Dear lovers of unique home furnishings and antique things!

I couldn't help but share a stunning video about the transformation of an old icon.

Restoration artist - Julian Baumgartner from Baumgartner Fine Art Restoration in Chicago.

In the video, he is restoring the Ave Maria icon. This work was probably created in a workshop that once specialized in religious icons and things for churches and was made by several artisans and artists, as it did not have any signatures, and historical evidence of authorship. Such icons usually appeared throughout Europe and were often lost during wars or the closing and relocation of churches.

There was virtually no data on the icon, except that the previous owner was an antique dealer who traveled extensively in Europe in the 1950s and 1960s, collecting items for sale in the US.

It was covered with old dirt and linseed oil, with large loss of paint layer and instability, this icon could have ceased to exist in the near future. The process of preserving and restoring of the icon was delicate and tedious, but the final result shows how it could have looked, presented to the parishioners for the first time.

This version of the video is a short presentation of the main elements of the work.

Enjoy and admire it with me.