Climate4Wood

About the project

Climate4Wood is a research project that examines the influence of fluctuations in a museum climate on decorated wooden furniture panels and panel paintings. Various research strategies are being explored. On the one hand patterns of damage to oak furniture and panel paintings are identified, partly in comparison to past situations that can be seen in old photographs. In addition, experiments are carried out with reconstructions and measurements of historic objects on site, such as the cabinets by Jan van Mekeren at Amerongen Castle and the Rijksmuseum. Finally, computer models have been designed that imitate the behaviour of oak panels as closely as possible.

Aim of the project

Fluctuations in atmospheric humidity can damage wooden objects like panel paintings and furniture, so a stable climate is important in a museum. However, this requires a great deal of energy and necessitates large climate installations. The aim of the project is to draw up specifications for a sustainable museum climate that is safe for fragile objects with the lowest possible energy consumption. It is important to understand the fluctuations that the objects can tolerate without resulting in harmful deformations. That, in turn, can open up a route to simpler installations and lower energy consumption, resulting in climate-neutral buildings and installations.

Events

• Expert meeting to develop a research agenda for the structural conservation of panel paintings and related works of art, Rijksmuseum, 9-11 January 2010
• Closing symposium Science4Arts, Rijksmuseum, 17-18 November 2016
• Promotion Rianne Luimes, Climate-induced damage in oak museum objects, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, 17 September 2019
• Promotion Thomas Arends, Dynamic moisture-induced bending of oak boards, Technische Universiteit Eindhoven, 12 September 2019

Partners & sponsors

• NWO-Science4Arts
• Technische Universiteit Eindhoven
• Technische Universiteit Delft
• Rijksdienst Cultureel Erfgoed
• Kasteel Amerongen

Publications

• T. Arends, Dynamic moisture induced bending of oak boards. An experimental study, Dissertation, Technical University Eindhoven, 2019.
• P.H.J.C. van Duin, 'What real museum objects can teach us about the influence of climate conditions', in: J. Ashley-Smith, A. Burmester, M. Eibl (eds), Climate for Collections - Standards and Uncertainties, London (2013), pp. 271-282.
• P.H.J.C. van Duin. 'Climate effects on museum objects. The need for monitoring and analysis', in: Conservation Perspectives. The GCI Newsletter 29, nr. 2 (2014), pp. 13-15.
• P. van Duin, I. Breebaart. 'The construction of late-17th-century Netherlandish furniture. Typology, materials, authorship and durability', in: J. Bridgland (red.), ICOM-CC 18th Triennial Conference Preprints, Copenhagen 4-8 September 2017, Paris (International Council of Museums) (2017), art. 2105.
• S. Ekelund, P. van Duin, B. Ankersmit and A. Jorissen, 'Museum Study of the Climate4Wood. Research Project, in The Mechanics of Art. Materials and Its Future in Heritage Science', D. Rogala, P. DePriest, A. Charola, and R.J. Koestler (eds), Smithsonian Contributions to Museum Conservation, 10, Washington (2019), pp. 31-39.
• S. Ekelund, P. van Duin, A. Jorissen, B. Ankersmit and R. M. Groves. A Method for Studying Climate-related Changes in the Condition of Decorated Wooden Panels, Studies in Conservation, 2017.
• N. Kos, P. van Duin (eds). The conservation of panel paintings and related objects. Research agenda 2014-2020, Den Haag, 2014.
• R.A. Luimes, A.S.J. Suiker, A.J.M. Jorissen, H.L. Schellen and P.H.J.C. van Duin. 'Climate-induced damage in historical cabinet doors', in: Proceedings WCTE 2018 World Conference on Timber Engineering, Seoul, 2018.
• R. Luimes, Climate-induced damage in oak museum objects, Dissertation, Technical University Eindhoven, 2019.
• R.A. Luimes, A.S.J. Suiker, A.J.M. Jorissen, H.L. Schellen, and P.H.J.C. van Duin, The safe preservation of historical oak cabinet doors, Research day Construeren met Hout, Technical University Eindhoven, 2020.