Making fragile panels last: On the artisanal cultivation of anticipation in painting

In H.G. Wells's 1895 sci-fi novel ‘The Time Machine’, set in the year 802,701 AD, a time traveller discovers a museum made of Chinese porcelain among the remains of a ruined city: London. This ancient museum in a distant future is a playful reminder that human-made objects can last for millennia. But it also encourages us to reflect on practices of conservation that, by the time Wells was writing, had become well-established aspects of an art institution. Galleries have long been concerned with questions of collecting, preservation and repair. But what did artists of the past think about making things last? How did they explore this idea in their work, looking to the future? This talk explores a history of durability through materials and making, asking how artisans anticipated a future in which panel paintings were meant to endure.

The talk will be followed by a one hour drinks reception.