Using a soothing, quieting and appetizing color, Herbert Bayer’s monumental painting "Verdure" was part of our special exhibition celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus in 2019. It originally was installed in the dining hall of the newly built Harvard Graduate Center. During the painting’s relatively short life, from its creation in 1950 to its most recent installation in the 2019 exhibition “The Bauhaus and Harvard,” the canvas has been conserved seven times to address the problems of grime and damage. Conservator, Kate Smith takes us behind the scenes and breaks down the techniques she and colleagues used in treating the work and getting it ready for the public to enjoy. TAKE A CLOSER LOOK:   + Herbert Bayer, American, “Verdure,” 1950. Oil on canvas. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Commissioned by Harvard Corporation. 1950.169. © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. https://hvrd.art/o/311569. + Herbert Bayer, American, “Study for Verdure,” 1950. Pastel and graphite on tracing paper. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Gift of Joella Bayer. 1990.80. © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. https://hvrd.art/o/221478. + Herbert Bayer, American, “Study for Verdure,” 1950. Crayon on buff tracing paper, with graphite inscriptions. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Gift of Joella Bayer. 1990.79. © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. https://hvrd.art/o/221486. + Herbert Bayer, American, “Study for Verdure," 1950. Oil on canvas. Harvard Art Museums/Busch-Reisinger Museum, Commissioned by Harvard Corporation. 1950.169. © Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / VG Bild-Kunst, Bonn. https://hvrd.art/o/228781. + The Harvard Crimson (1950 Nov 15), "Artist Gives Meaning Of Commons Painting": https://www.thecrimson.com/article/1950/11/15/artist-gives-meaning-of-commons-painting/ + Exhibition—"The Bauhaus and Harvard:" https://www.harvardartmuseums.org/exhibitions/5615/the-bauhaus-and-harvard -- Speaker: Kate Smith, Conservator of Paintings and Head of Paintings Lab. This video is part of our series 'Harvard Art Museums from Home: Art Talks,' in which our team of curators, conservators, fellows, and graduate students will share short, informal videos that offer an up-close look at works from our collections.   © President and Fellows of Harvard College. Video: Kate Smith and Danny Hoshino. For questions related to permission for commercial use of this video, please contact the Department of Digital Imaging and Visual Resources at am_divr@harvard.edu.