Reflections on the Ethics and Aesthetics of Restoration and Conservation

Abstract

This paper looks at some of the principles behind restoration and conservation applied to ancient artefacts and architecture. A number of case studies are discussed, from medieval stained glass to buildings that have been damaged by fire. The paper ends with some remarks about the conservation of ruins. Underlying the discussion are questions about the kinds of obligations - both ethical and aesthetic - that might constrain the practices of restoration: what ought and ought not to be done in particular cases and how such decisions might be made. A broad conclusion is that different principles seem to operate in different cases and accordingly that different obligations obtain. Consideration is given to what grounds such principles and obligations.