Emory students Eveleigh Wagner and Courtney Von Stein worked with consulting paper conservator Elizabeth Schulte to clean six prints of A Harlot’s Progress by British artist William Hogarth. As acid is gently washed out of the paper, the prints become brighter and more stable for long-term preservation. The bathing process illustrates Le Chatelier’s principle, demonstrating the effects of temperature and concentration on pH.
This is part of the Science of Art series, which explores concepts taught in Emory's general chemistry classes through case studies featuring objects and conservation projects from the Carlos Museum.
