Behind the scenes with Monet and friends at the Harn

March 13, 2015

They travel with bodyguards, demand perfect lighting, and can never, under any circumstances, be touched with bare hands. But they aren’t celebrities: They’re the priceless paintings gathered for the “Monet and American Impressionism” exhibition at the University of Florida’s Harn Museum of Art.

Harn Museum director Rebecca Nagy shared some secrets of organizing a show like this – which features works on loan from the National Gallery of Art, the Smithsonian American Art Museum and the Brooklyn Museum – at UF’s Eye Opener Discovery Breakfast March 11.

  • Some of the paintings on loan require special alarms, extra guards and additional security cameras to protect them from damage and theft. (We’re not saying which ones.)
  • The trucks that move priceless artwork from museum to museum have two drivers and a sleeping area, so the trucks don’t have to stop overnight. During breaks, one driver remains with the artwork at all times.
  • Once the custom-built crates containing the paintings are unloaded, they can’t be hung right away: The artwork has to rest in its crate for 24 hours or more to acclimate to its new climate.
  • The amount of light that shines on a painting during a show is regulated by the lender and measured in in foot candles (with a foot-candle measuring one lumen per square foot, if you’re counting). Works on paper typically have a limitation of 5 foot-candles, while oil paintings can tolerate 15.
  • Even a light touch from a curious finger can damage a painting, so guards are always on alert. Want to avoid giving a guard a heart attack? If you lean in to see a picture up close, stay two feet away and clasp your hands behind your back. “That way, the guards know you aren’t about to touch it,” Nagy said.

The “Monet and American Impressionism” exhibition runs until May 24. The next Eye Opener Breakfast is April 8, when Dr. Frederick Moore will discuss the UF Health Shands trauma center, which recently marked its tenth anniversary. The breakfast begins at 7:30 a.m. at the UF Hilton Conference Center; $18 cash or check at the door. To reserve a place, email uf-communityrelations@ufl.edu.