Subjectivity and Restoration. The Changing Criterion Argument

Abstract

Objectivity is a property that has those judgments that are based on features and characteristics inherent to the object while those who rely on the observing subject preferences are subjective judgments. The restoration is often described as an objective activity, or at least as an activity that aims to achieve objectivity, and where subjectivity is considered undesirable. However, the simple critical observation of several cases of conservation and restoration can show us that the criteria which guide these actions are greatly modified while no objective attribute justi es these variations. To develop what we call ‘the changing criteria argument’ we looked at eight different cases in which it has been observed how the appearance, the materiality, the context and the intent of the creator were preserved. In fact, the conclusion is that, the most important criteria in conservation and restoration shift radically –and that there is no objective feature that justifies it because these criteria are essentially subjective.