In March 2018, Jack Brandtman of Chicago Aussie shadowed second generation fine art conservator Julian Baumgartner of Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration in Chicago as he delicately restored a self portrait of Emma Gaggiotti Richards, an Italian painter whose work was popular with Queen Victoria. Baumgartner’s process, as shown, requires a delicate hand, an exacting eye and a great deal of patience.
ReMade in Chicago, Baumgartner Restoration is a second-generation art conservation studio in Chicago. Follow Julian as he completely restores a damaged painting.
From what Baumgartner shares on social media, the scope of the work appears to vary greatly. It can be a full repair of a badly damaged piece, a fix on a previous restoration, a re-inclusion of a missing character, a hand-painted replacement of oxidation cracks on the canvas or just a simple wipe down of a very dirty piece.
