservation as an essential Museum function that not only guarantees respect for the integrity of the original object but also helps to ensure the preservation of collections for generations to come.

1936) was descended from a French family of traveling performers. From 1900 to 1906, Frans De Vos was the director of a small traveling circus himself. Considered one of the most outstanding scene designers and circus facades painters, Frans De Vos worked primarily in Balegem, Belgium, where he painted the façade for Circus Demuynck as well as other murals and an altar painting in the town.