How do works of art change over time? As pigments age, they change color. Dirt can build up as surfaces are touched by air. Museums need to decide whether or not to restore artworks to the artist’s original vision or leave the accretions of time in place. 

In honor of the 100th anniversary of artist Joan Mitchell’s birth, museums around the country are installing her works simultaneously to celebrate her talent and broad influence.  Mitchell, who lived from 1925 until 1992, was a remarkable artist both for her prolific output as well as her success as a woman within the male-dominated art world of the time. Today, we recognize Mitchell’s legacy as a leading painter of the Abstract Expressionist movement. 

In 2023, Scott W. Nolley, Head Conservator at the Smithsonian’s Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, painstakingly restored two paintings by Joan Mitchell in The Fralin Museum of Art’s collection. Nolley cleaned Untitled in real-time as it was publicly displayed at The Fralin, offering both University of Virginia students and visitors a rare chance to witness a process of art restoration that is normally conducted behind closed doors. This exhibition uncovers Joan Mitchell’s work—both through the conservation process and by revealing how conservators engage with scientific processes to preserve works of art for future generations. 

How does the conservation change the appearance of these works?  Does the cleaning affect how you perceive them?  What might visitors think about these works in the next hundred years?