7:30 PM Presentation
Pablo Picasso is well known for his experimentation with non-traditional materials including Ripolin, a French house paint that offered the artist a new range of optical and handling properties. Distinguishing between Ripolin and traditional artists' oil paint on early twentieth century artworks poses a significant challenge because of the compositional similarities of these paints. Hence, a sophisticated multi-analytical approach and availability of a far-reaching database of historical reference samples is needed. Ongoing research at the Art Institute of Chicago, focusing on the characterization of Ripolin paint formulations, has uncovered important markers for the identification of this house paint in works by Picasso and his contemporaries.

Bio Sketch

Kim Muir is a conservation research fellow at the Art Institute of Chicago. She received a Master of Art Conservation and a PhD in Art History from Queen's University, Canada. She has completed paintings conservation fellowships at the Canadian Conservation Institute, the Straus Center for Conservation (Harvard University Art Museums), and the Detroit Institute of Arts. Her research at the Art Institute focuses on the technical examination and scientific analysis of paintings