The Figge Art Museum and the German American Heritage Center present "The Conservation of Paintings: Historical & Technical Discoveries" -- November 7.
Sunday, November 7, 2 p.m.
Presented by the German American Heritage Center and the Figge Art Museum
In the first of two virtual Sunday-afternoon programs hosted by Davenport's German American Heritage Center and Figge Art Museum, painting conservator and art historian Barry Bauman will lead the Zoom discussion The Conservation of Paintings: Historical & Technical Discoveries, a November 7 presentation in which participants can share in the joy of Bauman's most remarkable discoveries including lost signatures, hidden dates, and entire paintings hidden beneath other works.
Is it true that a painting conservator is also a detective? According to conservator and art historian Bauman, every painting has its secrets. During his 46 years of experience treating and analyzing damaged paintings, he has uncovered many of them, and two of his discoveries were so phenomenal they landed on the front page of the New York Times. Those who attend his November 7 online presentation will share in the joy of some of his most remarkable discoveries, the program a fascinating preface to Bauman's forthcoming November 14 discussion Solving the Cranach Mystery Surrounding the Portraits of Martin Luther & Katharina von Bora. Even among those very much interested in art, art history, chemistry, physics, history, and museum studies, many are not aware of the conservation field and the rewards it has to offer, and Bauman's presentation will also review the requirements necessary to enter the field of art conservation.
At the beginning of his career, Bauman, an Elected Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation, worked for 11 years at the Art Institute of Chicago, departing as the Associate Conservator of Paintings. He then founded and directed the Chicago Conservation Center, which, for 20 years, was the largest private conservation facility in America. In 2004, Bauman left the private sector to establish Bauman Conservation, America’s first conservation laboratory dedicated to offering complimentary services to museums and non-profit organizations. When he closed Bauman Conservation in 2018, it was estimated he had contributed more than $6,000,000 in conservation services to museums and nonprofits. In August of 2019, Bauman went on to open Conservation Ventures, a company that focuses on presentations and CAP grants to assist museums with recommendations and priorities for long-range collection care.
Bauman's presentation The Conservation of Paintings: Historical & Technical Discoveries will begin at 2 p.m. on November 7, and virtual participation is $5. For more information on the event, call the German American Heritage Center at (563)322-8844 and the Figge Art Museum at (563)326-7804, and registration for the program is available by visiting GAHC.org and FiggeArtMuseum.org.
