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Join us as we investigate the ‘silent witnesses’ of Knole House to understand how to care for the painted cultural heritage in our museums, libraries and archives. Our goal is to help develop an access and care policy for cultural heritage institutions that preserves context, interpretation, study and materiality.

Knole House

Investigate a historical collection of panel paintings in a unique setting.
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Paintings

Combine technical inspection of paintings with examination of their historical context.
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Environment

Understand environmental conditions by extrapolating climate records, in-house monitors and proxy data.
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Fracture

Assess and classify the types of damage found on both paintings and laboratory test samples.
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Fatigue

Develop models and experimental tests of the damage induced by environmental impact.
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By combining technical inspection of panel paintings with historical context, climate records and other data, we look for patterns and correlations that explain the types of damage induced in painted wooden artefacts by environmental impact. Analysing and comparing the response of laboratory test samples helps us to validate our understanding.