Supported by a special Mellon Foundation grant, this course will draw on the expertise of senior conservators in the Bay Area to give art history (and other) graduate students better understanding concerning the nature of the materials and the fabrication of art objects.  Through demonstrations and technical analysis of artifacts, students will be introduced to the processes by which finished forms and aesthetic effects are achieved.  They will also be introduced to tools that extend our powers of visual analysis.  We will, as well, attend to the ways materials change over time, the history of conservation practices, and the theoretical dimensions of conservation.  We will look at oil on canvas, works on paper, textiles, books, metals, and possibly other materials.  No special background or skill set is required, but students need to be available for 1.5 hours before and after class because these classes will take place in conservation studios as far away as San Francisco.