If you’re already a fan of Fake or Fortune and Britain’s Lost Masterpieces, you’ll know what it’s like to be bit by the art restoration bug.
Apart from the exciting detective work that goes into analyzing paint samples and hunting down provenance, there is that visceral pleasure of witnessing a Victorian mask being expertly peeled off of a Renaissance portrait, or just simply seeing a stunning work of art emerge from surface grime and old varnish.
I recently stumbled on an independent Youtube gem that does precisely this: Baumgartner Restoration.
Baumgarter Fine Art Restoration is the oldest conservation studio in Chicago.
In his channel, conservator Julian Baumgartner posts some 40-minute-long videos detailing the restoration of paintings, some in pretty bad shape.
The result is educational and strangely soothing.
Header image via @baumgartnerrestoration on Instagram