Smart-phone-assisted digital rejuvenation of medieval paintings

Project Summary

Liuyi Zhu (Computer Science, Math), Gilad Amitai (Masters, Statistics), Raphael Kim (Computer Science, Mechanical Engineering), and Andreas Badea (East Chapel Hill High School) spent ten weeks streamlining and automating the process of electronically rejuvenating medieval artwork. They used a 14th-century altarpiece by Francescussio Ghissi as a working example.

Themes and Categories
Interdisciplinary Inquiry
Data+, Digital Humanities, Social Sciences
Year
2017
Contact
Paul Bendich
Mathematics
bendich@math.duke.edu

Project Results: The team built a prototype app which transforms the original image, using a combination of techniques including color segmentation, crack detection and inpainting, color mapping, punchmark detection, and gilding, They have distributed the app to conservators at the North Carolina Museum of Art for initial testing.

This project is inspired by the experience of the Duke Bass Connections team that developed the virtual rejuvenation of the Ghissi altarpiece, which went on display at the North Carolina Museum of Art.

Sponsored by Bass Connections

Click here for the Executive Summary

Faculty Lead: Ingrid Daubechies

Project Managers: Robert Ravier, Bruno Cornelis

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