Conservation of paintings in Czech Republic and Italy 1945-1970. Comparison of methods of Czech restoration school with Italian theory of conservation-restoration

The paper aims to compare Czech and Italian theory of conservation - restoration by laying the grounds of methodological approach of the Czech Restoration School in the context of the Theory of Restoration by Cesare Brandi. First step is to define the modern concept of conservation - restoration as opposed to the traditional one. In the basis of modern approach there is a notion of the historical value of a monument, which leads to the postulate of complete respect for the original material. This ground was developed in Italy by the so called philological method of monument preservation, represented by architect Camillo Boito and art historian Giovanni Battista Cavalcaselle. In MiddleEuropean countries, theories of Alois Riegl and Max Dvořák were of a crucial importance. A boom of scientific diagnostic methods applied to works of art served as another inducement for defining modern concept of conservatitionrestoration. In Italy, the center of research in this direction was the Istituto Centrale del Restauro in Rome, designed by Carlo Giulio Argan and Cesare Brandi. As the director of the ICR, Cesare Brandi was able to work up his theory of restoration in a direct contact with the actual experience of artwork restoration. In Czech Republic, the modern notion of restoration was being verified by Vincenc..