A
To Conserve or not to Conserve
Researcher
Cecil Krarup Andersen
Research unit
Institute of Conservation
We usually distinguish between paintings, arrow tips from ploughed fields, and Stevns Klint.
But these objects and places that make up our cultural- and natural heritage have many things in common. They connect us to a shared past and illuminate both human and natural conditions through the centuries, but the heritages survival is not guaranteed.
For over 50 years the Institute for Conservation have researched why our natural and cultural heritage breaks down.The project “To Conserve, or not to Conserve” brings the public into the conservator’s work.
From the initial observations to the culmination of the procedure, the project explores both archaeological wood and paintings. There are apparent differences to the objects, but they often suffer the same fate.
The institute simultaneously explores and researches the ethical questions that lie behind the approach to conservation. For example, should the planks from a viking ship be conserved for their aesthetic value or should future researchers be allowed to extract DNA from the ancient lumber?
Research Motivation
Our shared past is sitting in display cases and exhibitions in museums. But time takes its toll.
Conservators know intimately the conditions for individual objects. We are interested in the bigger picture: contributing to sustainable custody and conservation of museum collections.
But the challenges line up. How can we develop sustainable strategies for our natural and cultural heritage? What are the risks and benefits and where are we lacking knowledge?
Conservators know intimately the conditions for individual objects. We are interested in the bigger picture: contributing to sustainable custody and conservation of museum collections.
But the challenges line up. How can we develop sustainable strategies for our natural and cultural heritage? What are the risks and benefits and where are we lacking knowledge?
Brushstrokes of iron oxide, a pigment that has been widely used throughout history. Less than a year after the paint was applied, cracks have already begun to form in the paint layer. But why? Photo: Lucia Lund Christensen.
Jens Juel: Self-portrait, 1766. Cracks are found almost everywhere in our cultural heritage, including in the works of the great masters. Several indoor environmental factors can cause cracking, including temperature and relative humidity. Photo: Mikkel Scharff.
Crack morphology in a lead white paint layer. Some pigments, such as zinc white and lead white, are more prone to cracking and exhibit different cracking patterns than other pigments, even though they may appear almost identical. Photo: Mikkel Scharff.
Internal partners
Mikkel Scharff (Associate Professor), Nanna Bjerregaard Pedersen (Associate Professor), Lucia Lund Christensen (Research Assistant), Lea Hamborg Petersen (Research Assistant), Siv Jespersen (Research Assistant), Line Clausen Pedersen (Special Consultant), Morten Ryhl-Svendsen (Associate Professor), Michela Gambino (Associate Professor), Cecil Krarup Andersen (Associate Professor), Joshua Hill (Associate Professor), Kristian Murphy Gregersen (Teaching Associate Professor), Arne Redsted Rasmussen (Associate Professor), Daniel Sang-Hoon Lee (Associate Professor), Tor Erik Skaaland (Industrial PhD), Masja Bentzen Wischmann (Research Assistant), Joana Silva (Assistant Professor)
External partners
Danish cultural heritage institutions and museums, as well as international conservation research centres and partners.
Litteraturliste
Litteraturliste
Open Access
[1]
N. Rosenfeld Lauridsen, H. Matthiesen, G. David, and N. B. Pedersen, ‘Collapse or not? Effects of drying on heavily decayed archaeological wood in soil’, in Wet Organic Archaeological Materials 2023, 2023, pp. 59–66.
[2]
V. Costanzo, F. Nocera, G. Evola, M. Ryhl-Svendsen, J. Toftum, and A. Longhitano, ‘Resilience and adaptability of historical buildings to climate change in a Scandinavian context: Synthetic indices for assessing summer thermal comfort’, Journal of Building Engineering, vol. 122, p. 115770, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.1016/j.jobe.2026.115770.
[3]
F. Di Gianvincenzo et al., ‘Proteomic identification of beer brewing products in the ground layer of Danish Golden Age paintings’, Science Advances, vol. 9, no. eade7686, pp. 1–13, May 2023, doi: 10.1126/sciadv.ade7686.
[4]
J. Harvie, J. Aagaard, J. Stelzner, S. Braovac, I. Stelzner, and N. B. Pedersen, ‘Applicability of X-ray imaging to monitor the internal condition of waterlogged archaeological wood – pre-, intra-, and post-conservation’, Conservar Património, no. 53, Mar. 2026, doi: 10.14568/cp39271.
[5]
D. S.-H. Lee et al., ‘Numerical modelling of mechanical degradation of canvas paintings under dessication’, Heritage Science, vol. 10, p. 130, Aug. 2022, doi: 10.1186/s40494-022-00763-w.
[6]
N. B. Pedersen et al., ‘Fungal attack on archaeological wooden artefacts in the Arctic—implications in a changing climate’, Scientific Reports, vol. 10, p. 14577, Sep. 2020, doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-71518-5.
[7]
M. Ryhl-Svendsen, ‘Microclimate Behaviour Inside Archival Boxes, Books, and Paper Stacks: Buffering, Ventilation, and Pollutant Dynamics’, Heritage, vol. 9, no. 2, p. 63, Feb. 2026, doi: 10.3390/heritage9020063.
[8]
T. L. Slotsgaard, G. Pastorelli, D. Buti, M. Scharff, and C. K. Andersen, ‘Crack morphology and its correlation with ground materials used in paintings by Danish portrait painter Jens Juel’, Journal of Cultural Heritage, vol. 69, pp. 47–56, Aug. 2024, doi: 10.1016/j.culher.2024.07.010.
[9]
M. Ryhl-Svendsen, L. R. Knudsen, P. Rasmussen, and J. S. Johnsen, Eds, ‘Lavenergimagasiner – koncept og bæredygtighed: Seminar om lavenergimagasiner – byggeri, bevaring og bæredygtighed’, Museernes Grønne Akademi, Organisationen Danske Museer, Rapport, Jul. 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.dkmuseer.dk/museernes-groenne-akademi/viden-og-vaerktoejer/lavenergimagasiner/
