When someone talks about "laser cleaning", the first thing that comes to mind is the classic viral example with cannons that remove accumulated dirt and destroy metal rust, but this technology is also compatible with processes much more delicate, and that's how we arrive at Julian Baumgartner's channel the number one art restorer on YouTube. His latest patient is a small portrait of George Washington, which at first seemed simple…
I admit my Monday morning didn't start well: something like a bomb exploded in my house, and after jumping out of bed, I discovered that the supposed "bomb" was actually the television, thrown to the floor by one of my cats. With the family screaming and felines running in all directions, I need to see someone who does things right… and the feed responded with a video from Julian Baumgartner, art restorer and head of the Baumgartner Restoration channel on YouTube.
George Washington and Laser Beams, ft. Baumgartner Restoration
The Washington portrait is relatively small compared to other projects on the channel, but it's not free of problems. Time and lack of information are formidable enemies, and when cleaning these works of art, any shortcut can lead to disaster. When it came time to remove the varnish layer, Julian discovered that even his mildest solvents were too aggressive on the paint, and that's where the laser comes in.
What's most interesting is that he didn't acquire any special platform: it's the LaserScope Venus, an ER:YAG laser (erbium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet laser) from 2005, with extensive use in dermatology and dentistry. Even so, the laser is no toy, and second-hand units cost more than $5,000 online.
Now, the goal of the laser is not to save time. On the contrary, Julian works in small blocks of one or two centimeters, "burning" the varnish with each shot to facilitate its removal with a neutral solution and many swabs. The laser is barely "the correct tool in the correct situation", and with a large painting, removing its varnish using this technique would take weeks.
As always, the final result is wonderful. The painting may be a copy of a more famous portrait, but without a doubt we can say that George "came back to life" after this laser treatment.
Source: Hackaday
