About
Yannick Chastang, is an accredited conservator (Institute of Conservation) and expert in all types of veneered furniture and bronzes, including gilded bronzes, ormolu and sculptures.
Yannick Chastang has an international reputation as a leading specialist in European marquetry furniture, decorative arts and bronzes.
He trained from the age of 15 at the Ecole Boulle and subsequently at the University Pierre and Marie Curie in Paris. He gained work experience in private workshops in Paris and the USA, before being employed as a conservator at the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris and at the Wallace Collection in London. From this extensive exposure to fine quality furniture and bronze he developed a passion for and an understanding of historic French furniture, sculptures, paintings and other decorative arts. His museum work provided him opportunities to closely study some of the finest pieces of art ever made.
Yannick’s conservation of a Leleu secretaire, while at the Wallace Collection, was the runner up project at the Pilgrim Trust’s 2002 National Conservation Awards. In 2000, Yannick Chastang designed and installed the “Conservation Gallery” at the Wallace Collection, as part of their major refurbishment project. In 2001, Yannick Chastang curated a marquetry exhibition Paintings in Wood: French Marquetry Furniture and wrote the accompanying book.
In 2003, Yannick Chastang opened his own studio dedicated to the study and conservation of decorative arts.
In winter 2021, Yannick spent three months at the J. Paul Getty museum on their Getty Scholars Program to research and analyse metal marquetry and gilt bronzes.
Yannick sees himself as a “practical conservator” who takes a “common sense approach”. He is equally comfortable employing traditional materials and techniques or using modern methods and scientific analysis. For added quality control, he prefers to prepare his own products: including protein / animal glue, cleaning gels, lacquer and waxes. At the same time he is keen to use scientific research and practical experience to safely improve the conservation process. He was the first conservator in the late 90s to develop a less damaging steam cleaning process for gilded bronzes (now widely used at the Louvre and other major institutions); he was instrumental in developing today’s techniques of marquetry rehydration, gel cleaning, vacuum clamping, silicone heating equipment for marquetry, new pietra dura conservation techniques and improved-efficiency fish glues.
Yannick loves to explore what science can offer and he has invested in scientific equipment and in developing reference databases. He is the only private conservator in the UK and Europe to have two portable Bruker X-ray Fluorescent analysers that are calibrated primarily for the analysis and dating of gilt bronzes and sculptures. He also has two Olympus microscopes that are mainly used for iron, wood, paper, fabric and pigment identification.
Yannick Chastang lecturing at the J.Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Boulle table attributed to A. C. Boulle. Sotheby's New York. Xrf analysis and technical study.JPG
Yannick Chastang examining furniture in the storeroom at the J.Paul Getty Museum in 2007, in preparation for the Rococo furniture catalogue
Yannick Chastang examining furniture during the vetting at TEFAF Maastricht.jpg
Yannick Chastang being presented to his Majesty King Charles, then Prince of Wales, at the opening of the refurbished Wallace Collection in 2000
Assembling the colossal lacquer cabinet stamped Dubois, c.1770. Waddesdon Manor, the National Trust.
Cabinet on stand attributed to Pierre Gole, c.1680. Nostell Priory, the National Trust. Technical study
Conservation of a c.1780 French lacquer cabinet
Filming with presenter Oz Clarke for the BBC's "Secrets of the National Trust", season 2 ep 3., 2018
Installation of a Boulle clock at Knole House after conservation. The National Trust.
Kent Life, June 2019, "Day in the life of a furniture conservator"
Lacquer cabinet stamped Dubois, c.1770. Waddesdon Manor, the National Trust
The Yannick Chastang Conservation team in 2018 in front of a large porcelain pagoda during conservation
Trianon commode attributed to A. C. Boulle, c.1715. Petworth House, the National Trust. Technical study
Yannick Chastang with his reconstruction of a 17th century ripple moulding machine.© Furniture and Cabinet Making Magazine, jpg
Yannick Chastang. Xrf analysis of Boulle furniture at the J.Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Yannick Chastang being presented to his Majesty King Charles, then Prince of Wales, at the opening of the refurbished Dumfries House in 2011
Yannick Chastang conserving furniture at the Wallace Collection, using newly developed vacuum clamping and re-hydration of marquetry techniques, 1999
Yannick Chastang cutting marquetry. Photo by Thibaut Degenne
Yannick Chastang examining a gilt bronze chandelier during the vetting at TEFAF Maastricht in 2008
Yannick Chastang examining the pair of royal cabinets attributed to Domenico Cucci, made for Versailles in c.1685. The Duke of Northumberland, Alnwick Castle
Yannick Chastang lacquering a Boulle marquetry cabinet on stand from the Fitzwilliam Museum
Yannick Chastang lecturing at Chatsworth House..
Yannick Chastang lecturing at Chatsworth House
Yannick Chastang lecturing in Philadelphia, USA in 2022
Yannick chastang working on a pair of cabinets attributed to Domenico Cucci, Alnwick Castle. Old and low resolution photo, use or not, if yes, I need to find the original peg
Yannick Chastang, during his first visit to the J.Paul Getty Museum in 1995, then aged 21
Yannick Chastang. Microscopic study of pigment
Yannick Chastang. Xrf analysis of a Boulle clock at the J.Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
Cabinet on stand attributed to A.C. Boulle, c.1680. The Duke of Buccleuch and Queensberry, Drumlanrig Castle.
Yannick Chastang examining the pair of royal cabinets attributed to Domenico Cucci, made for Versailles in c.1685. The Duke of Northumberland, Alnwick Castle.