Hey Julian, I'm the laser engineer who prepared this laser prior to it going to your facility. Super cool seeing it used for art restoration. Generally our customers are in Aesthetics, so I was tickled when I saw you as the customer. In fact I had watched a video of yours the night before it came to my desk. Small world
I love how the problem is "the painting is too delicate for traditional solvents" and the answer is "SHOOT IT WITH LASERS." Photons are so cool, what can't they do?
When I first read your comment, I was trying to figure out how you get comments thru your feeding tube. 🤨 I Really need to get more sleep before reading you tube comments. 😄
@@fighttheclock Oooooh yes, an insanely thick layer of oil paint sandwiched between a painted (and therefore non-permeable) canvas and a thick sheet of cardboard sounds like an absolute nightmare, years of drying time rather than months!
The reason for using such a complicated tool is the same, too: All other approaches fail. Sure, there are chemicals that will destroy the tattoo, but good luck finding one that leaves intact skin behind.
@@W4iteFlamedifferent wavelength lasers tackle different colors too! The wearer ends up urinating the colors out. The body’s substitute for a cotton swab 😅
From wikipedia: "Dutch metal is a form of brass. The alloy typically consists of 85-88% copper and the remainder being zinc. It is also known by other names such as "composition gold leaf", "Dutch gold", "Schlagmetal" and "Schlag leaf"."
Julian, I'm going to say something that other people might not agree with but I honestly have to say your work on THE FRAME was damn near better than many painting restorations you've done. MY GOD. You really brought that frame back to life!! As a university archivist, I must commend your work here as you've demonstrated some skills not typically associated with the conservation field in print materials and I'm so impressed!! Great job!
I love the youtube algorithm putting things on my dash like... "hey, remember that art conservation guy you watched during covid? yeah he's got a laser gun now, enjoy! :D"
@@BaumgartnerRestoration i used to use your videos to soothe me to sleep during the most stressful years of university and life, im glad i can still come back here and feel that calm anytime (of course sometimes i sit and watch your fascinating restoration techniques too)
@@BaumgartnerRestoration Read the labels well, lest you quaff a can of Restorer's Wizard Solvent by mistake. (I remember a story of something similar in a mechanic's garage.)
Now that you own a gentle laser Julian, you can finally approach the Louvre Museum about removing that nasty layer of varnish applied over the Mona Lisa so we can finally see the bright colors Leonardo intended for us to see.
@@Alucard-gt1zfthe louvre and all other art museums will absolutely restore paintings if they need it, whether it’s entering their collection or been there for decades.
sadly the mona lisa is at a point where it would pretty much disintegrate if removed or handled too long from it's current home in a atmosphere controlled box.
@@jeffh8803 Yeah, you see it all the time in museums. Pieces get taking down from permanent collection, taken down to the basement for some TLC, then popped back in place six months later in a cleaner, brighter form. Probably happens to some of them every 50 years or so. If they take care of them, they won't NEED a full restoration like some of these pieces... but at the very least, taking off the varnish and reapplying it is critical to remove the yellowing. There is nothing sadder than an old painting that has been there for a few hundred years with no work done and it's almost black because they are scared to touch it.
Nice choice of music. Loved you using the right era. Joseph Haydn and George Washington were the same age; just a month apart. Their portraits are quite similar.
Dear Julian, I'm an art historian and for me your videos are the most satisfying and professionally shot. Thank you for your experience and genuine wish to share your professionalism with the audience. I'm really excited to see that the universe has given you lots of faithful clients and their commissions allow you to develop your skills and to buy such cool tools. Best wishes ❤
I’m having a difficult time at a new job. I just realised I need to be patient and test out a number of approaches and find one that works for that issue. I need to try to appreciate my job for what it is not what it isn’t and not rush finding the solution to my problems. Thanks Julian.
I think he put the painting in while the frame was turned 180 degrees. The "crack" moves from one side to the other in the reveal at the end.. or am I imagining things?
I think the frame has 2 rather serious problems though... The dirt has been cleaned and now it looks like pieces with noticeably clashing colors at its west joint, and the gilding, even after being tinted, still looks blindingly bright against the dark tones of the frame and painting, and distracts from it... I'm not too satisfied with this one.
@@guillermojperea6355 yeah and the edging from the gold to black where it was painted at the rim was not carefully applied as I would usually expect from Julian, it looks like it was applied in one quick layer instead of slow and steady and it has clumped in some areas and gone thin and seperated in others, I find the border really distracting from the image I could not look away from those distracting gold edges.
@@ZeroGravityDoghis chemicals are desigjed to not work on oil paints, so he wont end up damaging the actual painting by his procedures. This basically nullify most of his toolkit.
I dread the day where you are forced to use the laser on a large painting. That process, effective as it might be, seems significantly slower than the regular solvent/cotton ball method.
At some point, he'll have to drop the cm by cm approach, and just laser the whole surface first, then clean, to expedite the process on a large painting...
@@Quickened1 He's been pretty consistent using the inch by inch approach when it comes to cleaning paintings of any size, using cleaning methods from solvent to scraping. The largest I've seen him go is swapping out the q-tips for whole cotton balls.
@@theKashConnoisseur I'm talking just about the laser process. The actual cleaning should be done inch by inch, but once the laser is set to a proper intensity, there would be no reason why he shouldn't just laser off the entire painting, then concentrate on the cleaning...
@@theKashConnoisseur solvents dry up or can keep being active, forcing the cm by cm approach. There is no rational reason to interrupt yourself when using the Lazer that I can think of. Once the flash is done, absolutely nothing else is happening. The varnish won't "turn back" to its original state after being zapped. Maybe there's a bit of a overheating risk but that should be managed by the water before zapping, and still you could just move to somewhere else on the painting to let the previous area cool.
@@Nyli. If you notice, he's using a solvent during the laser process as well, to ensure that only the varnish layer is being affected. So it would stand to reason that he'd still need to go inch by inch using the technique displayed in this video.
Loved seeing the frame cleaned out. Even though work on the paintings is always very interesting, surprising and entertaining, more often than not I find frame restoration even more fun to watch.
As someone who's worked with materials from the Washington family, this restoration makes me very happy. I like how you brought out his slightly misshapen jawline again. It's the little things that make history interesting. 💜
I really like that you embrace the modern and high tech alongside the traditional methods in your work. It isn't always about what is "better" but about what is the best tool for the job.
I repair a lot of sails at my job (I work at a sail loft) and though it's quite different from conserving paintings, the "Why did they do this, I hate it" sigh at 2:25 is one that speaks to my core. (By the way, if you ever rip your sail, please don't fix it with duct tape.)
I'm so glad this showed up on my recommendations. Your channel and content are unbelievably mind blowing with the quality and the paintings you bring back to life. Hats off to you.
hey julian! i work with lasers often for my job (i work in surgery) and wanted to give you a tip for your smoke evac: if you cut a small “x” at the bottom of a plastic bowl-like shape and slide your smoke evac tubing thru, you can create a little makeshift “hood” that sucks up more of the plume especially if you’re using a higher setting/pulse frequency. you may need to turn the suction settings up on the smoke evac when you do this (depending on your machine). but it looks you got a set up that works for this painting and i really appreciate the concern for laser safety! always cool to see instruments/tech that we use in surgery in other applications! thanks for the cool video
I am not surprised but certainly in awe of the care and integrity with which you approach every single restoration. And what a challenging mess that cardboard backing and thick layer of black paint was. Not only to get off, but the horrible mess to clean up from your work table. Impeccable work once again, Julian.
Witam. Uwielbiam oglądać jak Pan przywraca do życia te wspaniałe obrazy. Podczas oglądania Pana podczas pracy jednego się nauczyłem, najważniejszą techniką i narzędziem używanym w odrestaurowywaniu dzieła sztuki jest cierpliwość, dokładność i oczywiście olbrzymia wiedza. Jednak to cierpliwość jest tym najważniejszym elementem w pracy.
I wonder if the reason why the paint was affected even by the mildest solvent was the fact that during the removal of that 1-2mm layer of black oil paint copious amount of solvent mean to dissolve oil paint was applied to the back of the painting, and some of that solvent soaked through the canvas and weakened the paint of the actual painting.
The canvas has a layer of size which is rabbit, skin glue, and a layer of ground, which is generally in penetrable by the solvent supplied to the back to remove the black oil paint.
@@BaumgartnerRestoration ah, fair enough, you're the experts. It was just scary seeing that much oil paint solvent repeatedly slathered onto a painting, even if it was on the other side.
@@HidingAllTheWayyeah, it def can appear shocking but bear in mind even with the strength of the solvent gel (it doesn’t cells as it’s a gel) it still took multiple passes showing just how resilient the paint was.
"This painting of George Washington is slightly a copy" I can see that... 😂😂😂. I mean.. the painting looks like someone painted George Washington from memory..
If you pause just right at 15:49 you get George with a fancy mustache. Also, when I saw the title of this video I did NOT expect it to be a Baumgartner video.
Proper conservation is an incredible art on its own. A true expression of patience, critical thinking, and creative engineering. Seeing some the tools you have created, the self control you exert on projects, and your elegant air of concern for art preservation is a real treat. Bet your old man was/is a proud father.
Talking all big game about how “my hands were tied, I couldn’t use solvent, I HAD to use a laser” as though he hadn’t had the laser queued up in a tab on his computer for years just WAITING for the moment.
Dear Mr. Baumgartner. 👍👌👏 Extremely well done again and as always (video and work). I really liked to watch how you treated the frame too. Thanks a lot for making teaching explaining recording editing uploading and sharing. Best regards, luck and health in particular.
I am always so amazed at your astoundingly high levels of professionalism, perfectionism and PATIENCE, never stopping until you find the best solution. I couldn’t do it, but I very much enjoy watching you!
This is really cool! My family used to own a company that made Er-glass lasers, so all the parts involving the Er-YAG were really familiar to me. (More than a bit nostalgic, really). Most of all, I loved seeing you get and use a new tool. ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!!!
Julian, this is a fantastic conservation! I love how you are always growing and pulling in new tools to aid you in your work. I do have to wonder, though. From a conservator's standpoint, how do you think your dad would have reacted to the use and final result of the laser? From your descriptions of him (he seems lovely, may his memory be a blessing), he may have had some conflicting feelings about it. I wonder how he would have approached this painting. Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us! May you have a long and prosperous career, I can't wait for the next video!
I loved the thumbnail! It had me giggling for a good 5 minutes. Some - "cough" T0nY "cough" here in the comments - might be unable to appreciate good pop culture references and a bit of silliness. But, Julian, please please please continue with your wonderful humour and perfectly placed and timed silliness. The unappreciative and buzz-killing voices might be the loudest, but the majority of viewers enjoy the way that you express yourself.
No wonder it was so dirty; it had to wait for the laser to be invented, and then a couple decades for the conservator with the chutzpah to use it! Welcome back, George!
I'm thinking back to a few years ago and you conserved a painting with a farmer with an oxen team that had been covered with polyurethane. You had to pick and scrape off the poly and had some paint loss. I'm thinking this laser would have been very effective against that coating and would have been much safer for the painting.
It might not work as well. As this was an organic varnish, and the heat from the laser would easily denature or "cook" the proteins, breaking them down, so a super mild solvent could remove them. Polyurethane is an inorganic polymer, and heating might not break it down.
I've been subscribed for probably over a year now, and I'm always interested in the new vids when this channel posts. But never before have I laughed so hard IMMEDIATELY upon seeing the thumbnail and title LMAO, good job with this one, dude!
This frame restoration reminds me of that video of your visit to the frame experts. If I remember correctly it was your first time gilding a frame, and here you were able to put it to practice in your own shop 😊 So cool to see that journey from "looks cool, can I try?" to this. And with such a wonderful result! ❤️😊
I love watching you work, the intricate steps you go through are fascinating to watch. And the finished products are always beautiful. Thank you for allowing us this window into your world.
It's amazing seeing the colours that show up with the cleaning. For so long, we have just seen these old dull paintings, because they have been covered in grime. You do some truly impressive work.
![Stromae, Pomme - “Ma Meilleure Ennemie” (from Arcane Season 2) [Official Visualizer]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/1F3OGIFnW1k/mqdefault.jpg)
Hey Julian, I'm the laser engineer who prepared this laser prior to it going to your facility. Super cool seeing it used for art restoration. Generally our customers are in Aesthetics, so I was tickled when I saw you as the customer. In fact I had watched a video of yours the night before it came to my desk. Small world
This is so cool!! Feel free to email me if you ever want!!
The art work not only was restored it became elegant! What a lovely piece to be seen displayed in someones library or den.
@TreF68 is there a way to contact you if I had a laser related questions?
In bed myselfn
@TreF68 , Julian made a 'laser moustache' with your laser on George Washington...That was pretty cool man! ;p
I love how the problem is "the painting is too delicate for traditional solvents" and the answer is "SHOOT IT WITH LASERS." Photons are so cool, what can't they do?
Learn Czech, have a child, escape a black hole
They can't turn the lights off in the bathroom.
😂😂👍🌷
@@exazebraif you want them to never be able to turn on again you might with enough power.
A friend of mine works with lasers. He froze water with it..he used some frequency and slowly stopped the monocules from moving.
Ah yes, a perfectly normal title to come across my youtube feed at 11pm on a monday
Totally normal 😂 Sounds like a Historical Fiction Syfy
When I first read your comment, I was trying to figure out how you get comments thru your feeding tube. 🤨 I Really need to get more sleep before reading you tube comments. 😄
What are the chances of me seeing this in my RUclips feed at 11pm (GMT) on a Monday too lol
Lucky u it’s 1 am for me and have to be up in a few hours 😂
You're all a bunch of nerds watching Baumgartner... o crap, it's 12:30am sorry. Got to go. I'll finish my comment tomorrow.. today later?
BLACK PAINT. These people never cease to amaze in ways to make your day harder.
Oil paint as adhesive is diabolical work
I was so confused xD
Julian removing paint - blasphemy! :D :D :D
@@ofsinope I'm like "Oh that backing was held on by redneck hopes, dreams, and ingenuity..."
@@Aiwendill All his chemicals are made so they won't remove paint when they get on paintings, so this stalemated everything but his blade.
That oilpaint adhesion is some caveman logic for sure.
"Paint stick to canvas, paint stick to board, paint stick canvas to board."
A horrible application of the transitive law, to be sure!
All I could think is that it must have taken ages to dry!
@@fighttheclock Oooooh yes, an insanely thick layer of oil paint sandwiched between a painted (and therefore non-permeable) canvas and a thick sheet of cardboard sounds like an absolute nightmare, years of drying time rather than months!
Homer voice
My first thought seeing the pressed cardboard was "that is NOT an acid free base, I can't do that to my baby pictures much less an old painting!"
This is so similar to how tattoos are removed. Laser breaks down the ink particles so the body’s natural system can process them! Super cool!
The reason for using such a complicated tool is the same, too: All other approaches fail. Sure, there are chemicals that will destroy the tattoo, but good luck finding one that leaves intact skin behind.
Next video: Julian opens Baumgartner Tattoo Removal
I did not know how it works. Thanks for the info
@@W4iteFlamedifferent wavelength lasers tackle different colors too! The wearer ends up urinating the colors out. The body’s substitute for a cotton swab 😅
@@georgecastrissiades3671 huh. Well...I am not doing the tattoos any time soon. But still, that is very interesting to know
From wikipedia: "Dutch metal is a form of brass. The alloy typically consists of 85-88% copper and the remainder being zinc. It is also known by other names such as "composition gold leaf", "Dutch gold", "Schlagmetal" and "Schlag leaf"."
Thanks! I was wondering what it was...
thanks friend
I sometimes forget that not everyone lives in my world… thanks!! 🙏
So it is basically similar to Nordic gold. That's neat!
The gathering are dutch metal
Julian, I'm going to say something that other people might not agree with but I honestly have to say your work on THE FRAME was damn near better than many painting restorations you've done. MY GOD. You really brought that frame back to life!! As a university archivist, I must commend your work here as you've demonstrated some skills not typically associated with the conservation field in print materials and I'm so impressed!! Great job!
Sometimes I’m even shocked at how much of a difference the frame conservation can make!
Speaking of skills, I was amazed by the eye-hand coordination needed to draw what appeared to be a mathematically perfect free-hand oval.
I was really hoping the customer had authorized frame conservation, because that frame...needed work
@@glazdarklee1683 Julian is just eyeballing a half inch or so out, from the traced oval he started with.
I love the youtube algorithm putting things on my dash like... "hey, remember that art conservation guy you watched during covid? yeah he's got a laser gun now, enjoy! :D"
If you haven’t watched since Covid, boy have you a lot of catching up to do!! Welcome back ❤
FACELESS PAINTING 3 PARTER!!!!
Oh the one with the router to the back of the painting 😮❤
since covid? girl I never stopped watching 😂
@@BaumgartnerRestoration i used to use your videos to soothe me to sleep during the most stressful years of university and life, im glad i can still come back here and feel that calm anytime (of course sometimes i sit and watch your fascinating restoration techniques too)
Picturing the look on Julian's accountant's face when spring rolls around and he claims "giant laser - business expense" on his taxes.
Capital expenditure. He has to amortize it over 10 years.
At least we saw something new today, canvas bonded with oil paints to the back, absurd😭
2:23 That sigh followed by a trip to the fridge, I swore he was going for a beer.
Now that’s an idea!!
@@BaumgartnerRestoration Read the labels well, lest you quaff a can of Restorer's Wizard Solvent by mistake. (I remember a story of something similar in a mechanic's garage.)
@@SeekingTheLoveThatGodMeans7648reminds me of an old sing-song rhyme
Billy was a chemist's son
But Billy is no more
What he thought was H2O
Was H2SO4
@@NickGreyden I need to find more Nerds to hang with. I haven't heard that one since HS Chemistry, 30 years ago and. 😂
I too felt that sigh! It's the same that I use in my area of profession when some previous colleague has done something... questionable. 😄
Original Painting: George Washington
This Copy: Georgie Wash
Jorge Washinmachine
The right eye. Yikes.
George Washi Kozo
@@Aiwendill😂
😂
Now that you own a gentle laser Julian, you can finally approach the Louvre Museum about removing that nasty layer of varnish applied over the Mona Lisa so we can finally see the bright colors Leonardo intended for us to see.
Oh I would LOVE to see Julian restore the Mona Lisa. I wonder if he would have to take anxiety meds.
Museums don't restore, they preserve. Vastly different processes
Julian wouldn't be allowed anywhere near museum pieces
@@Alucard-gt1zfthe louvre and all other art museums will absolutely restore paintings if they need it, whether it’s entering their collection or been there for decades.
sadly the mona lisa is at a point where it would pretty much disintegrate if removed or handled too long from it's current home in a atmosphere controlled box.
@@jeffh8803 Yeah, you see it all the time in museums. Pieces get taking down from permanent collection, taken down to the basement for some TLC, then popped back in place six months later in a cleaner, brighter form. Probably happens to some of them every 50 years or so. If they take care of them, they won't NEED a full restoration like some of these pieces... but at the very least, taking off the varnish and reapplying it is critical to remove the yellowing. There is nothing sadder than an old painting that has been there for a few hundred years with no work done and it's almost black because they are scared to touch it.
Kit is getting one hell of an education working with you.
And I with her…
What have you learned from Kit recently?
Ngl using black oil paint as adhesive would have never crossed my mind in a million years
i think something similar was on the channel ages ago… maybe with white? but it’s absolutely never expected
@@ariwizzard I might have been the time there was Elmer's glue?
I guess they ran out of glue
Nice choice of music. Loved you using the right era. Joseph Haydn and George Washington were the same age; just a month apart. Their portraits are quite similar.
I’m glad you noticed!! I try to select music that compliments the artwork, the artist or something inherent about the piece.
@@BaumgartnerRestoration and I always appreciate that you do.
Damn, after all this time I'm still learning!
That thumbnail though lmao
"One! Million! Dollars!"
Honestly I was cackling
Had me doing a double take 😁
Really, truly hate that he's started following the RUclips trends/requirements.
@@TonyBullardthe pose is a reference to dr evil from austin powers 😂
Dear Julian, I'm an art historian and for me your videos are the most satisfying and professionally shot. Thank you for your experience and genuine wish to share your professionalism with the audience. I'm really excited to see that the universe has given you lots of faithful clients and their commissions allow you to develop your skills and to buy such cool tools. Best wishes ❤
I’m having a difficult time at a new job. I just realised I need to be patient and test out a number of approaches and find one that works for that issue. I need to try to appreciate my job for what it is not what it isn’t and not rush finding the solution to my problems. Thanks Julian.
The painting looks so much better, but frankly, I think the frame had the more dramatic transformation.
I think he put the painting in while the frame was turned 180 degrees. The "crack" moves from one side to the other in the reveal at the end.. or am I imagining things?
@@baryler No, you're absolutely right. You can also see the "deformation" of the frame switch from top to bottom.
I think the frame has 2 rather serious problems though... The dirt has been cleaned and now it looks like pieces with noticeably clashing colors at its west joint, and the gilding, even after being tinted, still looks blindingly bright against the dark tones of the frame and painting, and distracts from it... I'm not too satisfied with this one.
@@baryler I noticed the same
@@guillermojperea6355 yeah and the edging from the gold to black where it was painted at the rim was not carefully applied as I would usually expect from Julian, it looks like it was applied in one quick layer instead of slow and steady and it has clumped in some areas and gone thin and seperated in others, I find the border really distracting from the image I could not look away from those distracting gold edges.
The way my jaw DROPPED when he said it wasn't adhesive on the back of the canvas, but black OIL paint.
I was offended on SO many levels.
Omg me too! I was like HOLY CRAP! Who on earth would create this crime. It's even worse than some of the others!
Me too. And I just watch someone on RUclips so this stuff and I was offended lol
Well its only on the back, if it sticks it sticks, whats the biggie?
@@ZeroGravityDoghis chemicals are desigjed to not work on oil paints, so he wont end up damaging the actual painting by his procedures. This basically nullify most of his toolkit.
@@mystomachhurt9312 I see, so anything strong enough to strip the oil paint would probably go right through the canvas as well.
I dread the day where you are forced to use the laser on a large painting. That process, effective as it might be, seems significantly slower than the regular solvent/cotton ball method.
At some point, he'll have to drop the cm by cm approach, and just laser the whole surface first, then clean, to expedite the process on a large painting...
@@Quickened1 He's been pretty consistent using the inch by inch approach when it comes to cleaning paintings of any size, using cleaning methods from solvent to scraping. The largest I've seen him go is swapping out the q-tips for whole cotton balls.
@@theKashConnoisseur I'm talking just about the laser process. The actual cleaning should be done inch by inch, but once the laser is set to a proper intensity, there would be no reason why he shouldn't just laser off the entire painting, then concentrate on the cleaning...
@@theKashConnoisseur solvents dry up or can keep being active, forcing the cm by cm approach. There is no rational reason to interrupt yourself when using the Lazer that I can think of. Once the flash is done, absolutely nothing else is happening. The varnish won't "turn back" to its original state after being zapped.
Maybe there's a bit of a overheating risk but that should be managed by the water before zapping, and still you could just move to somewhere else on the painting to let the previous area cool.
@@Nyli. If you notice, he's using a solvent during the laser process as well, to ensure that only the varnish layer is being affected. So it would stand to reason that he'd still need to go inch by inch using the technique displayed in this video.
You say, "Washi", I say, " Kozo!" I gotta get me one of those shirts if only to wear at home.
It would be cool if the shirt is made of the paper and it becomes transparent when water applied.
@@CallieMasters5000 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Seeing the cardboard peeled up bit by bit gave me flashbacks to (I think it was called) The Brawler series
Don’t remind me!!!
hey, at least it wasnt plywood and elmer's glue (this time)......
@@Scottinqc One word: polyurethane.
you know you're in for a good time when you see a Baumgartner video entitled "George Washington gets blasted by lasers"
Love the timelapse washicozo drying sequence
Loved seeing the frame cleaned out. Even though work on the paintings is always very interesting, surprising and entertaining, more often than not I find frame restoration even more fun to watch.
I was so hoping that Pr. Washington's right eye was going to be found to be over-painting and removed. Alas, the artist painted it that way.
I’m happy I’m not the only one that noticed this.
Same
after watching so many of your restorations it has changed the way I treat my oil paintings. To the type of oil paint I use up to the varnish layer.
As someone who's worked with materials from the Washington family, this restoration makes me very happy. I like how you brought out his slightly misshapen jawline again. It's the little things that make history interesting. 💜
Wow! That brought out so much detail. And the attention to the frame, so perfectly completed it. A masterful job!
Are those lasers attached to the heads of the sharks? Groovy baby.
I really like that you embrace the modern and high tech alongside the traditional methods in your work. It isn't always about what is "better" but about what is the best tool for the job.
George's first dermabrasion....never thought I'd see that in my life time!
I repair a lot of sails at my job (I work at a sail loft) and though it's quite different from conserving paintings, the "Why did they do this, I hate it" sigh at 2:25 is one that speaks to my core.
(By the way, if you ever rip your sail, please don't fix it with duct tape.)
Gah! Duct tape!?😮
I'm so glad this showed up on my recommendations.
Your channel and content are unbelievably mind blowing with the quality and the paintings you bring back to life.
Hats off to you.
I don't recall which video, but I remember Julian mentioning a "paint cleaner 3000"
The precision when you painted the black on the frame *chefs kiss*
hey julian! i work with lasers often for my job (i work in surgery) and wanted to give you a tip for your smoke evac:
if you cut a small “x” at the bottom of a plastic bowl-like shape and slide your smoke evac tubing thru, you can create a little makeshift “hood” that sucks up more of the plume especially if you’re using a higher setting/pulse frequency. you may need to turn the suction settings up on the smoke evac when you do this (depending on your machine). but it looks you got a set up that works for this painting and i really appreciate the concern for laser safety!
always cool to see instruments/tech that we use in surgery in other applications! thanks for the cool video
Laser resurfacing of an old painting. I hope you charge by the pulse! Great job. Very easy to watch and listen to. Thanks.
I am not surprised but certainly in awe of the care and integrity with which you approach every single restoration. And what a challenging mess that cardboard backing and thick layer of black paint was. Not only to get off, but the horrible mess to clean up from your work table. Impeccable work once again, Julian.
You can hear the air quotes on "conserved" at 1:03; considering what was done to the painting, I feel it!
Witam. Uwielbiam oglądać jak Pan przywraca do życia te wspaniałe obrazy. Podczas oglądania Pana podczas pracy jednego się nauczyłem, najważniejszą techniką i narzędziem używanym w odrestaurowywaniu dzieła sztuki jest cierpliwość, dokładność i oczywiście olbrzymia wiedza. Jednak to cierpliwość jest tym najważniejszym elementem w pracy.
I wonder if the reason why the paint was affected even by the mildest solvent was the fact that during the removal of that 1-2mm layer of black oil paint copious amount of solvent mean to dissolve oil paint was applied to the back of the painting, and some of that solvent soaked through the canvas and weakened the paint of the actual painting.
That does make a lot of sense.
The canvas has a layer of size which is rabbit, skin glue, and a layer of ground, which is generally in penetrable by the solvent supplied to the back to remove the black oil paint.
@@BaumgartnerRestoration ah, fair enough, you're the experts. It was just scary seeing that much oil paint solvent repeatedly slathered onto a painting, even if it was on the other side.
@@HidingAllTheWayyeah, it def can appear shocking but bear in mind even with the strength of the solvent gel (it doesn’t cells as it’s a gel) it still took multiple passes showing just how resilient the paint was.
"This painting of George Washington is slightly a copy"
I can see that... 😂😂😂.
I mean.. the painting looks like someone painted George Washington from memory..
*is likely a copy
:)
Or painted George in the dark.
Yeah, as a European, I'm only familiar with the bigger, more famous portraits of Washington. Never would've guessed this was him.
@@Saavik256 Hell, as an American, I never would have guessed this was Washington!
You could say it's basically any old white dude from that time and you'd probably get the same response of, "Yeah, I guess I can see that."
Just fantastic. Your ability to use many different tools to complete the projects is a testament to your excellence in your craft.
If you pause just right at 15:49 you get George with a fancy mustache. Also, when I saw the title of this video I did NOT expect it to be a Baumgartner video.
carpet cleaning video on tiktok reminded me this man exists. had to check in. Soooooo glad that hes still doing videos
I have been following this channel for years, and not once I thought I would see paint as glue. We are on the darkest timeline
The oil paint is honestly hilarious. Someone needed that painting mounted YESTERDAY
Dr. Evil, "Is that an art conservator with a freaking laser beam attached to the work table?"
Julian........"Yes." 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Proper conservation is an incredible art on its own. A true expression of patience, critical thinking, and creative engineering. Seeing some the tools you have created, the self control you exert on projects, and your elegant air of concern for art preservation is a real treat. Bet your old man was/is a proud father.
The duality of using lasers on George Washington is just amazing.
My first time watching a full restoration with frame. Beautiful!
Talking all big game about how “my hands were tied, I couldn’t use solvent, I HAD to use a laser” as though he hadn’t had the laser queued up in a tab on his computer for years just WAITING for the moment.
What a lovely jewel of a portrait! Set your phasers on stun!
My goodness that frame cleaned up beautifully!
may the force be with you!
My laser is also my favorite toy in the studio!
I’ll bet you get to have a bit more fun with yours!!! 😊
That oval transition for the reveal is soooo satisfying. The gold on the frame really pops
From the straight edges on the canvass, it seems that it was a rectangular painting that was altered to try to fit the oval frame.
It's octagonal. Maybe there was an intermediate frame that was octagonal.
I wonder what weird butterfly effect would George Washington having a mustache would cause.
Now if there's a slow workload for any reason, there can be a Baumgartner laser hair removal channel. 😁✌
😂
Baumgartner fine art and eye restoration
The wood on that frame is gorgeous! The new gold leaf looks so nice on the frame.
Dear Mr. Baumgartner.
👍👌👏 Extremely well done again and as always (video and work). I really liked to watch how you treated the frame too.
Thanks a lot for making teaching explaining recording editing uploading and sharing.
Best regards, luck and health in particular.
Julian, the work You did on this portrait from the lasers to the remake of the frame was brilliant. Thank You for sharing this with us.
11:42 No Monty Python Joke? "...Then shalt thou count to three, no more, no less..."
Watching you work is always so exciting and satisfying, I'm beyond happy that your channel exists
Three shall be the number of pulses, and the number of pulsing shall be three. 😂
I am always so amazed at your astoundingly high levels of professionalism, perfectionism and PATIENCE, never stopping until you find the best solution. I couldn’t do it, but I very much enjoy watching you!
New Baumgartner video? Let's goooo!
This is really cool! My family used to own a company that made Er-glass lasers, so all the parts involving the Er-YAG were really familiar to me. (More than a bit nostalgic, really). Most of all, I loved seeing you get and use a new tool. ZAP! ZAP! ZAP!!!
Are you opening a tattoo and hair removal service with that laser? Your attention to detail and witty chitchat would definitely draw in the customers.
Julian, this is a fantastic conservation! I love how you are always growing and pulling in new tools to aid you in your work. I do have to wonder, though. From a conservator's standpoint, how do you think your dad would have reacted to the use and final result of the laser? From your descriptions of him (he seems lovely, may his memory be a blessing), he may have had some conflicting feelings about it. I wonder how he would have approached this painting.
Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us! May you have a long and prosperous career, I can't wait for the next video!
Oh I know what he would have said. He would have been resistant, skeptical and reluctantly accepted it only to secretly cherish and love it.
@@BaumgartnerRestoration that is so wonderful!
I would've expected to learn a few new swear words with the discovery of black oil paint adhesive.
Who says I didn’t… the magic of editing!!
That huff, as he pulls the picture from the frame. Yeah... I feel you Julian...
I loved the thumbnail! It had me giggling for a good 5 minutes. Some - "cough" T0nY "cough" here in the comments - might be unable to appreciate good pop culture references and a bit of silliness. But, Julian, please please please continue with your wonderful humour and perfectly placed and timed silliness. The unappreciative and buzz-killing voices might be the loudest, but the majority of viewers enjoy the way that you express yourself.
Another brilliant transformation...thank you for the extra work to bring us along.😊
No wonder it was so dirty; it had to wait for the laser to be invented, and then a couple decades for the conservator with the chutzpah to use it!
Welcome back, George!
The Dutch leafing really makes the painting pop
I'm thinking back to a few years ago and you conserved a painting with a farmer with an oxen team that had been covered with polyurethane. You had to pick and scrape off the poly and had some paint loss. I'm thinking this laser would have been very effective against that coating and would have been much safer for the painting.
oooh, now I want a scientist to chime in on if that might work.
It might not work as well. As this was an organic varnish, and the heat from the laser would easily denature or "cook" the proteins, breaking them down, so a super mild solvent could remove them. Polyurethane is an inorganic polymer, and heating might not break it down.
I laughed at the big sigh then fridge half expecting Julian grabbing a beer after seeing the condition of that board.
I've been subscribed for probably over a year now, and I'm always interested in the new vids when this channel posts. But never before have I laughed so hard IMMEDIATELY upon seeing the thumbnail and title LMAO, good job with this one, dude!
This frame restoration reminds me of that video of your visit to the frame experts. If I remember correctly it was your first time gilding a frame, and here you were able to put it to practice in your own shop 😊 So cool to see that journey from "looks cool, can I try?" to this. And with such a wonderful result! ❤️😊
freaking lasers? at least they werent attached to shark heads 🤣
Shark head makes me think of Moana. Imagine Maui with a lazerbeam 😂
I love watching you work, the intricate steps you go through are fascinating to watch. And the finished products are always beautiful.
Thank you for allowing us this window into your world.
To a man with a laser, every problem looks like the Death Star! 😀
Not wrong!
It's amazing seeing the colours that show up with the cleaning. For so long, we have just seen these old dull paintings, because they have been covered in grime. You do some truly impressive work.
Boys and their toys, LASERS BABY!!!!!! Another great video, Julian.
Just wanted to say that I absolutely love your videos. Your precision and work ethic brings me so much joy.
With a title like that, how can I not click?
The amber gold around the frame really sure makes it look great.
Black oil paint as glue is certainly…a choice.
Definitely fascinating!! Loved the show. Your are a man of many talents. Thank you for sharing them with us😊
Dr. Evil ass thumbnail
Restoring the frame really made a difference. Looks great!
Obi-wan Kenobi: "Not so clumsy or random as a blaster..."
Baumgartner: "Whaddya mean 'clumsy or random'?" 😂
The work on the frame enhances the art in this work particularly well. Great choices!
Is this painting worth... ONE MILLION DOLLARS?!