Natural sciences inside museums. The development of the Research Laboratory for the French Museums from its origin and into the future

Abstract

This article presents how the history and trajectory of Centre de Recherche et de Restauration des Musées de France (C2RMF) Laboratory is intertwined with the development of Conservation Science as a discipline during the 20th century, especially in terms of taking advantage of the improvements offered by the natural sciences. Through different examples of projects and methods developed throughout the C2RMF Laboratory's history the author shows the important results that the introduction of Natural Sciences in the fields of art history and conservation has achieved. The author also discusses today's challenges related to merging the discipline with new information technologies, developing pluri- discipline projects and orienting the discipline towards the conservation/ restoration of the cultural heritage.