When Suzanne Siano walks around an art fairk9win, she does not just see still lifes, portraits and colorful abstractions. She sees cracks in paint, staple holes, varnish layers and discolored canvases, any of which could be totally fine — or highly problematic.
It takes an expert’s eye to know the difference.
Siano, a painting conservator who sharpened her skills at the Museum of Modern Art in New York, is a popular person at a fair like Art Basel Paris, the October event that was held in the Grand Palais.
Many millions of dollars worth of paintings were being sold, and those transactions hinged in part on whether the works were in good condition. Bad news from an art conservator could tank a big deal — why would a buyer take the risk?
As we strolled through the Grand Palais only an hour or so into the fair’s first V.I.P. preview day, Siano said she had already been buttonholed by people seeking her opinion.
“I walked into the fair and someone pulled me aside and said, ‘OK, I need a condition report,’” said Siano, who lives in New York, where she founded the Modern Art Conservation in 2007 and now has a team of 14 people.
The firm specializes in paintings from the 19th century to the present, with an emphasis on modern and contemporary work. Siano previously worked at the MOMA for 13 years; it is typical for the biggest art institutions to employ conservators on staff.
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