River Forester Barry Bauman says that during more than 40 years as an art conservator, he’s worked on restoring some of the greatest paintings in the history of art.
But one portrait of a former first lady, which Bauman was commissioned to restore in 2010, “was the most important discovery I made of what something wasn’t,” he said.
The painting was thought to be a portrait of Mary Lincoln, the wife of former President Abraham Lincoln. Bauman points out that there is no evidence she ever called herself Mary Todd Lincoln, as she is often referred to today. According to an affidavit attached to the back of the painting and written by artist Lew Bloom, the portrait was commissioned in 1864 by Mary as a surprise for her husband. She solicited artist Francis Carpenter to paint it.
Mary’s granddaughter bought the portrait in 1929, Bauman said, and willed it to her son, who was the last living descendent of the family. He gifted it to the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in 1976. In September 201, the museum’s curator, James Cornelius, asked Bauman, a former conservator for the Art Institute of Chicago, to restore the painting. Bauman offers pro bono services to museums and non-profit organizations.
He spent months last year cleaning the painting and trying to remove dirt, grime and former restoration work, but he noticed the signature and date were not in paint, but on top of the varnish. Furthermore, the broach Mary wore in the painting was also on top of the varnish, which told Bauman that those elements were later additions.
He got about halfway through cleaning the face, trying to remove 1977 restoration work, and realized the 1977 image looked completely different from the 1929 image.
“It was never Mary Lincoln,” Bauman said, and the artist was not Carpenter.
He called Cornelius and showed him some of the elements under a microscope. They both recognized it was forgery.
Bauman told the New York Times, which announced the discovery of the painting in 1929 and ran as story earlier this year about the forgery, that he believes Bloom altered the subject’s facial features and painted in her accessories. He said the painting was insured for $400,000
“This has become the most famous painting in the (Lincoln library’s) collection for the wrong reasons,” Bauman said.
He and Cornelius will give a presentation on the discovery, and the history of other Lincoln fakes, at Dominican University on Nov. 4. The talk will begin at 3 p.m. at the Martin Recital Hall, and attendees are encouraged to make reservations by visiting www.dom.edu/newsevents/lincoln, or calling 708-524-6289.