Dr Penelope Banou

Penelope Banou holds a PhD from the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art of the University of West Attica (Athens, Greece), she holds a BA degree from the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art, TEI of Athens, Greece (1996) and a MA degree with distinction from the Northumbria University in UK (1998) in Arts in Conservation of Fine Art, specialized in paper conservation.

From 1998 until 2022 she worked as a paper conservator for archival material, books and works of art on paper collaborating with museums, private and public collections. Her professional activities include participation in preservation and conservation projects, while she has been involved in education and research programs with several publications for the last 20 years. Her interest has mainly focused on the effect of oil binders on the paper support of books, archival material and works of art, but she has also engaged in the research on the evaluation of the condition of copy book and copy letters and the documentation and treatment of special categories of archival material on parchment.

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Assessment of raw papers from non-wood fibres for storage and packaging of archival materials and cultural heritage objects through a multi-disciplinary diagnostic methodology, Theohari, S., Kaminari, A., Banou, P., Karabotsos, A., Schuhmann, K., Anders, M., Alexopoulou, A. 1 Jan 2026, In: Cellulose Chemistry and Technology
• Eco-Friendly Materials in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Assessment of Green Gels and Fluids for Cleaning Surfaces of Cultural Heritage Objects, Alexopoulou, A., Kaminari, A., Choulis , K., Theochari, S., Kiskira, E., Panou, E., Mastrotheodoros, G., Theodorakopoulos, C., Dimaki, M., Karabotsos, A., Banou, P. 1 Jan 2026, Advances in Nondestrutive Evaluation Technologies for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, Cham, Switzerland, Springer
• Investigating the Effect of Linseed Oil on Paper Supports via VOC Emissions: Markers for Condition Assessment: Heritage, Banou, P., Tsimogiannis, D., Alexopoulou, A. 19 May 2026, In: Heritage
• Investigating the effect of oil binders on the paper supports via statistical analysis, Banou, P., Alexopoulou, A. 19 Jun 2026, In: npj Heritage Science
• The Charta of Greece by Rigas Velestinlis in the Collections of the Onassis Foundation: Integrated Physicochemical Study Using Novel Imaging, Topographic and Spectroscopic Techniques, Alexopoulou, A., Kaminari, A., Tsairis, G., Boyatzis, S., Mastrotheodoros, G., Galazios, C., Agoranou, O., Gerontopoulou, V., Banou, P. 1 Jan 2026, Advances in Nondestrutive Evaluation Technologies for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage, Cham, Switzerland, Springer
• Assessing gels for varnish removal on works of art on paper, Alexopoulou, A., Banou, P. 1 Apr 2025, GREENART: GREen ENdeavour in Art ResToration, Florence, Italy, GREENART project
• Increasing Awareness for the Protection of Archival Material, Banou, P., Stassinou, A. 1 May 2025, Written Heritage: New Challenges and Perspectives, Horn, Austria, Verlag Berger Horn
• Oil media on paper: investigating the morphological and chemical changes of linseed oil-impregnated paper mock-ups upon ageing, Banou, P., Boyatzis, S., Choulis , K., Karabotsos, A., Alexopoulou, A., Theodorakopoulos, C. 4 Jun 2024, Book of Abstracts: 6th International Conference on Innovation in Art Research and Technology, Oslo, Norway, University of Oslo
• Varnish removal from works of art on paper, a controversial matter. Recent reflections on the materials and methodology used for the treatment of the varnish layer, Alexopoulou, A., Kiskira, E., Banou, P., Choulis , K., Theodorakopoulos, C. 4 Jun 2024, Book of Abstracts: 6th International Conference on Innovation in Art Research and Technology, Oslo, Norway, University of Oslo
• Απεικονιστικές Τεχνικές στη Μελέτη της Πολιτιστικής Κληρονομιάς, Banou, P., Alexopoulou, A., Kaminari, A., Moutsatsou, A. 28 Jan 2024

• Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
• Oral presentation: Varnish removal of works of art on paper. Evaluating the results of gel applications 2025
• Oral presentation: The Charta of Greece by Rigas Velestinlis in the collections of the Onassis Foundation: Integrated physicochemical study using novel imaging, topographic and spectroscopic techniques 2025
• Oral presentation: Eco-friendly materials in the Conservation of Cultural Heritage: Assessment of green gels and fluids for cleaning surfaces of cultural heritage objects 2025
• Editorial work: npj Heritage Science (Journal) 2025
• Editorial work: Verlag Berger Horn (Publisher) 2024
• Oral presentation: Increasing awareness for the protection of archival material, books and works of art on paper: tools and opportunities in a new framework. 2023
• Organising a conference, workshop, ...: ERC 2024. Written heritage: new challenges and perspectives 2023
• Editorial work: Verlag Berger Horn (Publisher) 2023
• Oral presentation: Oil Media on Paper: Investigating the Effect of Linseed Oils on Paper Supports via VOC analysis” 2022
• Oral presentation: The challenge of displaying archival material and books: the role and the viewpoint of a paper conservator 2022

• Conservation PhD September 18 2024
• Fine Art MA (Hons) September 01 1997
• Conservation BA September 01 1996