The article discusses how the common perception of old paintings being muted and yellowed is largely due to the aging of varnish applied over the artwork, rather than the artist's original intention. Varnish can enhance the colors initially but deteriorates over time due to chemical changes and environmental factors, resulting in a dulled appearance. Restoration expert Julian Baumgartner emphasizes that the intention of artists typically is to maintain the original vibrancy of colors, and misinterpretations about varnish being beneficial are inaccurate. Efforts to clean and restore artworks can bring them back to their original brilliance.
"A lot of people say that the varnish should never be removed, that that's a patina that is on the surface of the painting and that it adds to the painting's quality: it makes the painting look better, it makes it look more serious," says Baumgartner.
"Those are all interesting opinions, but they're all inaccurate. If the artist wanted to apply a patina to their painting, they could apply a patina and tone down the colors. But most artists, when they apply a varnish, do not envision that varnish will ever become yellow or brown, or will crack or become cloudy."
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