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Can you guess what's wrong with these paintings? - Noah Charney

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TEDEd Animation

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Prior to the mid-20th century, art restorers took a heavy-handed approach, often drastically altering paintings in the name of “improving” art. Today, they focus on keeping the original work intact with minimal intervention, and must regularly contend with past modifications. So, how is damaged artwork repaired? Noah Charney explains the painstaking process of restoring priceless artifacts.

Imagine you are a conservator. An old painting is brought to you that is clogged with varnish and appears dirty. What steps would you take to clean it?

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Meet The Creators

  • Educator Noah Charney
  • Director Michael Kalopaidis, Zedem Media
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Constantinos Hadjidemetri
  • Animator Rafael Kallistratou
  • Art Director Constantinos Hadjidemetri
  • Music Manolis Manoli
  • Sound Designer Manolis Manoli
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Producer Anna Bechtol
  • Associate Producer Sazia Afrin
  • Editorial Director Alex Rosenthal
  • Editorial Producer Cella Wright
  • Script Editor Iseult Gillespie
  • Fact-Checker Jennifer Nam

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