Various imaging technologies have been used in the field of art conservation for many decades [Fischer
and Kakoulli 2006]. Infrared Reflectography (IRR) with narrow band-pass filters has been used in
the study of paintings [Delaney et al. 1993]. Mansfield et al. [2002] and Attas et al. [2003] applied
multispectral imaging to examine drawing and oil painting. Spectral imaging can, for example, detect
variations in material indicating repairs that have been made to the original works.
Full volumetric scanning, in particular CT scanning, is used to investigate the structure of artifacts,
especially those made of wood and bone [Ghysels 2005]. For example, CT scanning was used to obtain
a full volumetric map of a Fang reliquary head from Gabon to answer questions such as the internal
morphology of and the degree to which oils had permeated the wooden object [Kaehr et al. 2007].
Conservators can now make simultaneous use of multiple types of digital information in understanding,
documenting, and conserving works of art. In studying the work of Raphael, Roy et al. [2007]
demonstrated the use of infrared and ultraviolet imaging and 3D profilometry. The work of Arbace
et al. [2012] shows how scanned historic photographs, 3D shape scans, and color data can be brought
to bear in the reconstruction of a work. Mohen et al. [2006] describe a remarkable set of imaging technologies
as well as other physical measurements all used in a definitive study of the state of Leonardo
da Vinci’s Mona Lisa. In general, conservation projects dealing with multiple imaging modalities have
focused on the study of a particular object, rather than a tool that can be used to study many objects.
In most cases, technical experts in different disciplines and in the different imaging modalities were
needed to acquire and interpret the data.
While conservators rely on a variety of digital image formats to visualize works of art, they also
need to generate data about the objects that they visualize to assist them in formulating conclusions
and to share with colleagues, researchers, and the public. For example, conservators may wish to take
a screenshot of the object currently being visualized, to save (and later retrieve) a “bookmark” of an
object from a particular camera angle with certain display and lighting conditions, or to “tag” parts
of the object and associate them with annotations elaborating upon noteworthy features. In addition
to free-form annotations, conservators may also wish to catalog information about the object using
controlled metadata systems. Popular standards for describing works of art and visual culture include
the Getty Research Institute’s Categories for the Description of Works of Art [Baca and Harpring 2009]
and the Visual Resources Association’s VRA Core [VRA 2013].
In this project, we seek to provide art conservators access to different types of digital imaging data
and metadata in an integrated environment. Experts might still be needed to acquire the data (as