Researcher, Conservator, and Lecturer
Scientific research and conservation practice
Art conservator who accepted complex challenges, with a special interest for the structural problems. Researcher and teacher in conservation science with a mission to share knowledge with peers, with younger generations, and in cultural outreach contexts.
Waiting to defend the Ph.D. dissertation in the spring of 2025, ” Mechanical and morphological characterization of canvas paintings supports. The correlation with tension on stretcher” at the Delft University of Technology, Aerospace Structures and Materials. The Ph.D. thesis is a continuation of the previous research, and started with the construction of computer-controlled devices for material testing of historical paintings and mock-ups, which allow to perform biaxial and uniaxial tensile tests, peel tests and flexural tests according to international standards.
Research resulted in the quantitative characterization of the morphology and the mechanical response of a set of historical samples, with recurring characteristics correlated to warp and weft directions of the textile.
Fellow of the International Institute of Conservation, member of ICOM-CC, CEO and CTO of Equilibrarte, he has a strong interest in the relationship existing between conservation and science. He has published over 80 scientific papers and a book, and promotes education through conferences and residential workshops.
News
24/03/2025
The new website is now live
Research fields
Quantification of the mechanics of textiles and canvas paintings and their structural conservation methods
Perspective
Research produces professionals who explore materials and the outcomes of their decisions with awareness, knowledge, and curiosity. It has driven my career as a conservator, teacher, and conservation scientist.
Interests and vision
My interests are mainly in the mechanical aspects of conservation, the field I have investigated the most, but I am also very interested in all aspects of the negotiation between the needs of historical artifacts and those of the different stakeholders, especially when it comes to treatment, including aesthetics and reintegration of losses.
Early research
I developed a method to conserve the original stretchers while applying measurable elastic tension to the painting. Shortly thereafter, I promoted and directed a three-year research project described in a book that is, to date, the only existing publication devoted entirely to the analysis of the effects of tension on canvas paintings.
Ph.D. research
Focusing on the morphological characterization of historical canvas painting supports, my doctoral research produced a wealth of unprecedented data. Using custom designed and built testing equipment, historical textiles were also mechanically characterized and correlations between warp and weft directions were established.
Research on cold lining methods
The treatment of Titian’s painting “David and Goliath” was the starting point for research into lining methods in 2011, based on a modified ” mist lining”. The adhesive performance obtained with the different combinations of variables is measured with peel tests in order to obtain a certain degree of predictability. A purpose-made portable testing machine has been designed and built for this purpose. The research has been the subject of intensive workshops since 2013.
Present Position
CEO and CTO
of Equilibrarte s.r.l., conservation company, since 2002
2002 - Present
Visiting researcher
Delft University of Technology, The Netherlands
2023 - present
Fellow
International Institute for Conservation of artistic works (IIC)
2020 - Present
Member
International Council of Museums – Committee for Conservation (ICOM-CC);
2009 - Present
Education and Languages
1986-1988
Diploma in wood conservation
1992
Getty course “Recent Lining Methods and Related Processes"
1993
Diploma in conservation of stone and mosaic
1989-1993
Graduated at Istituto Centrale per il Restauro (ICR) in paintings conservation.
2020-2025
PhD at Technical University Delft, faculty of Aerospace Engineering
Italian
Mother tongue
English
Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing: excellent.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) BAND 7
French
Listening, Speaking, Reading and Writing: excellent.
DALF (Diplôme approfondi de langue française): C2
Spanish
Listening, Speaking and Reading: excellent; Writing: good.
Norwegian
Listening and Speaking: good; Reading and Writing: fair.
German and Romanian
Listening and Speaking: fair; Reading and Writing: poor.
Research Projects
Past Research Projects
Tension chosen for a painting by 106 Italian conservators
- Choosing tension for a painting
- Measuring tension
- Correlations with the Maximum Useful Tension value
Current Projects
Paintings mechanical response to an out-of-plane force
- Tension and flexibility
- Measuring displacement
- Establishing correlations
Current Projects
Flexural testing
- Resistance to bending of a canvas painting
- Flexural elastic modulus
- Setting standards
Teaching
Workshop on theory and practice of elastic tension in Santiago, Chile
Workshop on theory and practice of elastic tension in Bogotá, Colombia
Two-week residential workshops on comparative lining techniquestheory and practice of lining
Publications
BOOK Tensionamento dei dipinti su tela, ed. Capriotti, G. Iaccarino Idelson, A. Nardini editore Firenze. 2004.
Iaccarino Idelson, A., Severini, L. Inpainting, The Encyclopedia of Archaeological Sciences. Sandra L. López Varela. First published: 10 October 2018. ISBN: 9780470674611
Iaccarino Idelson, A., Sánchez López, M., Groves, R. M. An open-source biaxial tensile tester with automated pre-tensioning for mechanical studies of canvas paintings. HardwareX. 2023.
Iaccarino Idelson, A., Bergsma, O., Groves, R. M. Methodology for measures of twist and crimp in historical textiles and canvas paintings supports, Journal of Cultural Heritage, vol. 71, pages 1-9, 2025
Italian 
English