Definition:

Conservation in art is the practice of preserving the world's cultural heritage for the future.

Cultural heritage encompasses a wide range of media such as prehistoric rock carvings, fresco murals, religious wooden panels, woven tapestries, ceramics, paintings on canvas, marble sculpture, photographs, paper drawings, furniture, etc. These works may get damaged by weather, light, mishandling, vandalism, disasters, and so on.


Art conservators are trained in universities and/or conservation programs to learn the latest scientific techniques. Working in labs, conservators examine and research the condition of the object and decide the best way to preserve and restore it.

Art conservators are highly specialized and extremely knowledgeable in their field, so a conservator of textiles will probably not restore sculptures.

Pronunciation: kon-ser-vey-shuhn