Investigating the effect and relationship of the restorers' taste and the viewer opinion on the reintegration of the Lacuna of the mono Persian Miniatur of Alexander's naval battle

Destruction in paintings results in the loss of a portion of the work, caused by the damage resulting from its unexpected form that push the painting into background. To preserve the subject, maintain the work's integrity, and prevent further damage by reintegrating the the lacuna and restoring colors based on their expertise. Some conservators, well-versed in painting and conservation theory, aim to rectify visual damage caused by lacuna, while others may impose their personal tastes. However, subjective tastes can sometimes enhance the painting's integrity while compromising its originality. Thus,this study aims to explore the role of conservators’ taste in painting conservation and how viewers perceive subject.

Method and Research Design:

 This research was conducted using an interpretive approach and qualitative methods based on existing data and documented evidence. The paintings "Askander's Naval War in the China Sea" from the Khamse Nizami collection and the Shiraz Training from the Safavid period were selected from the Hagop Kevorkian collection. Prints of these paintings were provided to conservators for color restoration according to their preferences. The restored prints were then evaluated by both specialized and general viewers to gather their perspectives on the restoration of the paintings.

Results indicated that half of the conservators focused on structural conservation, while the other half opted for reintegration in lacuna. Regarding viewer opinions on conservation approaches, a minority favored structural conservation without reintegration, with the majority preferring reintegration in lacuna. Specialist viewers exhibited less inclination towards reintegration. The data indicate the viewers’ interest in understanding the subject and the l integrity of the paintings. [1] . PhD Student in Conservation of historical and cultural objects, Art University, Tehran, Iran a.soheiliii@gmail.com[2] . Professor, Handicraft Department, University of Arts, Tehran, Iran, (Corresponding author) Samanian@art.ac.irCopyright © 2024, NLAI (National Library & Archives of I. R. Iran). This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International, which permits others to download this work, share it with others and adapt the material for any purpose.