Some people have really unusual and interesting careers. This fascinating art restoration video focuses on Julian Baumgartner, the conservator from Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration. This is Chicago’s oldest art conservation studio. It was established by R. Agass Baumgartner, a Swiss artist and art historian in 1978.
The current conservator, Julian Baumgartner, is the second generation in the business and he takes great pride in carrying on his father’s legacy.
Many people are deeply interested in the restoration process, especially if it is a very fine piece of art with a history or can be attributed to a famous painter.
In his video, Baumgartner documents the restoration of a 19th-century self-portrait by the renowned Italian painter, Emma Gaggiotti Richards. The captivating eight-minute-long film was shot by Chicago Aussie.
The restoration process aims to repair any damage and clean off years of grime, called the patina. It takes a lot of time and effort and it is very detailed work.
Baumgartner demonstrates the entire process where he gently removes the patina, mends tears and scratches in the canvas and retouches the paint where it has chipped or flaked. To maintain a uniform result between restored parts and untouched parts of the painting he even adds some “authentic cracks” so the new work will blend with the original.
Baumgartner utilizes a non-invasive approach to his efforts, to ensure that any unforeseen restoration “disasters” can be reversed. At the end of the video we get to see the amazing results of Baumgartner’s skillful attention to detail. The dirty, damaged piece of artwork has been transformed into something truly magnificent.
In a captivating art restoration video, conservator Julian Baumgartner from Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration restores a painting by Italian painter Emma Gaggiotti Richards.
The process includes removing the patina…
Mending the canvas…
And fixing up the paint.
He even adds “cracks” for authenticity!
