Restoring The Faceless Painting Part 2

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Facing a challenge as big as this required a bit of unconventional thinking, flexibility, and the testing of a few new techniques. We stepped into a realm of discomfort to address the losses and might have stumbled upon a unique approach that will pay dividends... we'll see...
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[@marthaanderson2656]

the cooperation from the Hermitage is a huge win for art over everything else.

[@stuartschaffner9744]

I guess that it depends on the owner of the painting, but I hope that the fact that the painting was a copy of another artist's painting would be a public part of the painting's provenance. Then you would be able to add details to the provenance about how you reconstructed part of the face from the original painting.

[@williamharris8367]

Having worked in the heritage sector (albeit not in an art gallery), cooperation between institutions is very common. While I never received a request like this one, it was normal to be asked for assistance by other institutions, just as we sometimes needed help ourselves. Not _everybody_ played well with others, but most of us got along very well. For example, I once needed something from a library in another country. I reached out to a colleague working there, and I had the document in hand a few hours later!

[@user-zv4wk1zd6v]

Эрмитаж огромный музей. Многие картины редко покидают запасники. Я, например, никогда не видела её в залах. Вероятно картина находилась на хранении в отделе, в котором не было возможности сделать съёмку высокого разрешения. Вынос картины из запасников с целью фотографирования её в высоком разрешении требует согласования. Ради безопасности произведений искусства.

[@NoeDactyl]

@@user-zv4wk1zd6vthe low resolution picture starts to make a lot of sense now

[@red.aries1444]

@@NoeDactyl If you can find a picture of the painting with the resolution of (1,919 × 1,573 pixel/279 KB) on Wikipedia it is most likely that they ask the Hermitage to provide them with a picture in higher resolution. But you don't need a 4K picture if you just want to do a painting by numbers in the original size.

[@wendybird1824]

Poppy is 100% an essential part of the studio

[@x4treme]

Even if not working, just emotional.

[@npc3po301]

..until a dog hair lands on Julians varnish

[@anj000]

22:03 dogs paws landed on the painting. Imagine if her claws accidentally gabbed the painting and she would drag it off the table. Not sure if it is the best idea to keep the dog if it is not well behaved.

[@KarlBunker]

@@npc3po301 I knew an artist who had just finished a painting and had laid it down flat to put on a coat of varnish. Then he went out to get a drink or two to celebrate finishing the painting. When he got back he saw that his cat had walked across the wet varnish, leaving little kitty footprints indented into it.

[@eric9249]

I cannot lie, I was secretly wanting for Poppy to pee on one of the paintings in the background. I just wanted a good laugh! 😂

[@Drew_Snydermann]

I voted, as a face, for Baumgartner's self portrait, beard and all, that would have been a hilarious restoration. "Best I could do."

[@robynmarler1951]

What a red flag that would be😂😂😂

[@MckIdyll]

I voted for having Kit pose for the face. Still think it would have worked.

[@johnrivers3813]

Just a little photoshop magic can make you dream come true

[@red.aries1444]

Time reveals the truth??? 🙂 Having Julian's face under the new retouching would create a real surprise for the next conservator when he scrapes of the retouching. It will already be something special to see a print under the paint. I think the title of this painting "Time Reveals the Truth" is quite fitting for this kind of restoration. Time will tell what will happen.

[@talamioros]

Mr Bean's restoration of Whistler's Mother would've been amazing in this context

[@slingingblueberries5714]

I'll admit to being a little disappointed that I won't be watching you figure out how to construct a fitting face from nothing. But I'm really stoked that you contacted the Hermitage and they went to a lot of trouble to get you those photographs. Brilliant idea having it printed on the canvas! This channel never ceases to amaze me.

[@Simon-ho6ly]

to be fair even in current times, academia and the likes still are in communication and friendly with each other, or at least civil... the politicians and those at the top might be behaving like a room full of toddlers but plenty of people can put that mess aside and just get on with things

[@KayInMaine]

Russians are good people

[@shirleymcneil4410]

Yes. You have said it all for me!

[@Nightenstaff]

As someone who works with clients sending photographs to be printed, I feel very confident in saying the photos were likely taken at a high resolution and then reduced in quality during the transferring/sending process. With today's technology, it's harder to take a low(-ish) resolution photograph than it is to take a high(-ish) resolution photograph. However, sending or uploading high resolution photographs can be challenging. Unless you tell your device to send the photo 'Actual Size' or 'Full Resolution' it will default to a medium resolution version to save on bandwidth. It's a fight I fight with clients every single day.

[@Nightenstaff]

@@Oceanviewgarden If I'm transferring a file back to the client, there isn't an issue. It's when a client is transferring a file to me. To answer your question though, it's simply ignorance. Unless you work in the field and have a reason to know or are just a bit of a geek and learn about it for the funsies, aspects like resolution and picture sizes aren't something your typical individual understands. It looks good on their device, why does it look worse when it's printed? I do my best to educate folks I work with from the youngest of teens to great grandparents on the basics. You'd be stunned how many people who want to enlarge a picture will pull the picture up on their device, take a screenshot of it, and then send the screenshot. It happens at least once a week. They simply don't understand the difference.

[@rebeccaabram2312]

Its also possible they didn't know "The Plan" and thought they just needed a decent photo as reference to re-paint the face, so a super high rez image wouldn't be needed for a reference just a good clear photo would work They most likely had no idea that they were going to PRINT that photo on a piece of canvas and use that as in inlay. If they had known "The Plan" they might have offered a cloud/google drive transfer of a higher res image.

[@dawsie]

Yes that’s so true, I miss film, digital is nice but it’s not the same as working in the darkroom and taking that film and exposing it to the paper. I find digital is very clinical, it’s a bit like listening to a great song on the old LP’s before CD’s came out. Okay yes I’m showing my age, but sometimes new is just that new, no warmth nothing. I have always sent photos at both actually size and high resolution but for my website I do not I learnt my lesson after images were lifted from my website before I learnt the coding to stop people from doing just that, and if they try to zoom in to do a screen shoot it brakes up the bigger they go. As you say unless they are in the business or a geek the average person has no idea at all.

[@pamelas9]

Some organizations also put a cap on how large a file can be sent by email. I've had to use WeTransfer many times to bypass this.

[@Hydrazine1000]

​​@@OceanviewgardenYou wouldn't, if you didn't know it would pose a problem, or if you didn't know that a very high fidelity image was essential. Send a copy? Sure. Tap "compress for size" because you may not have unlimited data or storage. Or you might have someone take the shot which gets transferred by Whats-Ahp first to the person handling the request, which will resize too if you do not select HD specifically.

[@serenity6415]

I love that you respect and care for copies and nameless paintings every bit as much as masterpieces with fancy provenance. Kudos to the Hermitage for working with you. You're all working together to preserve and honor art. It's lovely

[@Scriptadiaboly]

Kudos to museum literally stealing from Ukrainian museums

[@user-jp9fn4ln7d]

​@@Scriptadiaboly crybaby. Hermitage is centuries older, than Ukraine. There is nothing to steal.

[@mrdr9534]

@@user-jp9fn4ln7d ... There is nothing to steal... that comment doesn't even make sense... Not to mention that the "age of the museum" is a non sequitur regarding whether they have acquired their exhibits in a lawful or moral way... But I guess You think adding an ad hominem will "cover that" ;)

[@serenity6415]

@@mrdr9534 Stop arguing on my comment thread. I'm sure all major museums (looking at you, British Museum) have looted a lot of their exhibits. I wish they would give them back, but that's a much bigger problem, not for this discussion. It's nice the Hermitage said yeah we'll go look for that info you need. That's what this situation is. Find the right time and place for making those arguments.

[@serenity6415]

@Scriptadiaboly This is not the time or place. Get off my comment thread if youre going to be like that

[@amazinggrace5692]

Love how Kit has more confidence and knowledge to give opinions and observations. We grow as she grows. Such a perfect pairing.💕🐝💕

[@Pumpkin_Adam]

What are they exactly? I'm still a little confused.

[@pienuniek]

@@Pumpkin_Adam Kit is Julian’s apprentice. She’s there to get experience and learn.

[@hippieduck]

We can admire and feel inspired by her growth, feeling gifted with some sense of perspective, but it doesn't make us actually grow as people. Growing is one of the hardest things to do as a human. It often involves facing personal fears, challenging our own beliefs and biases, navigating a world that seemingly has turned upside down... And we already knew Kit would do great.

[@Pumpkin_Adam]

@@acmhfmggru i haven't been watching the channel in quite some time so I don't know when she joined in.

[@KayInMaine]

​@@acmhfmggruJulian has a wife and a child

[@mcingprogress]

i didn't realise i've been binge watching your restoration videos... until yt recommend your videos that literally just uploaded 20s ago 🤯

[@kat8184]

We've all been there lmao

[@serenity6415]

I'm on the Nth time through his playlist trying to find one's I've only seen a few times

[@PippyP-dm5hc]

He is a true master artesian! I’ve watched his videos for 3 years and wow… he’s amazing!

[@RosyRosie42]

At least you did that *this* week and not *last* week, leaving you on a cliffhanger for 7 looooonnnnggggg days to find out how this painting turned out! Lol

[@PippyP-dm5hc]

I’ve watched the national gallery in the uk 🇬🇧 restore paintings and watching him is much more educational and interesting to watch.

[@kmw8775]

During part one I assumed you would try and find a picture of this painting. Since it's a copy of the original, a picture of the original would certainly do the trick. Of course, I was thinking you would refer to that picture and then paint the face yourself on filler canvas. The idea of having the face printed on canvas and using that as the insert for a "paint by number" guide for matching it to the rest of the painting is a logical step, but one my mind didn't jump to. Cool!

[@carlotta4th]

Just saves him time, really, since he has to paint over it anyway. But it's good to save time!

[@rutgerw.]

@@carlotta4th Painting it himself would have been faster...

[@scottcates]

+1

[@resonantmoonaudio]

"The mark of a good conservator is to have your work go unseen". I'm an audio book editor/ proofer and that is the whole point of my job too. Must be why I enjoy the channel so much.

[@graemetimoney7002]

It is possible that in a hundred years time this method will be commonplace, and any future restorers will refer to it as doing a Baumgartner.

[@carlotta4th]

It's a nice thought but I don't think conservation is like speed running where they name a "move" after the person who found it.

[@problemsfan4132]

@@carlotta4th i mean, scientists do it all the time. look at the periodic table! less of a speedrunner thing and more of a human thing in general tbh

[@epicureanbard]

@@carlotta4th Look at all the geographic and zoologic discoveries that are named after people, or mathematical processes that are named by people. The Pythagorean Theorem was named after Pythagoras. @problemsfan4132 has a point.

[@Jason-sm4oc]

This painting has been 'Baumgartnered' ... hehehe

[@DrMJJr]

“I can see I’m going to have to do a Baumgardner on this one…” sounds absolutely like a future preservation technique to me!! 😊😊😊

[@XYGSteve]

I went to the National Gallery (in DC) this weekend. I've always enjoyed museums, and naturally I gravitate to styles or artists or pieces that resonante with me, but your restorations have given me a greater appreciation for the details of art that I simply 'glossed over' before. From impasto to brush strokes to the condition of the art, I was seeing things that I had never seen before and appreciated the work of both the artist's work and the conservators & curators that displayed them. I even noticed the selection of lighting in a room that would enhance a painting. I just wanted to offer my gratitude for helping me to appreciate something so beautiful in a new way.

[@MckIdyll]

The National Gallery is an amazing resource. And not without a sense of humor! -- they hung Dali's "Last Supper" just outside the entrance to the cafeteria.

[@XYGSteve]

@@MckIdyll I saw it between the gift shop and the cafe stairs. It was an inauspicious spot but in good humor and well seen.

[@merisyates5281]

Kit's dog is absolutely an essential member of the team 💕

[@annabellelee4535]

Poppy is adorable!

[@Archeantusable]

She's doing her best

[@cynthiat6505]

Brilliant! If it’s a conservation in the future, they will think you were absolutely BRILLIANT! Bravo to the Hermitage being so cooperative! You are so resourceful!

[@karenneill9109]

It really is a fantastic solution!

[@nikkithefabulous8127]

Are we not gonna talk about Kits nails??? They look amazing!! 😍😍 21:27

[@heehoopeanut420]

oh heck, I didn't even notice at first. They are super cool!!

[@kmw8775]

I didn't notice. But I never notice women's nails unless they are actually distracting. My own nails are never colored; It's never been a thing for me.

[@francescosirotti8178]

Spoiler: the nails aren't Kits: that's Julian

[@Lynx85Lynx]

I immediately wondered if she painted them herself 😂 painting on canvas during work time, then on nails after hours ❤

[@stereonacht2247]

@@Lynx85Lynx I don't know if she painted them herself, but whomever did them painted *on water* first. I have seen the technique in a video (I hardly ever paint my own nails, and always very basic when I do), where they pour the varnish on water, and then the person dip their fingers in it. The varnish adheres to the nails, then they just have to remove the excess on the skin.

[@user-eq8lq9vu1d]

hey Julian ! I’m starting at an art school in September, but tomorrow morning is my first GCSE exam and this video is the only thing calming me enough to sleep. Thank you so much for what you do, even if most of us are sleepy teenagers

[@Bildgesmythe]

Fantastic solution for the missing face!

[@phyllisstrider2998]

I can't wait for Part 3. I could watch it all at one time. It's so interesting. Love that Kit was apart of this restoration. It was good to see her again. ❤❤

[@ejtappan1802]

I didn't realize this was a copy of an original, so I assumed you would have to pull up a bunch of period examples to reimagine the face. But being able to give yourself any kind of genuine template to follow from the original is such a genius way to go about it.

[@talamioros]

Just wanted to register my appreciation for Julian and Kit both! You're both lovely people and the learning/craft/art in every video is always amazing and inspiring

[@pattimessenger6214]

You found the original painting and got a photo of the missing face! Brilliant! Truly brilliant!

[@caleblatreille8224]

One thing I've come to love about your videos is how you explain some of the same processes over and over again, and I always thought it was for the sake of, one, creating a consistent body of video work and, two, reinforcing the things you're trying to educate the public about. Watching you talk your process through with Kit in this episode, though, makes it seem much more like it's a deeply personal thing, part of a constant stream of going over strategies and efficiencies either in your head, out loud with your peers (and probably loved ones), or even out loud to yourself as you narrate these videos. It's really such a beautiful quality! I'm sure it comes with challenges and limits, but it really is joyful to watch and listen to. It's so appreciated that you share it here.

[@np1gg2]

It's really cool that Kit is on this channel more often now. Her questions and observations are really adding a lot!

[@Lynx85Lynx]

Poppy is quality control officer making sure nobody in the Studio is using staples 😂

[@RobertShippey]

Great to see Kit again, and hear you two discuss how this might be received in 100 years. If only we thought about the future like that in more areas of work!

[@RonikaAvonagor]

I'm so glad that Hermitage helped with providing more information about lost face! The fact that it take them some time to find original in storage and steal they send you materials means they really wanted to help and appreciate your work! P.s. greetings from Russia ❤

[@danya_2d]

На душе так тепло от того, что подобные взаимоотношения между Россией и Западом поддерживаются в мире искусства. Огромный респект Эрмитажу за помощь с реставрацией. It's so warming that such relationship between Russia and the west still exists in the world of art. Huge respect to Hermitage for helping you with the restoration.

[@Pax.Alotin]

​@@danya_2d Of course it exists. You are part of the West too - no matter what the silly politicians say. Russia has given us so much. Only a fool would turn his back on Russia. Конечно, оно существует. Вы тоже часть Запада - что бы там ни говорили глупые политики. Россия дала нам так много. Только дурак отвернется от России. ✌😎

[@nastyavovchok]

@@Pax.Alotinyes, it gave a loot of destroyed homes, killed people and broken people lives 🤗

[@Pax.Alotin]

@@nastyavovchok You mean - that many of the art treasures were stolen ? That's an interesting thought. It needs looking into from an impartial source. i know that the Germans took the Amber - Room -disassembled it - after which it was stored in a castle. beyond that - is speculation. Some claim Russian soldiers burned it accidentally when they looted the castle. Others say it survived & is now part of a private collection.

[@Uncle_Smidge]

​@@nastyavovchok Okay but they literally have the original painting. How TF are art restorers supposed to magically change that?

[@marsthesecondgenesis1291]

Thank you Julian for sharing all your videos. I have been following your channel for many years. I am a master carpenter and sculpture and have restored quite a few pieces of old furniture in my time. The one that comes to mind is when a client came in with an old chair that his dad had and he had recently passed away and his son wanted the chair restored. The hand rails were stuck together with blue tack and sellotape! I took great pride and restored the piece for him free of charge because of the circumstances. I love watching your channel as there is always great content. Keep up the good work.

[@Algorithmicgeneratedwordsalad]

Poppy is quality control thank you very much

[@Tinderchaff]

And Supervisor.

[@gl15col]

Part 3? Aargh, I am too old to wait that long...I love seeing the face, I think I get what the painting is about now. I doubt anyone will care much how it was done, cause her expression makes all the difference, for me at least.

[@MrKotBonifacy]

"Her expression" strikes me as rather odd, or "uninvolved", considering this rather, erm, "perilous" situation the painting depicts (and thus the possible fate she's facing). But then I'm not entirely excluding the option she might actually be looking forward to it, and thus her "ambiguous feelings" (and facial expression) toward her saviour and the whole commotion depicted herein. EDIT: _"Uninvolved"_ - well, probably the word "detached" would be more fitting here, but then "neither pun intended". Also, is it only me - some "prosopagnosia à rebours", or what? - or the face of that women on the painting does bear some semblance to Kit's face? Frankly, I'm kinda... "undecided".

[@AbbeyStrawberryJam]

What an innovative idea! keeps the soul of the artwork alive!

[@curtisbryce5096]

I am astounded how precise you can cut those inlays with such a large scissors. 👍

[@jakesmerth1919]

Julian's goal is basically to be a Ninja. He strikes from the shadows and leaves no trace.

[@loren6783]

Absolutely Amazing how the face can be reconstructed!!

[@heehoopeanut420]

I know, I thought that was so smart. It's a great way to preserve the figure of the woman in the original while making it match the actual painting in their hands. So clever!

[@Pax.Alotin]

*As I watch the woman's face come back to life* ---------- it becomes clear --------------- *the model was Kitt's great great great great grand-mother* 🙂

[@markverplank2827]

As a retired traditional upholster I can really appreciate all your work, from your artistry of 'painting' to the way you tack a canvas to the frame. I still spit tacks! HA. Few people have the patience that we do, but I know I could do a lot of the work you do, like the scrapping of glue and dismantling/cleaning, and regluing, and if i were 30 years younger I might tackle this profession, at least as an apprentice! You are my favorite artist!

[@86fifty]

21:26 - GURL, those nails!? That's artwork in and of itself! So many colors! :O

[@Superbus753]

The question is when will it need some conservation :P

[@beldarin]

Something as tiny as pupil placement would have monumental influce on the finished piece, the direction her gaze was every bit as important as colour mtching. I wondered how that choice would be made, and am relieved and amazed at your novel solution. Great work again, on so many levels

[@neil2242]

Kit really went for "...Bozo" XD I kid of course. Your rapport is outstanding, and the constant quest for novel methods in conservation is very inspiring. Thank you for sharing this on the regular.

[@austin12ascot]

You are so thorough! You have so much patience. You have so many tricks up your sleeve. Amazing.

[@watchmedo635]

Utilising The Hermitage is genius! And Poppy is a cutie pie ❤ she needs her own little baumgartner apron ✨

[@tayrou7395]

Wow I can't wait to see part 3!

[@eridanuskelpi3908]

I really enjoy that you leave in mishaps in your voice and just do it again. That's a charming approach to content creation I think 😊

[@cjrecord]

"I called the Hermitage." I love how casually he dropped that. Serious, though, boss, that close-up at the start of the Squarespace bit was, to quote Daffy Duck, "too close!" Kinda jumpscared when I heard the volume change and looked to my second monitor.

[@shompy12]

Having Kit in the videos is a true blessing! You complenemt each other very good 🤗

[@siljaravens]

how exiting to find the actual face!

[@86fifty]

Yesss, I'm so excited for this one! Part 1 left my jaw on the floor, amazed you even agreed to take on this repair job, and with the knowledge that the original was found and photographed, this seems SO much more possible!

[@amydebuitleir]

Do you ever include notes on what you did for the benefit of future conservators, perhaps attached to the back of the canvas?

[@theKashConnoisseur]

Yes, he includes a card with the essential info on it, as well as contact info to get specifics.

[@RobertShippey]

And a comprehensive written report provided to the client too, I believe.

[@mariawhite7337]

To tell the truth this is something ive been WAITING for. If we have access to the orgional, or HD pictures of the painting then you can retouch to THOSE instead of hoping and praying that it is as close to the origional as possible. IT is like we now have the technology to take pictures of these paintings and archieve them to multiple places so if they get stolen, or damaged we can repair them to those pictures. Or have the pictures to PROVE that they exist.

[@W4iteFlame]

Clever. Good you were able to find the original. By the way. Once we were printing a copy of one artist's painting for him. He specifically mentioned that he will fix all the printing mistakes by himself. Same idea

[@daniellassander]

Its great to see Kit being back, ive missed her, she is fun. It also makes the videos more of a conversation then just a voiceover which i personally think is a great addition. I hope that you guys decide to make a video of Kits journey into conservation. I hope to see her doing a complete conservation of a whole painting one day from the start until the painting is properly restored.

[@caroltanzi29]

Julian: genius! Incredible. Brilliant! This process is so exciting for me to watch, I can hardly wait for the continuation of the restoration. Great video. Carol from California

[@heehoopeanut420]

We did this a lot when we did our mixed media section in art class! If the image we printed wasn't perfect, we could just paint on the parts we need to change. As long as the texture matches, it looks really seamless!

[@woodymurphy2249]

Genius level fix for the face. Bravo!!

[@nv1493]

Absolutely agree - Poppy provides essential oversight and guidance for the studio.

[@shannonbrown309]

Agreed. Nothing would get done without Poppy's managerial chutzpah!

[@birgittvanwijk9646]

Julian, you are a wonderful mentor to Kit. You are explaining, taking such time to educate all of us. It is a joy to see how she grows. And then the star and cliffhanger! Who knew you could give her a face! Can’t wait to watch the next part. I am a hobby historian, art historian and my best friend is a museum curator. Through her I learned how demanding such delicate work is. How much research and time it takes to care for art. Thank you for taking us along the ride. And how nice to meet Poppy.

[@flufwix]

Getting a print of the face is a brilliant idea!! Having to guess facial features would be so hard. And scratching the resin to match the texture is super clever and skilled. You are a master craftsman!

[@gyselapacheco1254]

If recorded as to why you did it this way, I think some restorer in the future would understand. This was the best technology of the day and it help get the portrait back to its original representation.

[@dontwantish]

I feel like as time goes on there will be fewer and fewer paintings out there that haven’t been digitally photographed while they were still new. Certainly anything sold at a gallery or at auction is being photographed and recorded and you could find those images in a provenance search, not to mention people posting pictures on social media. That would mean that a technique like this becomes more and more viable even for originals. You don’t need another version of the painting to work from, just pictures from the works early life.

[@MrPitini]

all the days stress and worry just melts away as I watch art unfold. Love this so much. Thank you.

[@Staceheart24]

Poppy’s work and attention to detail is exceptional. She is a real talent 🫶🏼 🐶

[@Landrew0]

I was sure I had seen a picture of the undamaged version of that painting somewhere.

[@jaskdraws]

AI is trained using stolen assets from artists who did not consent to their art being used, using it presents a host of unethical practices. AI is not art, and in my opinion as a life long artist, should not be used to replace it. Human hands and minds created art, and it should stay that way.

[@Sialyxzx]

Well said!

[@sapphicfaery]

This reminds me of a time where I finished a really hard puzzle, and there was one missing pieces. We couldn't find it anywhere, so I used the reference image to make a replacement piece. I think this is a smart way to keep your balance between fixing and creating!

[@drfelixgraham]

I would really love to know more about the painting subjects, who the artists are, when it was originally painted, etc.

[@LiamJamesFitch]

hi! i’ve been a fan of your videos for like 5 years now and i’ve always wanted you to show us what not to do in conservation! Perhaps with some placeholder artwork, you could overheat, over stretch, use too-aggressive a solvent, I’d love to see the mayhem.

[@faytoto2533]

Oh nice, I just finished the first part, and you uploaded the second one during that time. Impressive project !

[@samanthadean1083]

I love how Julian is always evolving his techniques!!! Awesome job!!! ❤️❤️❤️👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

[@oldmansam95]

The tacking part always is so comforting and satisfying. I love seeing him flatten the extra with the edges of the hammer.

[@user-to9fw1wv9l]

Nice marching the canvas. I know about that free flow thinking. When I working on a painting I zone out for days. It is great for losing weight. Just make sure you drink enough water.

[@serenity6415]

Is that hyperfocus? I'm rather thinking thats what Julian was describing also. You get in the zone and time stops flowing.

[@user-to9fw1wv9l]

@@serenity6415 exactly

[@novakonstant]

Hermitage was one of the coolest museums Ive ever visited, nice to see they collaborating with your work!

[@RiverBird003]

The hermitage print on archival material is such a win because it’s so true, restoring is a technicians job not an opinionated job!

[@deborahdanhauer8525]

I think you’re solution for the face is genius! And I think those people in the future will think so too.❤️🐝🤗

[@El_Pollo_Loco]

Perfect timing for my 30 min break! Thanks 😊

[@KarineElias-962Jo]

Yay! Finally! 🤩 I was waiting for part 2 💃

[@mechfan01]

Excellent approach for retouching large missing areas, especially when you have photos of the original.

[@a-complished4406]

This is being my mental health time for years now. Thank you ❤

[@DeliciousPigeonCheez]

This channel really makes me appreciate just how much skill, time, and hard work goes into good quality, thoughtful, and well-researched conservation and restoration work.

[@Siansonea]

I would love to see technology get to the point where the weight and weave of canvas can be matched for prints like this, and this honestly seems like one of the few good uses of generative AI technology. Color calibration between the original extant painting and the new fill-in would go a long way toward making this a viable method for replacing lost sections of an image. The major flaw of this approach is how difficult it is to match the colors of the original, but that's just a matter of color calibration. Getting accurate color readings from the original, getting those readings to print accurately on the new canvas, and adjusting the infill image to match that color profile is an achievable goal.

[@evilpompom]

The canvas photograph is such a creative idea! 😮

[@johnhobbs621]

Brilliant to watch, the more broken the painting or artwork the more exciting the journey! As an artist myself I'd very much appreciate you one time showing how exactly you tackle (in detail) the corners when stretching the paintings. I use your method of finishing the reverse side which is a great tip!

[@cromotocciano]

"Did this bozo paint over the original face?" that made me laugh

[@ymeaga1n]

Did I missed something? When did this painting split in half?

[@gaivscaesar]

I thought the same thing

[@Bildgesmythe]

When the old conservation was removed. The painting was in terrible condition for a long time

[@sergiobenitez4866]

My thoughts the same!!!!

[@konrai1972]

Same thought here

[@seriouslyreally5413]

The old liner was placed on the painting in a previous conservation to put the pieces back together. Removing the liner on the back and the overpainting on the front that covered the seams where the canvas was torn would have revealed that it had indeed been torn and repaired.

[@IanWatson]

The Hermitage inlay was such a good idea; I'm glad that resource was available! Can't wait to see the final result. 21:30 Kit I LOVE YOUR NAILS

[@maggs131]

Id consider using the canvas prints for inlay patches as cutting edge especially when comparing to your hand creating those images. Brilliant in my book 👌

[@dashinvaine]

How lucky, discovering that it's a copy and the original exists. (Did you mention what it's called and who it's by, incidentally?) Nice of the Hermitage to be somewhat co-operative, too, given the state of international relations. Very good solution, I can't think of any better way of doing it. I was originally of a mind to suggest cutting an oval around the head and using the painting like one of those painted screen things at the seaside where people can poke their faces through and get their photos taken as pirates or mermaids. I wouldn't have thought that dogs would be very welcome in a studio where a lot of varnishing is done. That's one reason I seldom varnish my paintings- dog hairs.

[@8MWm3e4b]

Theodoor van Thulden Allegory of Time Revealing Truth 141.2 x 173 cm Oil on canvas Hermitage, St. Petersburg 1657

[@lauravivanco]

At least a couple of people worked it out when the first video came out, and I just happened to keep the tab open where I'd gone to take a look, so here are the details: Theodoor van Thulden Allegory of Time Revealing Truth 141.2 x 173 cm Oil on canvas Hermitage, St. Petersburg

[@dashinvaine]

@@8MWm3e4b Thanks. I was thinking maybe Rubens. (Apparently they sometimes collaborated, Rubens and van Thulden, so I wasn't far off.)

[@jonathanboyd144]

While not universal, I think this technique has legs. I would say for insurance, insurance, or sale activities are generating digital (or photographic) copies. Even if your resource was black and white, it would go a long way to enable the conservator to replicate the original. Good on you.

[@HardwareLust]

Well, I learned something new today; I had no idea clear fill-in media existed. Thanks Julian!

[@trozz7660]

This is amazing! My thought is that George will be ecstatic that you found the original face! You are repairing the past damage as true to the source as you can get. Just like the copy was made to be as true to the original...you are now part of it's history 😊

[@1dollarHat]

I love dogs, but am i the only one who thinks that having a dog in the studio is not the best idea? (Not bait, just feel like fur being in there may not be good? It was jumping up near the painting too? Just a thought)

[@KodyTheViking]

I agree, but these are the people you'd want removing dog hair from a painting.

[@karans3307]

I thought the same thing. You can never get rid of all of the fur and fur shows up in weird places. One hair would ruin hours of work and cost hours more to remove.

[@feralnonbinaryautistic]

Good to see no BetterHelp sponsorship.

[@Scriptadiaboly]

They have accolade to russians instead 🤢

[@dontpanic529]

This extensive excursion into the philosophy of restoration is very interesting and educational, I really liked this video format.

[@zakaryreilly]

Wow what a great idea! and it's amazing that an institution like the Hermitage played ball with you on an unknown artist's copy

[@ricog8209]

Having a dog run around a studio with priceless pieces or art is crazy.

[@countryrose93]

I’m a huge dog lover, but I was surprised Poppy is allowed into the studio. Especially when I saw her put her feet up on the table a little too close to the painting for my comfort at 22:04 😅. I understand there is always dust and fibers and things in the air, and likely the varnishing and stuff is done in a highly filtered, separate area, but fur gets EVERYWHERE. Even just from clothing/aprons, I am surprised that wouldn’t pose an issue for this type of work.

[@benjaminsantelices7353]

Julian has shown multiple times in multiple occasions that every time fibers could be an issue (retouching, varnishing, etc) the surfaces get brushed before application

[@polloloci21]

Stuff like this is simply wonderful. 😀 I need super calm people like you guys in my life.

[@sharkboy_twentytwo8155]

I’ve loved this channel since the start. Love your new apprentice. She brings a fresh look at conservation, and seems to be learning really fast. I’m SO glad you got photos of the original.

[@guillermojperea6355]

Not first but an instant notification click! It is a very curious case and solution, and it rubs me the wrong way because of a print being introduced into the painting semi permanently, and it feels inescapably cheap and cheaty in a way, and even you sound very defensive, but OTOH reason tells me it's the perfect solution, even sourced from the original and all instead of being created by the conservator. It's a very weird conflict! Edit: And finally... After a few minutes of seeing it there, the tension just eased and it feels just fine!

[@J_-xk8uz]

I got nervous when the dog got its paws on the table so close to the painting

[@lauravivanco]

Yes, and I was thinking that a larger, more excitable dog let loose in a studio like this might at some point put its paws through a canvas that was leaning against the wall or knock things over. I'm guessing Poppy has good manners and clean paws.

[@barnarabai1777]

I am so glad I have the second part available immediately. The upsides of being behind on your work! Mad respect!

[@26beegee]

It is so enjoyable to watch you work. Attention to detail makes a huge difference in any finished product and you never miss on that score!

[@JimBuschman]

Wow, I think Poppie is going to need to speak to HR about those comments...

[@W4iteFlame]

True. Poppie did nothing wrong