Sarah is completing her MA in Conservation of Wall Paintings at The Courtauld Institute of Art, an internationally renowned programme for conservation. Her QEST Scholarship will support her final year, which encompasses theory, scientific investigation, and practical fieldwork. Sarah will apply her learnings to help conserve significant wall paintings internationally. She will work on 16th-century Renaissance wall paintings at Villa Imperiale in Italy and 18th-century murals at Nagaur Fort in India, gaining hands-on experience with diverse conservation issues.
Her dissertation will explore the management, treatment, and storage of detached wall painting fragments, a unique area within the field. These objects are treated differently from wall paintings that have remained in their original context and are often handled by non-specialists. Sarah hopes to specialise in this underrepresented area in the UK and develop sustainable conservation techniques for these pieces and her future work. Sarah’s long-term goal is to gain practical conservation experience and eventually open her own conservation company, specialising in wall paintings removed from their original context and now housed in museums or private institutions.
