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The Restoration of Ave Maria Narrated Version AD FREE
🕑 Added 2020-10-08 23:13:22 +0000 UTCFollow along as Julian Baumgartner of Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration in Chicago works to conserve and restore this icon of Ave Maria. This piece was likely created in a workshop that specialized in religious icons for churches and was the product of several craftspeople and artists with no one claiming ownership or signing the work.
These icons appeared commonly throughout Europe and were often lost during war or the closure or relocation of a church. This piece came in with very little provenance other than that the original owner was an antiques dealer who traveled extensively throughout Europe in the 50's and 60's collecting pieces for sale back in the USA. This was one that the dealer held on to.
Covered in years of grime and linseed oil with extensive losses and instability this icon was at high risk for further losses if not complete destruction. The process of conserving and restoring the piece was delicate and tedious but the end result reveals how it might have looked to parishioners when it was first revealed.
This version of the video includes a narrated walk-through of the work being performed. There is an ambient sounds-only version here: https://youtu.be/rNwpINkSTVY
Comments
Eddy González
I have many questions about this work of the Ave Maria, but I'll ask you start a few.. Don't want to prompt you into making a video about the uniqueness of this painting and why you chose to do it a certain way. Although I wouldn't stop you from doing so..; ) Did the wood itself did not needed cleaning? I did not hear you address it. You also mentioned about conserving as much of the wood as possible. That sounds to me like you could still address some of the damages to the wood. Lastly. I noticed the pieces of paint you removed were quite thik. Was that because it was still attached to the original gesso?
When I tell my friends that I watch art restoration videos to relax and they give me that funny, head tilted sideways look (like a dog hearing a strange noise), I show them THIS video. It's one of my favorites and usually gets my friends hooked enough to watch a few others on their own. ♥️
