Karen French

Karen French has 30+ years work experience in European and US museums conserving paintings ranging from the Medieval period to the 19th Century. Trained at the Courtauld Institute of Art, Karen specializes in structural work on wooden panels in addition to treating West European easel paintings, SE Asian banners, Tibetan Thangkas, and Ethiopian icons. In addition to treatments, Karen researches materials and techniques on a range of artworks and has published several papers on treatments and technical research.

Reviewer for the Journal of the American Institute for Conservation

Reviewer for IMLS grants

Member Advisory Board Black Cherry Puppet Theater

Chair of Friends of St. Mary’s Park

Former trapezist

FAIC Individual Professional Development scholarship. To study advanced panel treatment technique with George Bisacca at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, treating Walters Art Museum paintings, 2013-14

Samuel H. Kress Foundation Award. To undertake travel and research on Neri di Bicci and Giovanni di Paolo, 2000.

Samuel H. Kress Foundation Award. To attend and deliver paper at the IIC Congress in Dublin, Ireland, 1998.

Sponsorship award from the Research and Technical Studies (RATS) Specialty Subgroup of the American Institute for Conservation (AIC) for "A method for X-raying oversize paintings with multi-plate exposures", a paper presented at the AIC annual meeting, San Diego,1997.

Sherman Fairchild Painting Conservation study grant. 18 months training at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, N.Y, U.S.A. 1992

The Conservation Unit, UK. Overseas study award for working at the Prado museum, Madrid, Spain, 1991

The Worshipful Company of Painter–Stainers. Study bursary for internship at AMSSEE studios, London, UK. 1991

The J.P. Getty Foundation, 12 month graduate internship funding for positions in Munich, London and Florence, 1990

The K. Forbes–Dunlop Trustfund, towards tuition fees at the Courtauld Institute of Art, 1990

The Barbara Whatmore Charitable Trust. Award for research travel, 1989.

The Marquis of Normanbys' Trustfund, towards tuition fees Courtauld Institute of Art, 1989

The Earls Colne and Halstead Educational Trust Award. Summer internship at The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland, U.S.A. 1988

The Mary Datchelor Trust, managed by The Clothworkers' Foundation. 3–year award towards tuition fees at the Courtauld Institute of Art, 1987

“Ethiopian Icon painting: devotional, ceremonial and protective, the different forms of Ethiopian icons”, Members talk, Walters Art Museum, 2016.

“The Face that Launched Ten Thousand Conservation Hours: Investigation and Treatment of the Walters ‘Helen of Troy’ Spalliere Panel Series” co-presented by Eric Gordon and Pam Betts, Washington Conservation Guild, 2016.

“A Disaster in the Making: Preserving Southeast Asian Paintings at the Walters Art Museum” presented and co-authored by Meaghan Monaghan, American Institute for Conservation (AIC) annual meeting, Montreal, 2016..

"Revealing the Walters Madonna and Child with Saints by Pacino di Bonaguida through Scientific Analysis"co-authored by Glenn Gates PhD, Conservation Scientist, Walters Art Museum, New College Conference on Medieval and Renaissance Studies, Florida, 2016.

"The one that got away: artistic changes in an early Turner painting", Members talk, Walters Art Museum, 2016.

"The Story of Helen Panels: Examining the Walters' Remarkable, Monumental 15th- Century Spalliera Series", co- organizer Walters Research Forum, 2014.

"An historical overview of panel paintings and their structural treatments at the Walters Art Museum", American Institute for Conservation (AIC) annual meeting, San Francisco, 2014.

"A closer look at Early Italian Panel Paintings", American Institute for Conservation (AIC) annual meeting, Research and Technical Studies Group, San Francisco, 2014.

"Pigments and painting techniques, past and present" presented to the Women Artists’ Forum, Baltimore, 2014.

"Conservation Secrets", Docent lecture, The Walters Art Museum, 2012.

"Wooden panel paintings at the Walters: practical solutions to structural problems", organizer Walters Research Forum, 2012

"Original construction and treatments of panel painting supports in Europe and America", Potomac Antique Tools and Industries Association, Inc. (PATINA) 2010

“From Dragon’s blood to ground bugs: a history of red and its uses in art”, lecture, The Walters Art Museum, 2010

"The Passion Cycle and Medieval painting techniques", lecture, The Walters Art Museum, 2007

"What Lies Beneath" lecture for the Collector’s Circle at The Walters Art Museum, 2004

"Taking care of your heirlooms and personal art collection", lecture for First Union Wachovia, Baltimore at The Walters Art Museum, 2002

"Stylistic, Technical and Material Developments in the Paintings of Giovanni di Paolo", co-authored by Elyse Klein and Eric Gordon, International Institute for Conservation (IIC) 17th International Congress, Dublin, Ireland, 1998.

"An X-raying method for large paintings using multi-plate exposures", Washington Conservation Guild, Three Ring Circus annual meeting, Washington, D.C. 1998

"A method for X-raying oversize paintings with multi-plate exposures", American Institute for Conservation (AIC) annual meeting, San Diego, 1997.

"A local treatment for setting down severely tented, water-damaged paint on a transferred and lined painting by Giambattista Tiepolo", co-authored by Eric Gordon, Peter Nelsen and Catherine Rogers, American Institute for Conservation (AIC) annual meeting, San Diego,1997.

"A Survey of Treatments of Panel Painting Supports in Europe and America", Washington Conservation Guild, Washington, D.C. 1995

"The application of science in conservation", presentation to Science Educators, The Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, 1994.

"A survey of attitudes to and methods of treating panel supports of paintings", (Gerry Hedley Student Symposium), The Courtauld Institute of Art, London, UK, 1990.

"A case study of American Conservation", presentation to Earls Colne and Halstead Educational Trust, Essex, UK, 1988.

A symbiotic relationship: local and foreign artistic exchanges at the fifteenth-century Ethiopian court, co-authored by Glenn Gates, Hae Min Park and Christine Sciacca, in Migrants: Art, Artists, Materials and Ideas Crossing Borders, Archetype 2019.

“Preserving the Southeast Asian paintings at the Walters Art Museum”, with Meaghan Monaghan, The Journal of the Walters Art Museum, vol. 73, 2018.

“A Disaster in the Making: Preserving Southeast Asian Paintings at the

Walters Art Museum”, with Meaghan Monaghan, postprints (AIC) annual meeting, Montreal, Canada, 2016.

"An historical overview of panel paintings and their structural treatments at the Walters Art Museum", postprints (AIC) annual meeting, San Francisco, 2014.

"A closer look at Early Italian Panel Paintings", postprints (AIC) annual meeting, San Francisco, 2014.

"Ethiopian paintings conservation", The Walters Art Museum Bulletin, summer 2003.

"The Painting Technique and Treatment History of Eight Late Fifteenth Century German Panels Representing the Passion of Christ in the Collection of the Walters Art Museum", with Eric Gordon, The Journal of the Walters Art Museum, vol. 59, 2001.

"Stylistic, Technical and Material Developments in the Paintings of Giovanni di Paolo", International Institute for Conservation (IIC) 17th International Congress, Dublin, Ireland. Preprints: “Painting Techniques: History, Materials and Studio Practices”, 1998.

"A method for X-raying oversize paintings with multi-plate exposures", published proceedings, AIC annual meeting,1998.

"A local treatment for setting down severely tented, water-damaged paint on a transferred and lined painting by Giambattista Tiepolo", co-authored by Eric Gordon, Peter Nelsen and Catherine Rogers, proceedings, AIC annual meeting,1998.

"Utilization of Computed Radiography in the Study of an Historic Painting", co-authored poster with Fuji Medical Systems, annual meeting of Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), 1997.

"Utilization of Computed Radiography in the Study of an Historic Painting", Radiographics, November 1997, with Dr.Bruce Reiner, Dr.Eliot Siegel and Rob Dentry, 1997.

"To Arrest the Ravages of Time: Caring for Art at the Walters Art Gallery", exhibition with text and objects illustrating conservation treatment and research, 1996.

"Tiepolo Unveiled: the Restoration of a Masterpiece", exhibition focusing on history, research and treatment of G.B. Tiepolo’s Scipio Africanus Freeing Massiva, The Walters Art Gallery. May – October 96.

"The Restoration of a Masterpiece", participant in a 1/2 hour documentary on the historical research and conservation treatment of a G.B. Tiepolo’s Scipio Africanus Freeing Massiva produced by Maryland Public Television,1996.

"Utilization of Computed Radiography in the evaluation of Historic Paintings", a co-authored poster at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA), 1996.

Review of the Symposium on "The Structural Conservation of Panel Paintings" at The J. Paul Getty Museum, California, AIC News, November 1995.

"A Treasure Restored", consultant for 9- minute documentary on Tiepolo treatment produced by Maryland Public Television, 1994-1995.