Ida Bronken is senior painting conservator at the National Museum in Oslo, Norway. Her publication Soft Paint – And the Care of Paintings (2023) based on her PhD research (University of Amsterdam, 2022) describes and analyses the phenomenon of soft and dripping paint found in paintings by Karel Appel and many other artists – a challenge for both conservators and curators. 

Establishing pieces of the material practices of Karel Appel – Investigation into soft oil paint from his Paris period, and critical issues on their future care

Ida Bronken’s presentation condensed selected findings published in her PhD thesis French connections on the phenomenon of soft and dripping paint, with special regard for the use of materials by Karel Appel and its implications for the conservation and restoration of his works. Findings in documentation about several studios are combined with results from chemical and physical analyses.