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| Yves Klein's Venus Blue. Before and After Treatment |
The majestic deep shade and brilliance of the ultramarine
blue pigment has conquered the heart of artists and viewers of the Western world
since the medieval
illuminated manuscripts from c.1100. Natural Ultramarinus (lapis lazuli), which literally
means: "beyond the sea” was imported from Asia, more specific from the quarries of Badakhshan,
northeastern Afghanistan. According to Marco Polo’s description, the finest
blue azuri “…appears in veins like silver streaks”. Due to its vibrant shade, unmatched
by any other blue, the pigment was more valuable than gold during the 13th
century and beyond. Renaissance artists such as Giotto and Cimabue reserved the
precious stone pigment for the Virgin Mary’s mantel or the heavenly blue sky. A
painting with ultramarine was a symbol of high status and imparted prestige to
the rich art commissioners.
Synthetic
ultramarine pigment was developed by different chemists between the late 1700's
and early 1800's. The vibrant blue hue also captured the interest of modern and
cotemporary artists, but no one revived the spirit of the mineral as Yves Klein
did with his IKB (International Klein Blue). The French controversial artist, a
“master of blue”, as he was sometimes referred, mesmerized the world with his intriguing
monochrome paintings and three-dimensional works of art. In the search of a
dazzling blue, and frustrated by the dullness that the natural binders conveyed
to the pigment, Yves Klein sought the help of his friend, Edouard Adam. Together
they found a chemist that was able to combine a polyvinyl acetate resin, called
Rhodopas M, used for waterproofing maps, with the blue pigment. The resin
allows the powdered pigment to retain its brilliance, its granular look and
matt depths. Under the name International
Klein Blue the pigment was patented in the 1960’s.
Preservation and
Conservation of Venus Bleue (Blue Venus), the headless lady
Yves
Klein’s pristine monochrome surfaces are very difficult to preserve. The
original resin is not only fragile but, just like any opaque paint, the binder
does little to protect the pigment close to its surface. The paint’s matt
granular finish is extremely easy to smudge or abrade. In addition, they tend
to trap air-born particles such as dust, which is very difficult to remove,
even with a soft Japanese brush. Please follow my advice and do not attempt
such endeavor. It is better to leave it on the hands of a professional.
As
a conservator, I worked on several Yves Kleins; all Venus Blue. Even though the
three dimensional torso is a plaster cast and came from the same mold, they show
slight differences. The preservation of these pieces present a challenge to any
conservator. In terms of restoring the color, nowadays, vinyl-based copolymers,
mixed with pigments, are being used to replace the original toxic Rhodopas M. In addition,
I found out that cellulose ethers are a good alternative to replace the resin
in the case of an already treated piece.
My
best advice to preserve Yves Klein pieces is to keep them under glazing, such
as plexiglass UV-treated box. A climate control vitrine or frame can keep the
artwork free from occasional abrasion and dust. But remember, this display
cases are not 100% sealed. And never place Klein’s pieces close to a window or an
air conditioning outlet, and always keep them far away from pollutants that may
be coming from the kitchen. Also, keep in mind that you should never pick up
Klein's pieces with your bare hands or even with cotton gloves. Nitrile gloves
are much better.
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