Carrier Context:
Unique Projects
It appears that turning back time is possible, given an artful touch and the right technology. We see the proof above our heads as we gaze at the Sistine Chapel frescoes, which now appear much as they did in 1512 when Michelangelo laid down his trowel and brushes. But because they are clean for the first time in centuries, the ceiling's masterworks are prey to the 20th-century dangers Michelangelo couldn't even contemplate. Fortunately, those conserving the frescoes have.
When the skin of dull brown animal glue was rinsed away, revealing the frescoes' lively colors, Vatican officials realized the process of decline would be repeated unless the atmosphere within the chapel's vault could be controlled.
Oily soot was no longer a problem, but the frescoes now would be exposed to particulates from automotive exhaust and aggressive airborne chemical pollutants found in most urban environments. The greatest potential damage, however, could be caused by condensation of moisture on the frescoes' surface and rapid changes in temperature and humidity as throngs of pilgrims and tourists passed through the chapel. With two million people a year visiting the chapel, it is as if everyone in Vienna or Phoenix were passing through, bringing with them tons of moisture to be controlled.
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