A common and unwanted side effect of microbial growth on surfaces is the appearance of pigments that were not originally on the substratum. In the case of autotrophic organisms these pigments, i.e. chlorophylls and carotenoids, are associated with the photosynthetic processes. For heterotrophic organisms, such as fungi, pigments are synthesized as a response to environmental stress, and they appear to play a role in pathogenesis, in both plants and animals. The presence of one of these pigments, melanin, in the cell wall protects its constituents from enzymatic digestion. Melanin causes much of the black and brown staining on fungal-attacked paper surfaces, either attached to fungal structures or as free polymers attached to the paper. Removal of the melanin pigment without damaging the art is problematic. In this study an enzymatic approach to breakdown of melanin using lignin-degrading enzymes was tested. These enzymes are produced by whit-rot fungi as part of their secondary metabolism and have been shown to successfully break down free melanin. The effectiveness of the treatment process was assessed using colorimetry, SEM (scanning electron microscopy), FTIR (Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy), and Raman spectroscopy.