Art restoration is a specialist field placing high professional and ethical demands on its practitioners. A restorer must be able to disclose fully the uniqueness of an artwork, as well as all of its qualities and interconnections.
Employees
Essential to understanding a work of art as a multifaceted entity is a study of the natural sciences and humanities, along with tuition in painting. The interdisciplinary dimension of this course enables a graduate to collaborate with other participating spheres.
The study of restoration at AVU requires an artistic talent and an ability to accommodate a wide range of theoretical knowledge. The six-year course includes the restoration of paintings on plate and canvas, murals, and polychrome wooden sculptures. Students are expected to learn older, traditional procedures in order to acquire an overview of the latest trends in the sphere of materials and techniques and to learn how to work systematically, while placing an emphasis on the authenticity of a work, ethics, and the cultural heritage.
During their studies they should also develop the ability to draw up the ideal material and technological plan as to how to proceed with restoration and to reflect theoretically and resolve sensitively individual criteria relating, for instance, to the degree to which dark varnishes are removed, the removal of secondary overpainting, and methods of visually integrating the missing parts of a painting.
The six-year course is long compared to foreign courses. Nevertheless, given the diversity of problems arising due to the specificity of individual artworks, it is impossible to explore all technological procedures in depth. And so students are required to think critically. In addition, independence when finding the optimum restoration method based on a search for the requisite information and an evaluation of practical technological progress tests is encouraged.
The studio provides substantial support for foreign study trips. Students acquire experience from leading European restoration facilities. Visiting lecturers and workshops given by foreign specialists provide further contact with current tendencies in the sphere. Students also undertake an internship at the National Gallery in Prague, where they participate on the restoration of exhibition projects and thus acquire invaluable experience in a leading Czech museum.
The doctoral programme focuses on specialised research into artworks and the resolution of specific restoration problems or historical painting techniques and period materials, with the aim of deepening a student’s knowledge.
Studio's events
Students from the studio specialising in the restoration of works of art, including paintings and polychrome sculptures, took part in a workshop led by the Dutch conservator Kate Seymour from 5 to 7 December 2024. The event was organised in collaboration with HOME | Art Conservation Edu and the National Gallery in Prague.
Students from the studio specialising in the restoration of works of art, including paintings and polychrome sculptures, took part in a workshop led by the Italian expert Alberto Felici on 19–20 June and 1–3 September 2025. The event focused on inorganic mineral treatments used in the conservation of wall paintings and stone artefacts and was organised in collaboration with the National Gallery in Prague.
