During recent years, classical theory has faced increased criticism from a number of perspectives. This title brings together contemporary concepts in conservation theory, presenting a structured, coherent analysis of the subject.

Classical theories of conservation are well known in the heritage community, but in the last two decades thinking has shifted, and classical theory has faced increasing criticism. Contemporary Theory of Conservation brings together current ideas in conservation theory, presenting a structured, coherent analysis of the subject for the first time. This engaging and readable text is split into 3 parts. The first, Fundamentals of conservation, addresses the identity of conservation itself, and problems arising when classical conservation theories are applied. The second part, Questioning classical theories, delves deeper into the criticism of classical ideas such as reversibility. This leads on to the creation of new paradigms such as sustainability, which are covered in the final part of the book, Conservation ethics.

In 2003, Salvador Muñoz Viñas published 'Teoría contemporánea de la Restauración'. Two years later, he wrote 'Contemporary Theory of Conservation', a different, revised version of the first work. In these books, the philosophy of conservation was analyzed, and, building from different authors and sources, an alternative approach was outlined.0Since 2005, the author has continued working on this topic, revising the ideas presented in these books, and developing new ones. Many of these ideas were presented in papers or in lectures. 'On Theoretical and Ethical Principles of Conservation' gathers together fifteen of these contributions.0While the papers and lectures included in this volume were not conceived as part of a whole, a coherent line of thinking can be easily detected: in all of them, the core notions of conservation ethics are discussed and analyzed. In different ways, they all aim at showing that, simply put, the so-called "principles of conservation" are not what they may seem at first sight. Heritage conservation is a well-established activity in many societies -- an activity that does work, and that serves its purposes in an overly successful way; however, the reflections presented in this volume suggest that conservation might benefit from a different, less traditional interpretation of some of its ethical and theoretical tenets.

'Conservation: Principles, Dilemmas, and Uncomfortable Truths' presents multi-perspective critical analyses of the ethics and principles that guide the conservation of works of art and design, archaeological artefacts, buildings, monuments, and heritage sites on behalf of society. Contributors from the fields of philosophy, sociology, history, art and design history, museology, conservation, architecture, and planning and public policy address a wide range of conservation principles, practices, and theories from the US, Canada, Europe, Australia and New Zealand, encouraging the reader to make comparisons across subjects and disciplines. By wrestling with and offering ways of disentangling the ethical dilemmas confronting those who maintain and sustain cultural heritage for today and tomorrow, 'Conservation: Principles, Dilemmas, and Uncomfortable Truths' provides an essential reference text for conservation professionals, museum and heritage professionals, art and cultural historians, lecturers and students, and all others invested in cultural heritage theories and practices. Alison Richmond, as a Senior Conservator in the Victoria and Albert Museum and Deputy Head of the Conservation Department at the Royal College of Art, maintains teaching and research roles in conservation theory, principles and ethics, and has developed decision-making tools for conservators. She is an Accredited Conservator-Restorer (ACR), a Fellow of the International Institute for Conservation (FIIC), and a Trustee of the UK’s Institute of Conservation (Icon) since 2005. Alison Bracker received her PhD in the History of Art from the University of Leeds, and manages the Events & Lectures programme at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. As co-founder of Bracker Fiske Consultants, she advises on the presentation, description, documentation, and care of artworks comprising modern media, and lectures and publishes widely on the theoretical and practical issues arising from the conservation of non-traditional and impermanent materials in contemporary works of art.

This book provides an introductory text for students in built environment disciplines, as well as those who manage or own historic properties, and those embarking upon architectural conservation professionally. It is designed to give an understanding of the main principles, materials and problems in the field of conservation and it features a number of case studies.

Situates the study of Roman sculpture within the fields of art history, classical archaeology, and Roman studies, presenting technical, scientific, literary, and theoretical approaches.

This volume represents a forum for conservators, conservation scientists, artists and heritage managers. It includes the voices of many of the different partners involved in the complex task of preserving artworks: • The vital experience of artists who create murals and are sometimes asked to treat their creations; • Theoretical reflections on how to deal methodologically with conservation; • Scientific studies on the identification of constituent materials and/or on the development of procedures for their preservation; • The opinion of cultural managers; • The specific experiences of conservators. All of the above must have a voice in the difficult task of preserving such a challenging and changing heritage. Este volumen se plantea como un foro de encuentro entre conservadores restauradores, científicos, artistas y gestores del patrimonio. En él se incluye el trabajo de los diferentes interlocutores que participan en la compleja tarea de conservar una obra de arte: • La experiencia vital del artista creador de murales, que a veces es llamado para restaurar lo que ya hizo; • Las reflexiones teóricas sobre el modo de enfrentarnos metodológicamente a su conservación y restauración; • Los estudios científicos destinados a la identificación de materiales constitutivos o la puesta a punto de procedimientos para su conservación; • La opinión de quienes se encargan de su gestión; • Las experiencias concretas de conservadores restauradores. Todos ellos deben tener voz en la difícil tarea de conservar un patrimonio complejo y cambiante.