This painting and the work you've done to it are incredible. We've seen a lot of different styles of painting in your studio, but this brushwork is beautiful. cheers!
This would be a lethal drinking game. "Take a shot every time you think 'surely it can't get any worse'." You'd be plastered by the time you saw the duct tape.
ya' know? sometimes i wish the creator of these painting could come and see what julian is doing. just imagine their reaction to seeing someone taking such delicate care of their works and explaining every little detail.
Somewhere in Heavens there is a club of Jullian's admirers why cry together with the creator of each painting that go to Julian's studio. These are the happy tears that make flowers on Earth and grow food and fill rivers and lakes!
if i had paintings i would wish them to eventually rot away into nothingness, everything has to end and there will come a time where this painting has been renovated so many times it will no longer have any original constituents left, a bit of a ship of Theseus situation.
@@lelagrangeeffectphysics4120 You need to decide what is important to you - the physical part or the emotional one, whether the object keeps your heart attached to it or your brain is calculating its worth for sale. When you get your answer, the idea about the authenticity of the ship no longer matters. That is it, if the heart prevails. But if the brain takes over, you will sell the paintings and enjoy the profit. Nothing bad in both decisions, you only need to know which one you choose.
@@pistolannie6500the differences with being a Patreon member is that there are no ads, you see the video a day earlier, and there is a Q And A about a week or so after the release. The video is the same.
Julian saying he'd fight someone praising staples over tacks made me laugh. The thought of Julian going after a staple guy holding his tack hammer... hilarious. 😅💕
Good catch. I watched it like 5 times to make sure I wasn't seeing things and then came here to see if others caught it. Can't imagine it mattered with this one.
@@alexanderkupke920 If you listen you hear it land before the painting is put back down, so I'm pretty sure it's a loose piece of something (probably tacking edge) sent flying - glad I'm not the only one who caught it (as it were lol)
That is going to be one happy client. And I love that this painting was never about a 'big name artist', it had deep meaning to the owner, and that was why it was worth saving. What art is truly about.
The owner must be shocked to see the painting almost as good as new! Also, I feel like this was not the most difficult restoration, but one of the most satisfying for sure.
@@mircat28 Sandra said she does t believe it was the "most difficult" not that it wasn't difficult at all. Just like everyone else here, she's entitled to her opinion. I've been on this channel for quite a while and there have been some pretty serious restorations. It's all subject from the outside looking in. There's enough ugly in the world without dragging people in the comments over twisted words. Please be kind. This is a peaceful place.
@@mircat28 I actually agree with Sandra. He once worked on a painting that was literally torn into four pieces. Look up "Ex Multis Ad Umum" (From Many, One).
@@mircat28 Miss demi is right! :D "I feel like" is a key phrase. Also, "most difficult" should be read together. By that I mean... if this had rabbit skin glue on the back that has to be scratched off inch by inch, or polyurethane "varnish" that does not come off at all... You can ask mr.Baumgartner if he agrees with me on that! :D
Absolutely true. Me, not a big fan of fine art, can still find his videos enjoyable because the wonderful work he does and also the narrtion, the whole video makes it fun.
but but but.. I really wished we could see a bit more of the less interesting retouching - especially this huuge gape and how did you figure out how the rip in the elbow should go :o fantastic job anyway! am always left astonished here!
Tacks: Make only one hole, have a head to easily remove, don't break into tiny little slivers when trying to remove, applies holding pressure on larger area Staples: Make 2 holes, have to try to pry out and end up breaking them, smaller surface area and can rip the tacking edge I think it's pretty obvious which is better :)
@@constancemiller3753 I have to agree. Julian (and you) knows the difference. And I’ve seen countless videos of Julian removing staples and not being very happy. He‘s sooo smooth and polite, had it been me, I’d swear loudly. Luckily, I’m from the south of Norway. If I’d been from the north of Norway, I’d swear so hot I’d set the canvas on fire!
He also talked about in a video theres like a bunch of rules conservators have to follow and one of them is teaching and sharing information, and he counts his UA-cam videos as that
I agree with your statement which was mine also! I love this painting and its subject! I would trade it in against my "Mona Lisa" as if...! Great restoration work, thank you for sharing it with us!
I stumbled across your channel quite by accident about 2 or 3 weeks ago and have been totally mesmerized ever since. If I may call you Julian, you have not only imparted knowledge I didn't have about conserving precious artworks, but you have also opened my eyes to the wonders of just how much a conservator of art has to know in the first place. I am totally blown away by the sheer magnitude of what you are able to achieve on a daily basis. YOU are genuinely a total professional in every respect. Nothing about your approach, the time spent, the lengths that you will go through to "do the right thing" by the piece of art itself as well as the client who has engaged you skips your attention. Your ability to bring the work back to life is absolute extraordinary. I will continue to watch and thank you for these gifts.
I thought that hard blob was going to be super glue. I wouldn’t have been surprised considering there was duct tape on the back. Another amazing restoration. Well done!!
Well done! For a family heirloom that painting has certainly seen a startlingly consistent lack of care, evidenced by the many seemingly thoughtless tears, cuts and grime made worse by those miserable bodges. A beautifully executed artwork, I'm glad it's current keeper cared enough to rescue it from the bin.
As an artist, I weep a little when I see the state of some of these works and then I shed a few more when I see how you have brought them back to life. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Same here! Ive always wanted to dedicate my life to a single craft and hone and perfect my skills exactly like this. Just seeing the level of skill and mastery is inspiring
Whoa!!!! The alternative title for this "horror" movie: The Blob. Scraping the paint off of that warty lump was scary to watch! Thrilled at the happy ending! 😍
@@andjarinkgustilasessio I think that would make a great t-shirt series for the studio. A picture of some ragged strips of canvas and a couple unrecognizable soot-marred blobs of smeary paint, with the legend "BAUMGARTNER RESTORATION: Hold My Fish Gelatin/Washikozo/Tacks/Varnish/Stretchers/Keys." Collect all six!
The only thing (and I mean the ONLY thing) I´d add to this wonderfull chanel, is the reaction of the owners wen they see the final result... But I guess they have their reasons to not show them. I don´t know if is the story of the paint or just the aestetics of It, but It is my favorite one of Julian restorations.
He's shown that a few times in the past when the client allows it to be recorded and it's been really cool to see, but he says that clients don't always want to be recorded. and clients may not always pick up the picture in person (I'm assuming, idk) and probably sometimes the reaction is boring.
Watch the intro. The damage is not from neglect. He said it belonged to the son of the owner who was stationed in Germany in WW2 who was a friend of the boy in the painting. I would presume it got torn up and battered on the way out of Germany - or - it was destroyed during WW2 in Germany (perhaps at the house of the painter) and was saved and brought home, stuck under a bed, and left there. The duct tape makes me think the father or the son tried to patch it back together in the 80s or 90s and that failed (duct tape can take 30 years usually to dry out and become brittle).
The isolation layer is such genius! Wet paint never looks the same as dry, so it's brilliant that you can make it appear wet so you can do the touch ups as if you were sitting with the artist when it was first painted. Beautiful!!!
0:40 me talking about my mental health 4:55 you know it’s bad when there’s duck tape or when Julian has the “why did I choose this profession again” look
you know I actually kinda liked the way this painting looked while it just had the fill-in medium and the varnish before you started retouching. it reminded me of those Japanese broken bowls that get put back together with gold or silver, so you can still see where the cracks were and how it was repaired. it reminds me that the painting is still a living object, and that it's damage is part of its history.
If I hadn’t been watching for a while, probably would have thought this impossible. But having the Julian background that I do, I knew to just sit back and enjoy the show!
I remember when one of your viewers first sent you one of those weights with a handle. It's cool to see just how many more you've added to your arsenal since then! Are they all from the person that sent that first one?
Hahaha i remember that too! We should be in baumgartner trivia! Which of the following clears rabbit skin glue from the back of the canvas A) solvent B) Milder solvent C) Mildest solvent D) That water absorbing jel-o thingy GOTCHA!
Julian: "Yes, if you look closely, you can see the scar." Me, a few inches away from the monitor watching in HD seeing a perfectly intact and beautiful painting that's showing no signs that's evident to me of having ever been damaged: "Mmm yes, scar, can see it."
Someday I would like to see how the stretcher is made and how it "floats" and what part the keys play in keeping it together. I love your videos and always learn something new. Thank you for what you do....
Stretcher is made from 4 separate pieces of wood that fit into each other. Friction does a bit of job of keeping it together but you could still easily break it with a bit of force. What holds it together are opposed forces from the painting and keys. Once painting is secured onto strecher, it creates a force towards strecher, and keys are putting pressure from inside out. Those two opposed forces and friction hold everything together.
This was fantastic! I feel like a lot of people would have just written the painting off. But you put in the work and now it's been preserved for years to come. You gave it a new lease on life.
Wow. That was my initial reaction on seeing this painting. Then I might have put it right back in the drawer. You on the other hand did an amazing job. I was quite gob smacked at how well you restored this wonderful painting. You are an artist in your own right.
what a delightful transformation! his eyes are so bright and arresting, the finished piece is so beautiful. i also love how you can see all his little freckles now! he has so much personality
After watching so many of these restorations, I am still blown away by the level of work you achieve. The before and afters are startling. I am always amazed at how a project turns out.
Ah, yes. This video is where it all started for me. A year later, after having watched his entire back catalog over and over, it's hard for me to remember a time when I didn't know Julian Baumgartner and his artistic alchemy. How much richness he adds to my life!
Thank you soooo much for saying “duct” tape instead of “duck” tape. No wonder someone named his product Duck Tape to capitalize on people’s mispronunciation.
Duct tape? Have we hit a new low? Industrial adhesive, mastick, Elmer's glue, polyurethane - just add duct tape to the list of DIY restoration materials. Julian, you are a wizard. That restoration was awesome.
This is the most enjoyable channel I know on youtube. In an era in which sometimes it seems everything is falling apart, looking at someone preserving the beauty of the past gives me hope for the future.
I am an artist, started with crayons, tried grafitti, tatoing and I have tried painting some. I will never be as good as the paintings you put on show here. But, my goodnes you inspire me so much ❤️
that’s what matters. i love to create, too. but i also know that my work is OK, not in the Artist category at all. some people don’t know that. i see their work and just go “oh, jeez. i could do that.” i’ve also seen some people whose work is very amateur, but they study and draw, draw, draw and become quite good. on the other hand, i’ve seen some almost genius work and these people are artists right from the start. you just know when you see it!! some early pictures by children are totally amazing. one little girl drew half a child walking off the paper - it was just incredible. it worked. :) 🌷🌱
First reaction to the painting was "Oh lord, that poor poor painting"... 🤬 Thank goodness you are so up the challenge. Beautiful work sir, beautiful work. 😍
Saw the duct tape and my jaw literally Dropped 😵 Julian works magic every time I swear! Update: oil paint as a patch??? How does that make any sense? I wonder if Julian is surprised anymore by the old "conservation" efforts on the paintings he works on
I always thought the isolation layer was also to make it easier to remove the overpainting in the future, so you aren't having paint on paint directly.
That would be true if you were using oil based paint to retouch an oil painting. When that happens, it is difficult to remove the retouching without damaging the original paint. Over time they will bond together to the point that it becomes impossible. An isolation layer is essential for keeping those paint layers separated. However, the conservation paints that Julian uses are not oil based. They will not meld to the painting and can be removed with solvents that do not affect the surrounding oil paint. This makes the isolation layer optional.
If the original paint and the retouching can be removed with the same solvent, the isolation layer is necessary to allow the retouching to be removed in the future. If they’re so different that they have no solvent in common it might actually be safer to avoid the isolation layer, because finding a varnish that doesn’t share a solvent with either seems practically impossible in those cases.
I think also to remove paint today. He won't say that but if there is isolation layer conservator can just erase mistake and try again until satisfied.
When is the original intent of the artist so far removed from the present piece that the painting isn't worth the restoration? What is the crossover point at which a piece (even with a careful and respectful conservation) belongs more to the conservator than it does to the artist? I understand that as a business owner you will do what your clients pay you to do but is there a point at which you will say no? I'm not referencing this restoration in particular (this was a beautifully done restoration), these are just general questions that I have been wondering about. You are incredibly talented and I truly appreciate you sharing the stories of your time with these works.
Having watched most of his current videos he seems to walk a really thin line. He respects his profession immensely but ultimately he cannot go against the wishes of the client a few of the times he has discussed “advising” his clients of the best move given his expertise. . I do wonder if he has ever turned down a client due to their wishes.
@@oliviaroberts5722 I have wondered the same thing, I've also wondered if he has ever run across across a true old master painting. I feel like those works wouldn't make it into a video or if he would turn down that work and recommend the client to someone with experience working with that name. I've watched a few conservation videos put out by the Smithsonian and the only difference that I can see is that they seem to work at a much slower pace, but the individual techniques seem to be very similar or identical.
He removed a LOT of overpaint from that area before removing the lump, so I guess there were very significant losses and there was probably little to no original paint left there.
When you have paintings like this with a lump of something in them why not do the hot table upside down so as to have the surface of the painting stay flat while the back has the lump where you can remove it without worrying about the paint as much? Also if you have multiple layers of backing doing it upside down would guarantee those wouldn’t show up on the surface. There’s probably an obvious answer but I’m curious thanks!
think of it like this. when you iron a shirt you turn it inside out to keep the logo lasting longer because if you iron on the logo it cracks and fades real fast. the same with a painting, you dont want to loose the image nor destroy the texture of the paint. he uses washi paper and most of the time fish gelatin to facilitate the protection of the paint layer. the hot table is used to relax the canvas allowing to ease the fibres and so the paint naturally stretches a bit too, thereby easing the task when this has to be restreched over a new frame. hope this helps :)
One phrase sums up my reaction to the beginning: HOLY S***!!! Thank god that Julian has mad restoration skills, otherwise this painting would have been toast!!!
The eyes on this one are fascinating. They're so detailed, when he was cleaning them it felt like i was looking into a real human being's eyes, like a portal to the past opened
The owner: Hey man, can you save this painting? I think it's impossible
Julian: Hold my washi kozo
LOL. Good one!
Julian needs to make a shirt with this quote! 😂
@@socrabe yes i agree so much
Bahahahaha.🤣🤣🤣
I laughed way to hard at this!🤣It’s official, I’m a nerd!🤓
I think this is the best one so far. So much damage yet the end result Is almost flawless. Sir I salute you.
This painting and the work you've done to it are incredible. We've seen a lot of different styles of painting in your studio, but this brushwork is beautiful. cheers!
Your work is always so well done Julian, but this is the best I've seen since I started following you. Absolutely amazing final result!
OMG! There's duct tape! That's wild. This is going to be a very cool finished conservation.
You know the skill he have is insane cause he make it look so easy.
Literally gasped at the duct tape reveal. My husband now thinks I’m crazy… but he doesn’t understand!
I was moved by this. What a master restore
Impressive work! You are a master!
That's so impressive!
It is a most pheasant process to watch...
Only Julian would practice his spraying technique on a classic 911!
This might be my favorite one
Just amazing!!
You are a Master.
6:25 i sneezed just by looking at it
This painting is a metaphor for the BINGO card that is 2022.
❤️
🤭 you're silly! "Phesant" 🙉
It looks like the boy is smiling brihgter after the work is complete.
my soul almost left my body when I saw the duct tape. just....WHY?!
This isn't half bad asmr btw.
How much bigger did your arm and shoulder muscles get after this?
fun fact: if you look into a mirror and say "staples are superior to tacks" three times in a dark room, a very annoyed julian will appear behind you.
Lmao
Nah, Julian would never be annoyed. Just VERY disappointed.
@@Elfdaughter trust me an aura of disappointment in a pitch black room sparks absolute TERROR.
💀
💀💀💀💀
This would be a lethal drinking game. "Take a shot every time you think 'surely it can't get any worse'." You'd be plastered by the time you saw the duct tape.
Nononono, take a drink every time Baumgartner fixes a flaw! You’ll be unconscious before retouching even begins 😂
Or... each time you hear, "washi kozo!"
Double shots for scraping 🤭🤭🤭
the Brawler would have given alcohol poisoning.
@@mizzelle71 😂😂😂
Owner: "James, this painting is leaking."
Butler: "I'll get the duct tape, sir. It is reversible"
Archival, reversible, acid-free duct tape...
honestly the butler is smarter than the guy who slathered on the oil paint
ya' know? sometimes i wish the creator of these painting could come and see what julian is doing. just imagine their reaction to seeing someone taking such delicate care of their works and explaining every little detail.
Somewhere in Heavens there is a club of Jullian's admirers why cry together with the creator of each painting that go to Julian's studio. These are the happy tears that make flowers on Earth and grow food and fill rivers and lakes!
you made me cry!
if i had paintings i would wish them to eventually rot away into nothingness, everything has to end and there will come a time where this painting has been renovated so many times it will no longer have any original constituents left, a bit of a ship of Theseus situation.
@@lelagrangeeffectphysics4120 You need to decide what is important to you - the physical part or the emotional one, whether the object keeps your heart attached to it or your brain is calculating its worth for sale. When you get your answer, the idea about the authenticity of the ship no longer matters. That is it, if the heart prevails. But if the brain takes over, you will sell the paintings and enjoy the profit. Nothing bad in both decisions, you only need to know which one you choose.
@@lelagrangeeffectphysics4120 if i had paintings id wish people would play Cupcakke songs next to it
I would have loved a 90 minute extended version of this. Doesn’t have to be all narrated, just watching the work is so enjoyable.
Came here to say this. The hot table is my favorite part but it keeps getting cut shorter and shorter for being “boring”
To get THAT... U HAVE to PAY for it. (Patreon) Those of us who CAN'T AFFORD THAT... we just have to take what we get.. lol.
Agreed. I like watching more of the actual retouching.
@@pistolannie6500the differences with being a Patreon member is that there are no ads, you see the video a day earlier, and there is a Q And A about a week or so after the release. The video is the same.
Julian: "It's just oil paint."
me, not comprehending: okay...?
Julian: "Gobs and gobs of oil paint-"
me, almost levitating off my bed: WHAT THE FUCK
Whoever did that thought the painting needed some more impasto. And by that, he meant, im-fucking-pasto.
@@NetRolller3D Sure someone did not just mix up the difference between Stucko and a paint job?
@@alexanderkupke920 it’s for *texture*
My reaction 100%, I thought I was confused for a second. Like surely he doesn't mean there's an entire tube of oil paint jammed into tha...ohh. Oh no.
Never seen a painting get the landlord treatment before...
Julian saying he'd fight someone praising staples over tacks made me laugh. The thought of Julian going after a staple guy holding his tack hammer... hilarious. 😅💕
🤣
Staple guy has the range advantage but the hammer has better melee stats.
"with a hope and a flip"
*piece of canvas flies across the studio*
"The painting is okay"
Glad I'm not the only one that saw that.
Did it fly of or was it that piece of the tacking edge that lay somewhat astray on the painting afterwards? I was not entirely sure.
Yeah saw that too. An upsi moment
Good catch. I watched it like 5 times to make sure I wasn't seeing things and then came here to see if others caught it. Can't imagine it mattered with this one.
@@alexanderkupke920 If you listen you hear it land before the painting is put back down, so I'm pretty sure it's a loose piece of something (probably tacking edge) sent flying - glad I'm not the only one who caught it (as it were lol)
That is going to be one happy client. And I love that this painting was never about a 'big name artist', it had deep meaning to the owner, and that was why it was worth saving. What art is truly about.
Julian: this has to be it right? There can't be more damage!
The painting: BUT WAIT! THERE'S MORE!
I love how real the boy's face is. You can see the chill in the air in the rosy colors.
The owner must be shocked to see the painting almost as good as new! Also, I feel like this was not the most difficult restoration, but one of the most satisfying for sure.
You don’t think it was difficult?
Did you discuss that with
Mr. Baumgartner??
@@mircat28 Sandra said she does t believe it was the "most difficult" not that it wasn't difficult at all. Just like everyone else here, she's entitled to her opinion. I've been on this channel for quite a while and there have been some pretty serious restorations. It's all subject from the outside looking in. There's enough ugly in the world without dragging people in the comments over twisted words. Please be kind. This is a peaceful place.
@@mircat28 I actually agree with Sandra. He once worked on a painting that was literally torn into four pieces. Look up "Ex Multis Ad Umum" (From Many, One).
@@mircat28 Miss demi is right! :D "I feel like" is a key phrase. Also, "most difficult" should be read together. By that I mean... if this had rabbit skin glue on the back that has to be scratched off inch by inch, or polyurethane "varnish" that does not come off at all... You can ask mr.Baumgartner if he agrees with me on that! :D
Knowing people these days the owner probly wanted to pay Julian with exposure
It’s such a small detail but I love the way you title, narrate, and overall edit your videos. You truly tell a story and bring life to the painting.
Absolutely true. Me, not a big fan of fine art, can still find his videos enjoyable because the wonderful work he does and also the narrtion, the whole video makes it fun.
@@hron84 To me.. sometimes, it's almost "Poetic". It sounds almost like He's reading one big Poetic story.
but but but.. I really wished we could see a bit more of the less interesting retouching - especially this huuge gape and how did you figure out how the rip in the elbow should go :o fantastic job anyway! am always left astonished here!
agreed!!! i was looking forward to all that retouching!!!
Yes! And did he used his tiny-little paintbrush for this?
Agreed, such a shame that this part wasn't covered in great detail. Otherwise, what a brilliant video and a magnificent restoration.
YES! I CAN'T AGREE MORE! I was so looking forward to see the retouching, it's so mesmerizing! Just that little bit wasn't enough! I wanna cry!
Watching Julian is a bit like "Pimp my ride", but for grownups.
Thank you Julian for the work you do 🎨🖼️
15:20 I laughed a lot when the jump cuts of the weights just kept coming and coming and coming and coming. Julian has a very specific sense of humor
Same! XD
Not to mention the short-film-esque cuts of him struggling to find the optimum way to transfer the canvas at 10:45
Tacks: Make only one hole, have a head to easily remove, don't break into tiny little slivers when trying to remove, applies holding pressure on larger area
Staples: Make 2 holes, have to try to pry out and end up breaking them, smaller surface area and can rip the tacking edge
I think it's pretty obvious which is better :)
With the amount of time required to perform the restoration work, trying to save a few minutes with staples seems fairly pointless.
Also the tacking is controlled pressure or 'feel'.
The staples are shot from an air gun. Hasn't the stretcher been through enough?
@@constancemiller3753 I have to agree. Julian (and you) knows the difference. And I’ve seen countless videos of Julian removing staples and not being very happy. He‘s sooo smooth and polite, had it been me, I’d swear loudly. Luckily, I’m from the south of Norway. If I’d been from the north of Norway, I’d swear so hot I’d set the canvas on fire!
And tacks just look betterrrrrrr
@@kunigundeii9106 Exactly . It's an effing oil painting not a DIY pallet couch.
It feels like a tiger ripped it’s claws through the canvas 😦, still, no challenge is too big!
This comment reminds of the slash from beauty and the beast lol
I like how he just tells us every single step because he's so good there is no way we could possibly replicate his work.
He also talked about in a video theres like a bunch of rules conservators have to follow and one of them is teaching and sharing information, and he counts his UA-cam videos as that
I mean craftsman rarely make a secret of their methods, ultimately it's the skill that makes them money.
I love this painting. The young boy does really "come to life". What a wonderful back story. Tank you once again 4 letting us come along.
I agree with your statement which was mine also! I love this painting and its subject! I would trade it in against my "Mona Lisa" as if...! Great restoration work, thank you for sharing it with us!
He looks like a figure from on Victorian era Christmas card, he really came back to life.
I thought it was a girl, until Julian mentioned it.
so nicely said. :) 🌷🌱
I stumbled across your channel quite by accident about 2 or 3 weeks ago and have been totally mesmerized ever since. If I may call you Julian, you have not only imparted knowledge I didn't have about conserving precious artworks, but you have also opened my eyes to the wonders of just how much a conservator of art has to know in the first place. I am totally blown away by the sheer magnitude of what you are able to achieve on a daily basis. YOU are genuinely a total professional in every respect. Nothing about your approach, the time spent, the lengths that you will go through to "do the right thing" by the piece of art itself as well as the client who has engaged you skips your attention. Your ability to bring the work back to life is absolute extraordinary. I will continue to watch and thank you for these gifts.
I thought that hard blob was going to be super glue. I wouldn’t have been surprised considering there was duct tape on the back. Another amazing restoration. Well done!!
I was hoping for a bee wax...
Duct Tape.... Redneck Fix-it-ALL
I was thinking resin of some sorts
Well done!
For a family heirloom that painting has certainly seen a startlingly consistent lack of care, evidenced by the many seemingly thoughtless tears, cuts and grime made worse by those miserable bodges. A beautifully executed artwork, I'm glad it's current keeper cared enough to rescue it from the bin.
That is by far the most damage I've seen yet from a piece you'd done content on, holy crap. This transformation is just masterful and awesome.
Yeah this is one of his best works I think
As an artist, I weep a little when I see the state of some of these works and then I shed a few more when I see how you have brought them back to life. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
I love your content. It's always relaxing and inspiring. 🥰🥰🥰
Same here! Ive always wanted to dedicate my life to a single craft and hone and perfect my skills exactly like this. Just seeing the level of skill and mastery is inspiring
Fascinating
Ikr
I audibly gasped when I saw the back of the canvas! My lord this must've been a challenging project. Great video as usual!
I cringed and dropped my phone. Glad I was on my bed.
I was gonna ask if I was the only who gasped. I had my hand on my chest as I did so.
Saaaame. The duct tape made me 🤯
I DEFINITELY gasped at all that duct tape!! Yikes!
I saw that part and was like "i understand if he doesnt let them have their painting back..."
Did anyone else scream when they first saw the duck tape?
Wow, putting duct tape on the back of a canvas painting is reaching a new high in low.
You have forgotten the slow slow scraping into madness? That was the deepest low we've been shown yet.
Polyurethane.
… I think it’s like. The fourth worst on this channel? With the tile cement being the worst.
ELMER'S GLUE
@@CraftQueenJr The tile cement was in a category of wrongness all its own.
ALL the true homies appreciate the isolation layer.
Whoa!!!! The alternative title for this "horror" movie: The Blob.
Scraping the paint off of that warty lump was scary to watch! Thrilled at the happy ending! 😍
The dust! For the first time I reacted involuntarily, had to fight off a sneeze!
Should have played something like jaws... or just somethin "suspenseful "... dad da dad da... aaaaaaahhhh.. mnnnooooo! LOL
This was one of the best restorations I’ve seen you do. It’s beautiful.
The universe: hey, bet you can't fix this shredded painting and Jedi in a perfect sponsor segment
Julian: hold my fish gelatin
Also: hold my washi kozo paper
@@andjarinkgustilasessio I think that would make a great t-shirt series for the studio. A picture of some ragged strips of canvas and a couple unrecognizable soot-marred blobs of smeary paint, with the legend "BAUMGARTNER RESTORATION: Hold My Fish Gelatin/Washikozo/Tacks/Varnish/Stretchers/Keys." Collect all six!
@@mcjohn5420 Add "Hold My Cotton Balls"
Well, he fixed the painting at least.
Bahahaha lol
I would love a longer cut of this. Like those longer series you did on specific paintings (in very bad conditions)
Yes, please! I need to see all the "less interesting" retouching! 🤤
Oh please, i can watch this like in 3 parts 30 min each. Some of us use these videos to relax, so it is a must, Julian! ☺️
U have to be on His Patreon to get more. He DOES give us a little...well..."behind the painting" treat.
I want an Olympic style commentary during "The Flip" including execution and style points.
The only thing (and I mean the ONLY thing) I´d add to this wonderfull chanel, is the reaction of the owners wen they see the final result... But I guess they have their reasons to not show them.
I don´t know if is the story of the paint or just the aestetics of It, but It is my favorite one of Julian restorations.
He's shown that a few times in the past when the client allows it to be recorded and it's been really cool to see, but he says that clients don't always want to be recorded. and clients may not always pick up the picture in person (I'm assuming, idk) and probably sometimes the reaction is boring.
the absolute visceral reaction i had when the painting was first unveiled at 0:30 shows just how deep i am into this channel
Ditto
Like an "ouchhh...." ?
Watch the intro. The damage is not from neglect. He said it belonged to the son of the owner who was stationed in Germany in WW2 who was a friend of the boy in the painting. I would presume it got torn up and battered on the way out of Germany - or - it was destroyed during WW2 in Germany (perhaps at the house of the painter) and was saved and brought home, stuck under a bed, and left there. The duct tape makes me think the father or the son tried to patch it back together in the 80s or 90s and that failed (duct tape can take 30 years usually to dry out and become brittle).
Same here.
The isolation layer is such genius! Wet paint never looks the same as dry, so it's brilliant that you can make it appear wet so you can do the touch ups as if you were sitting with the artist when it was first painted. Beautiful!!!
0:40 me talking about my mental health
4:55 you know it’s bad when there’s duck tape or when Julian has the “why did I choose this profession again” look
And yet, in the narration, you can hear the smile in his voice - because he knows he managed to save it anyway
you know I actually kinda liked the way this painting looked while it just had the fill-in medium and the varnish before you started retouching. it reminded me of those Japanese broken bowls that get put back together with gold or silver, so you can still see where the cracks were and how it was repaired. it reminds me that the painting is still a living object, and that it's damage is part of its history.
If I hadn’t been watching for a while, probably would have thought this impossible. But having the Julian background that I do, I knew to just sit back and enjoy the show!
I actually yelled out loud when I saw this poor thing as it arrived at your workspace. Great job-it looks wonderful now.
I remember when one of your viewers first sent you one of those weights with a handle. It's cool to see just how many more you've added to your arsenal since then! Are they all from the person that sent that first one?
Yeah I remember that too , ... nice knobs 😉
@@RavenMacy Huge knobs.
Hahaha i remember that too! We should be in baumgartner trivia!
Which of the following clears rabbit skin glue from the back of the canvas
A) solvent
B) Milder solvent
C) Mildest solvent
D) That water absorbing jel-o thingy
GOTCHA!
@@cagribarlok6844 E)
Julian: "Yes, if you look closely, you can see the scar."
Me, a few inches away from the monitor watching in HD seeing a perfectly intact and beautiful painting that's showing no signs that's evident to me of having ever been damaged: "Mmm yes, scar, can see it."
we've seen some wild stuff on this channel but that oil paint bump... speechless
Someday I would like to see how the stretcher is made and how it "floats" and what part the keys play in keeping it together. I love your videos and always learn something new. Thank you for what you do....
He covers that he n other videos although you would need quite a cross referenced index to know where!! I just know he has 😬
Stretcher is made from 4 separate pieces of wood that fit into each other. Friction does a bit of job of keeping it together but you could still easily break it with a bit of force. What holds it together are opposed forces from the painting and keys. Once painting is secured onto strecher, it creates a force towards strecher, and keys are putting pressure from inside out. Those two opposed forces and friction hold everything together.
go back and look at a few videos from about 2 years ago, he covers stretchers a lot then
@@zlatan_2197 Good explanation! I saw the question earlier and wanted to answer but couldn't quite get the wording right.
The keys don't keep it together, then enlarge the joint to pull the canvas tighter.
This was fantastic! I feel like a lot of people would have just written the painting off. But you put in the work and now it's been preserved for years to come. You gave it a new lease on life.
Wow. That was my initial reaction on seeing this painting. Then I might have put it right back in the drawer. You on the other hand did an amazing job. I was quite gob smacked at how well you restored this wonderful painting. You are an artist in your own right.
what a delightful transformation! his eyes are so bright and arresting, the finished piece is so beautiful. i also love how you can see all his little freckles now! he has so much personality
After watching so many of these restorations, I am still blown away by the level of work you achieve. The before and afters are startling. I am always amazed at how a project turns out.
I gasped when you revealed the damage to this painting. You've done a remarkable job. Thank you for posting this video. DA
Ah, yes. This video is where it all started for me. A year later, after having watched his entire back catalog over and over, it's hard for me to remember a time when I didn't know Julian Baumgartner and his artistic alchemy. How much richness he adds to my life!
This might be my second favorite of what you've restored. In first place was the Contrarian.
All jobs are difficult in their own way.
I'm partial to the Brawler. Nothing beats elmer's glue and cardboard lining in the realm of sub-par conservation
@@vegaomega6072 yep. The Brawler is at no 2 position. I do love the story behind this one though. ❤
Pheasant or not This is an excellent recovery . Most people would have through-en it away !
Seriously happy to see this. I needed a restoration fix.
Same
I think everyone does.
For you? 😁 Sorry, it was easy 😅
Duct tape: It surrounds us, it penetrates us, it binds the galaxy together.
Thank you soooo much for saying “duct” tape instead of “duck” tape. No wonder someone named his product Duck Tape to capitalize on people’s mispronunciation.
Why do so few people subscribe? Such a difficult job, so many views and so few subscribers! I don't understand(((
Duct tape? Have we hit a new low? Industrial adhesive, mastick, Elmer's glue, polyurethane - just add duct tape to the list of DIY restoration materials. Julian, you are a wizard. That restoration was awesome.
Let's hope we don't see a sewing machine repair next - you know someone will have tried that at some point in time
@@MrWolfSnack Iron-on patches - like how your Mom fixed your jeans when you got a hole in the knee.
Whoa! This is a comprehensive study on restoration and undoing…..creative solutions and age. The finished project is an epic change. Great job! 👍
Everytime that painting was moved onto a new board, I was on the edge of my seat. It felt like it could crumble like brik pastry.
This is the most enjoyable channel I know on youtube. In an era in which sometimes it seems everything is falling apart, looking at someone preserving the beauty of the past gives me hope for the future.
Que trabalho excepcional, cada vez se superando mais, estou impactado!
It is always impressive that it is still possible to restore something like this and it is also fun to listen to your "narrator's voice".
I am an artist, started with crayons, tried grafitti, tatoing and I have tried painting some. I will never be as good as the paintings you put on show here. But, my goodnes you inspire me so much ❤️
I think you will be
that’s what matters. i love to create, too. but i also know that my work is OK, not in the Artist category at all. some people don’t know that. i see their work and just go “oh, jeez. i could do that.” i’ve also seen some people whose work is very amateur, but they study and draw, draw, draw and become quite good. on the other hand, i’ve seen some almost genius work and these people are artists right from the start. you just know when you see it!!
some early pictures by children are totally amazing. one little girl drew half a child walking off the paper - it was just incredible. it worked. :) 🌷🌱
@@channelcdev thank you for the kind words 👊
@@feralbluee I create to get a "time out"/ me time. But I do it way less then I should...
@@arcticrunning8370 that is really great and it’s how i should look at it. thank you so much - really. keep safe :) 🌷🌱
First reaction to the painting was "Oh lord, that poor poor painting"... 🤬 Thank goodness you are so up the challenge. Beautiful work sir, beautiful work. 😍
Saw the duct tape and my jaw literally Dropped 😵 Julian works magic every time I swear!
Update: oil paint as a patch??? How does that make any sense? I wonder if Julian is surprised anymore by the old "conservation" efforts on the paintings he works on
I thought there was no way this painting would be able to be saved...and now I feel that I have seen every weight Julian has in his studio 👍
Incredible how his face came alive by "only" cleaning!
Another amazing job!!!!!!!
I always thought the isolation layer was also to make it easier to remove the overpainting in the future, so you aren't having paint on paint directly.
That would be true if you were using oil based paint to retouch an oil painting. When that happens, it is difficult to remove the retouching without damaging the original paint. Over time they will bond together to the point that it becomes impossible. An isolation layer is essential for keeping those paint layers separated. However, the conservation paints that Julian uses are not oil based. They will not meld to the painting and can be removed with solvents that do not affect the surrounding oil paint. This makes the isolation layer optional.
If the original paint and the retouching can be removed with the same solvent, the isolation layer is necessary to allow the retouching to be removed in the future. If they’re so different that they have no solvent in common it might actually be safer to avoid the isolation layer, because finding a varnish that doesn’t share a solvent with either seems practically impossible in those cases.
I think also to remove paint today. He won't say that but if there is isolation layer conservator can just erase mistake and try again until satisfied.
Wow. The damage in that initial "before" reveal is almost more astonishing than the eventual "after" reveal...
When is the original intent of the artist so far removed from the present piece that the painting isn't worth the restoration? What is the crossover point at which a piece (even with a careful and respectful conservation) belongs more to the conservator than it does to the artist? I understand that as a business owner you will do what your clients pay you to do but is there a point at which you will say no? I'm not referencing this restoration in particular (this was a beautifully done restoration), these are just general questions that I have been wondering about. You are incredibly talented and I truly appreciate you sharing the stories of your time with these works.
Having watched most of his current videos he seems to walk a really thin line. He respects his profession immensely but ultimately he cannot go against the wishes of the client a few of the times he has discussed “advising” his clients of the best move given his expertise. . I do wonder if he has ever turned down a client due to their wishes.
@@oliviaroberts5722 I have wondered the same thing, I've also wondered if he has ever run across across a true old master painting. I feel like those works wouldn't make it into a video or if he would turn down that work and recommend the client to someone with experience working with that name. I've watched a few conservation videos put out by the Smithsonian and the only difference that I can see is that they seem to work at a much slower pace, but the individual techniques seem to be very similar or identical.
Out of curiosity, when removing the bump, how did you tell what was foreign oil paint and what was the original when scraping?
He removed a LOT of overpaint from that area before removing the lump, so I guess there were very significant losses and there was probably little to no original paint left there.
And practice, patience and experience , he is very skilled .
I love watching this channel. His voice and everything it is so relaxing to watch. He works miracles on paintings. Love it.
When you have paintings like this with a lump of something in them why not do the hot table upside down so as to have the surface of the painting stay flat while the back has the lump where you can remove it without worrying about the paint as much? Also if you have multiple layers of backing doing it upside down would guarantee those wouldn’t show up on the surface. There’s probably an obvious answer but I’m curious thanks!
Yeah, I am so curious about this too!
think of it like this. when you iron a shirt you turn it inside out to keep the logo lasting longer because if you iron on the logo it cracks and fades real fast. the same with a painting, you dont want to loose the image nor destroy the texture of the paint. he uses washi paper and most of the time fish gelatin to facilitate the protection of the paint layer. the hot table is used to relax the canvas allowing to ease the fibres and so the paint naturally stretches a bit too, thereby easing the task when this has to be restreched over a new frame. hope this helps :)
Well the lump was on top of the canvas, not on the bottom. The idea is to get the canvas flat, not the paintlayer.
I think he's commented on this before.
It would impact/flatten the "imposto" (spelling???) On the painting.
@@Jgalaski8438 that would make sense I knew there was probably an obvious reason I couldn’t think of lol
One phrase sums up my reaction to the beginning: HOLY S***!!!
Thank god that Julian has mad restoration skills, otherwise this painting would have been toast!!!
I miss those episodes where you spend 30minutes just cleaning a painting 😍
One of the best restorations I've seen you do. Above and beyond expectations.
The eyes on this one are fascinating. They're so detailed, when he was cleaning them it felt like i was looking into a real human being's eyes, like a portal to the past opened