Category: Art Conservation
Student Blog: The Frick Collection
March 03, 2025 Written by Kiki Peters | Photo: Regan Martin.
For my third-year internship, I have been working in the Conservation Department at The Frick Collection in New York, New York. I have enjoyed my time here working under the supervision of Victoria Schussler, Conservator. It is an exciting moment to intern at The Frick, as the museum is about to reopen on April 17th. Energy has been in the air as artworks have returned to their home in the historic Gilded Age residence on 5th Ave, where they have not been since the beginning of the museum’s renovation in 2020.
My first few treatments were on ceramic objects, a Sèvres water jug and basin and a faience pitcher. These treatments honed my ceramic skills including surface cleaning, reversing previous restoration, stain reduction, and loss compensation. For the museum’s reopening, I have also taken time to perform minor surface cleaning on a group of ceramic objects and their mounts, which will be on view.
In addition to ceramics, I have worked on the loss compensation of two enamel objects. I’ve inpainted existing fills on a Limoges enamel plate by Jean de Court (act. 1541–83) using a mixture of Golden Fluid Acrylic paints and Golden Porcelain Restoration Glaze, and I’ve used heat-fused Paraloid B-72 as a fill material on a Limoges enamel plaque by Suzanne de Court (act. ca. 1600). Enamels are intricate objects composed of copper covered by a thin layer of heat-fused decorative glass. It’s been interesting to learn about the different approaches to their loss compensation and overall treatments.
Viewing the reopening as a valuable opportunity to learn how to read the surfaces of materials and to carry out multiple treatments on objects that will be on display, my supervisor selected my treatments to build up my skillsets for projects with increasing intricacy. Both my work on the ceramics and enamels have been preparation for my upcoming major treatments on a Faience lidded vase and a Limoges enamel ewer.
Time is moving fast, and I am now halfway done with my third-year internship. I have already learned so much during my time here and am looking forward to what’s to come.
— Kiki Peters, Winterthur/University of Delaware Program in Art Conservation Class of 2025
