A FURTHER CONTRIBUTION TO PROBLEMS INVOLVED IN PREPARING OF DOCUMENTATION OF THE RESTORER’S WORK

It is intended by the authors of this article to attract the attention of professional circles to problems involved in preparing of documentation for works subjected to restoration. Dealing with this problem they have already published an article “Restoration as the art and scientific work” which appeared in “Pamâtkovâ peće” 1, 1971. It is a problem which cannot be solved until the decisions will be provided concerning the basic rights connected with the restorer’s work as such. For this area of the artistic and scientific activities — and namely as such should be regarded the work of restorer — are still lacking more precisely defined “rules of game”. It is these “rules of game” that should form a point of departure for establishing the basis of scientific documentation of the restorer’s work and all the other aspects of his activities. A proposal is put forward by the authors that some kind of canon should be accepted of procedures connected with the preparing of the proper documentation. Restoration is an area in which we have to do with unmeasurable values both cultural and material. A wide range of problems are involved here whose solution will require a number of legal measures. In the first line, however, there is a need to incline the professionals to discussion which could as its result, bring the above mentioned canon of procedures applied when preparing the proper documentation. To their article the authors have attached a draft documentation relating to conservation of a painting or sculpture which in their opinion should supply a basis for wide discussion. There can not be doubt that these problems are extremely important and that they have already ripened to be solved as soon as possible