Risk Factors
Public art in Venice is at risk because of a variety of damaging factors, some natural and some human. By identifying these factors and their relative importance, we are able to quickly and efficiently assess each object's need for conservation. Below are descriptions of some of the risk factors we examine for each object in our database:
Age
The older an object is, the more likely it is that its condition is deteriorating rapidly. The oldest object in our collection is a statue of Saint Paul on the side of the church of San Polo, estimated to date from the 4th century A.D. Only thirty objects predate the year 1000 A.D., making age an important factor in determining rarity. Over 1,500 public art pieces in Venice date to before 1500 A.D.
Size
The size, or monumentality, of an object is important to its restoration priority. Larger objects are better-known, more visible, and often contain more detail. Smaller objects, on the other hand, are often hidden away and rarely noticed. Limited money for restoration, then, is usually better spent on larger objects.
Material
Certain materials degrade faster than others. Many public art objects in Venice are lucky to have been made from Istrian marble, a stone prized by Venetians for its favorable qualities. Imported from Venetian Republic territories on the Adriatic Sea, Istrian marble was used in the foundations of almost every building in Venice. Waterproof, very hard and aesthetically pleasing, leftover stone was carved into virtually every type of public art in Venice (1,988 objects are made from Istrian stone). Not every piece of public art is made from Istrian marble, however; Carrara, Greek, Verona and green marbles are also common. The pieces made from rarer, more vulnerable materials are of particular interest to us, however - wood, terracotta, and stucco account for only 29 pieces, and are much more prone to damage from exposure.
Type
Certain types of public are more plentiful than others, usually in inverse proportion to artistic detail and value. Statues, for instance, are much more "artistic" and also rarer than coats of arms. We rank inscriptions, fragments, and confraternity symbols low, and statues, patere, street altars and reliefs high.
Inscription
If an object contains an inscription, its value as an historical and social resource increases. Sometimes the inscription is nothing more than a date or name, but on occasion the text provides useful insight into the daily lives of Venetians in the past (see here).
Subject
Pieces vary in artistic value and significance. In congruence with the writings of John Ruskin, we consider pieces that depict humans, angels, saints or any portion thereof to be of the greatest value. Less valuable subjects include, in descending order, animals, flora and symbols.
Location
An object's location determines the probability that it may be vandalized, but also affects the number of people that would notice if it were stolen. A piece depicting a particular saint may have caretakers in the parish of that saint's church, but not elsewhere. It is difficult to quantify all of these concerns, but we give highest priority to pieces in tourist areas, and lower priorities to pieces elsewhere.
Metal and Accessories
Metal, especially corrodible varieties, can pose a great risk to stone sculpture. Corrosion leaks into stone, causes pieces to break off, and interacts with the stone on a molecular level. Other manifestations of metal are also detrimental: some Venetian utilities staple their wires very close to (or in rare cases, directly onto) public art, drainage pipes are attached to pieces that were never intended to act as gargoyles, and flower beds and shutters are positioned so as to be detrimental to the condition of nearby public art.