CHArt CHArt Computers and the History of Art - 1998 Conference Paper Abstract
It is proposed to study painted sculptures from the late Gothic period, or similar artefacts held in the V&A collection. Three dimensional and two dimensional computer imaging techniques will be used to capture and manipulate digital models of the artefacts as far as the available technical data and computer capabilities will allow.
The process of determining the original appearance of painted surfaces relies largely on technical analysis, documentary evidence and the general historical knowledge of the objects concerned. Very often the polychromy of a wooden or stone sculpture will have altered considerably in the course of the object's history; this may be due to over painting, fading or other deterioration, accidental or malicious damage and the interventions of previous restoration. The painted surface of such artefacts is therefore likely to have gradually evolved through numerous stages before arriving at its present day appearance.
Conservators construct a mental impression of original appearance from all the available information. Over paint applied in layers over many centuries, to what were often functional objects of worship, can make interpretation difficult. Digital imaging technology is a means of assimilating the complex technical data and using it to explore and reconstruct the surface appearance of an object at each stage of its evolution, ultimately to a likely original state. The process of conservation documentation and treatment could be aided by allowing the possible outcomes of proposed conservation strategies, and those unfeasible in reality, to be viewed virtually and evaluated. The resulting images may also be used for educational and display purposes in a multimedia context. Similarly, there is scope to develop a didactic tool for conservation education through the project.