Adam
ca. 1490–95
Tullio Lombardo (Italian)
Fletcher Fund, 1936 (36.163)
Traveling Exhibitions
Traveling Works of Art
Conservation Projects
Excavations
Fellows
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About The Met Around the World
The Met Around the World presents the Met’s work via the global scope of its collection and as it extends across the nation and the world through a variety of domestic and international initiatives and programs, including exhibitions, excavations, fellowships, professional exchanges, conservation projects, and traveling works of art.
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Conservation
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The preservation of works of art is a fundamental part of the Met's mission. Our work in this area includes treating works of art from other collections. See our national and international conservation activities from 2009 to the present.
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The Met hosts students, scholars, and museum professionals so that they can learn from our staff and pursue independent research in the context of the Met's exceptional resources and facilities. See the activities of our current national and international fellows.
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There are currently no international activities in this region.
Conservation Projects
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Brazilian disk sandwiches bonded with an acrylic adhesive blend after testing. These specimens were used to evaluate interfacial fracture toughness, an indication of adhesive strength. Each marble disk was tested with its elliptical hole oriented at a specific angle. Photograph and diagram: Mersedeh Jorjani and Carolyn Riccardelli.
Creep testing setup. A foil gauge was applied to each marble specimen and then connected to a voltage meter that could detect small amounts of deformation. The load on the specimen was increased in stages until deformation was detected. Photograph: Andrea Buono.
Setup for pin testing. 8-inch-tall Carrara marble cylinders were cut at an angle, then repaired with pins. The assembled specimens were subjected to gradually increasing downward force until there was a failure of the pin or the marble. Photograph: Christina Muir.
Conservation of Tullio Lombardo's Adam: Adhesive and Pinning Tests
U.S.A.
2005–2010
The life-size Renaissance marble sculpture, Adam, by Tullio Lombardo (dated 1490–95) was severely damaged when its pedestal collapsed in 2002. In preparation for the unusual conservation treatment that followed, conservators from The Metropolitan Museum of Art collaborated with several outside institutions and experts, including Princeton University's Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering and Columbia University's Historic Preservation Program. This unprecedented campaign presented myriad challenges, among which was the need to find suitable materials, particularly adhesives and pins, for reconstructing the sculpture.
The team conducted studies to determine the interfacial fracture toughness (strength) of various conservation adhesives, the first time this testing technique was applied to an art conservation study. They also examined the long-term stability of adhesives, specifically the effects of creep. These experiments helped identify reversible acrylic adhesives for use in the reconstruction.
Additionally, the team undertook pin testing to determine the material most appropriate for the marble sculpture's repair. The Princeton scientists' diverse expertise helped the team to develop a testing apparatus and protocols, as well as to interpret the testing data. Consequently, Met conservators selected fiberglass as the most appropriate pinning material for Adam.
The team conducted studies to determine the interfacial fracture toughness (strength) of various conservation adhesives, the first time this testing technique was applied to an art conservation study. They also examined the long-term stability of adhesives, specifically the effects of creep. These experiments helped identify reversible acrylic adhesives for use in the reconstruction.
Additionally, the team undertook pin testing to determine the material most appropriate for the marble sculpture's repair. The Princeton scientists' diverse expertise helped the team to develop a testing apparatus and protocols, as well as to interpret the testing data. Consequently, Met conservators selected fiberglass as the most appropriate pinning material for Adam.