An approach to digital archiving of art paintings

Abstract

This paper describes an approach to digital archives of art paintings by considering the surface properties and the perceptual effect. A multi-band imaging system with six spectral channels is used for observing the painting surfaces. Multiple images of a painting are acquired with different illumination directions. Algorithms are presented for estimating the surface properties of surface normals, surface spectral reflectance, and reflection model parameters. All the estimates are combined for rendering realistic images of the painting under a variety of illumination and viewing conditions. Moreover, a chromatic adaptation transform is described for predicting appearance of the painting under incandescent illumination and producing the full color image on a display device. The feasibility of the method is demonstrated for an oil painting. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2005.