"When an oval-shaped portrait fell into his hands, with its structural framework crumbling and its canvas stained, that wasn't even the worst of it. This particular painting had also been unskillfully painted over to freshen it up, despite-as Baumgartner discovers-the fact that the "fix" actually completely changed the entire feel of the work. As he works, he illuminates how the amateur attempt to restore the work actually eliminated the subtle nuances of the artist's original intention, and by extension, the sitter's personality."
"Baumgartner is based in Chicago and runs what is now the oldest restoration studio in the city. Using archival and reversible materials, he conserves and restores artworks by removing discoloration, camouflaging cracks, repairing holes, and much more. Via his popular YouTube channel, Baumgartner chronicles the satisfyingly meticulous, step-by-step process he employs to breathe new life into paintings, whether made by anonymous artists to titans of art history."
An elderly amateur's botched restoration of the century-old Ecce Homo portrait in Borja, Spain, went viral and generated tourism revenue and charity donations for the town. Amateur overpainting can erase artists' subtle intentions and erase sitters' personalities, compounding structural issues like crackled varnish, deteriorating stretcher bars, stained canvas, and stapled edges. Julian Baumgartner, a second-generation restorer and owner of Chicago's oldest restoration studio, uses archival, reversible materials to remove discoloration, camouflage cracks, and repair holes. Baumgartner often restores works damaged by unskilled interventions, revealing original detail and aesthetic balance. He documents meticulous, step-by-step conservation work on a popular YouTube channel.
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