The Process Behind the Delicate Art of Painting Restoration Narrated in Calming, Hypnotic Voice

August 2018, we wrote about second generation fine art conservator Julian Baumgartner of Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration in Chicago, Illinois, as he delicately restored a classic self-portrait of Italian painter Emma Gaggiotti Richards in a precise manner.

Baumgartner put these same skills to use in restoring a painting depicting the assassination of Archimedes. As he worked, Baumgartner narrated his detailed restoration process in a calming, hypnotic voice.

Obscured by a darkened varnish and mounted to a wood panel the artwork is cleaned and the panel removed using both modern and traditional techniques. Using routers, hand planes and scalpels the wood is painstakingly removed from the thin paper in order to facilitate the preservation of the paper via archival mounting to acid-free board.

Baumgartner often posts similarly narrated painting restoration videos on YouTube and on Instagram.

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.

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