Bringing “Karma” Back to Life: Kenneth Noland’s Painting Restored at Harvard Art Museums

In 1964, artist Kenneth Noland created Karma for the Venice Biennale, where he was one of eight painters representing new approaches to American art. Shortly after, Harvard’s Fogg Art Museum acquired the work and featured it in a 1965 exhibition. In September 2024, conservators at the Harvard Art Museums’ Straus Center for Conservation and Technical Studies carried out a rare and highly controlled treatment. Using carbon-filtered water and measured ultraviolet light exposure from sunlight, they brightened and evened the large, unpainted cotton canvas in the composition. This innovative procedure not only restored the painting’s visual impact but also advanced research on treating modern paintings with exposed cotton canvas.