So you wanna be a painting conservator?

D’you know the difference between a roller and a brush? Or Cubism from Bauhaus? If so, you might be considering a career as a painting conservator.

Life in a dusty garrett
Not all artists are tortured, and not all of them want to pass their lives in penury, hoping to be discovered. If you’re artistically inclined, with an interest in conserving, this could be the life for you.

Sorry sights and putting them right
Painting conservators are responsible for the preservation, and future stabilisation, of works of art, which are highly susceptible to all manner of horrible afflictions. Damp, fungus, insects, heat-damage, cracks, warps, stains, to name but a few.

Fixing the fittings
Painting conservators are art doctors: diagnosing and prescribing the remedies required for each individual painting they deal with. This requires a range of skills, both scientific and artistic. (For an in-depth look, read Encyclopaedia Britannica’s excellent ‘art and conservation’ article. (See Links for website address).

Where’s me palette?
Remember - a career as a conservator:

• is extremely competitive and comparatively poorly-paid
• involves long hours and short contracts
• requires an encyclopaedic knowledge of art history.

That’s me, that is!
OK, then you really need to think about getting yourself some qualifications.

Show us your certificates
Unfortunately, this is one of those careers where a degree or HND is a pre-requisite. For a full range of the options and qualifications required, see Links.

Future perfect
As long as there are paintings, painting conservators will get work. But unless you’re lucky enough to gain a position in one of Britain’s major museums, galleries, or art houses, you can expect to be moving from contract to contract around the smaller galleries and auction houses.

Wanna work in a museum?