As important as acquiring works of art is the role of safeguarding them so they can be enjoyed by this and future generations. The Gallery’s Conservation Department aims to prevent, slow down, remedy or reverse decay and damage to works in the collection.

Friends of Conservation have raised over $500 000 since the group was established in 1995 to assist us in our efforts to present the collection in the best possible light.

Recent projects the Friends have supported include the mounting and binding of 1000 William Dobell drawings and 300 James Gleeson drawings, and the preservation of 19 Lloyd Rees sketchbooks, treatment of George Baldessin’s fragile Pears (final pear version), the restoration of Vive l’empereur by Edouard Detaille, and the acquisition of an infra-red spectrometer to complement our technical examination facility.

Friends of Conservation organise several events each year, including visits to private collections, lectures and guided tours of exhibitions, to which anyone interested is welcome to attend, not just Foundation members.

Give your support

The first step is to contact the Foundation (see right).