Taking the wrong path: learning from oversights, misconceptions, failures and mistakes in conservation

Misunderstandings, misconceptions and errors in action, opinion, or judgement caused by poor reasoning, carelessness, or insufficient knowledge affecting both the practical and theoretical aspects of our profession are illustrated by a series of case stories from wall painting conservation in Denmark. Past mistakes have aided progress by demonstrating the need for improvement in various areas, such as quality control, documentation, communication and decision-making.