Is it true that a painting conservator is also a detective? According to acclaimed conservator and art historian Barry Bauman, every painting has its secrets. During his 46 years of experience treating and analyzing damaged paintings, he has uncovered many of them — lost signatures, hidden dates and entire paintings hidden beneath other works. Two of his discoveries were so phenomenal they landed on the front page of The New York Times.
Those who attend his upcoming presentation “The Conservation of Paintings: Historical and Technical Discoveries,” at 7 p.m. Thursday will share in the joy of some of his most remarkable discoveries. Hosted by the General Lew Wallace Study and Museum, this event will be held in the Fellowship Hall of St. John’s Episcopal Church at 212 S. Water St. It is free and open to the general public.
At the beginning of his career, Bauman 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 conservation facility in the nation. In 2004, Bauman left the private sector to establish Bauman Conservation, America’s first conservation laboratory dedicated to offering complimentary services to museums and nonprofit organizations. When he closed Bauman Conservation in 2018, it was estimated he had contributed more than $6 million in conservation services to museums and nonprofits.
In August 2019, Bauman opened Conservation Ventures (ConservationVentures.org), a company that focuses on presentations and CAP grants to assist museums with recommendations and priorities for long-range collection care. Bauman is an Elected Fellow of the American Institute for Conservation.
This installment of the Dr. Howard Miller Lecture Series is presented to complement the General Lew Wallace Study & Museums current annual exhibit, “Versatile Genius: Lew Wallace’s Creative Endeavors.” The exhibit, which is open in the Carriage House Interpretive Center 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday free of charge, focuses on Lew Wallace’s art and music.
Museum staff encourages visitors and lecture attendees to wear masks and maintain six feet social distancing.
For more information, contact Larry Paarlberg at 765-362-5769 or lpaarlberg@ben-hur.com.
