Reflections on the Ethics and Aesthetics of Restoration and Conservation

British Journal of Aesthetics 56 (3):281-299 (2016)
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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.

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2016-10-06

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Peter Lamarque
University of York

Citations of this work

Value Pluralism in Restoration Aesthetics.Steven D. Hales - 2024 - British Journal of Aesthetics 64 (3):397-414.
On the Ethics of Reconstructing Destroyed Cultural Heritage Monuments.William Bülow & Joshua Lewis Thomas - 2020 - Journal of the American Philosophical Association 6 (4):483-501.

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References found in this work

The Metaphysics of Art Restoration.Rafael De Clercq - 2013 - British Journal of Aesthetics 53 (3):261-275.

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