An overpainted black painting by Ad Reinhardt, written off by an insurance company and considered of little value, provided the opportunity to explore various experimental treatments, as well as the ethical issues involved. This collaboration between
the Guggenheim Museum and the Museum of Modern Art, New York, is an in-depth study of the materials of the painting and its restoration history. Traditional techniques for removal of the overpainted surface were tested and evaluated, as well as an experimental technique using lasers. Ethical issues, analysis, research protocol, and the results of the experimental treatments are discussed.
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