Marie-Hélène Nadeau

Conservator (Paintings and Polychrome Surfaces), Treatment and Collection Care – Textiles, Paintings, Polychrome Surfaces, Heritage Furniture and Wooden Objects Division

Main areas of work and/or specializations

• conservation treatment and preservation of paintings
• research into the structural treatment and preservation of paintings on fabric supports

Biography

Marie-Hélène Nadeau holds a college diploma in plastic arts from the Cégep de Sainte-Foy and a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Painting and Drawing from Concordia University with a minor in art history. In 2015, she completed a Master of Art Conservation (Paintings) from Queen’s University.

Prior to joining the Canadian Conservation Institute (CCI) in 2018, she completed internships and contracts at Library and Archives Canada, the Centre de conservation du Québec and A.E. Henry Conservation. In 2016, she began a postgraduate internship at CCI, where she worked on the structural and surface treatment of modern and traditional paintings.

Over the years, Marie-Hélène has continually focused on advancing her professional expertise. She has participated in several practical workshops on cleaning paint surfaces, inpainting and airbrushing for conservation. She has also followed workshops on the structural treatment of paintings offered through Conserving Canvas, a Getty initiative supporting projects and workshops on the conservation of paintings on canvas.

Marie-Hélène’s ongoing research interests include mounting systems for unrestrained paintings on fabric supports, linings with acrylic adhesives (for example, the mist-lining technique) and the use of airbrushing for the visual compensation of losses.