The case of the golden background, a virtual restoration and a physical reconstruction of the medieval Crucifixion of the Lindau Master (c. 1425)

Cleaning and provisional restoration treatments on The Crucifixion (1425) revealed that the visible azurite layer obscures an originally golden background. This leads to the question of whether or not the azurite should be removed as it is not original, or should be kept as part of the panel’s history. To overcome this dilemma, this paper...

3D Printing and the Art World: Current Developments and Future Perspectives

3D printing’s rapid technological development is starting to impact the art field because, for the first time, it has become possible to exactly reproduce and reconstruct artworks without any loss of their physical features. Yet, a coherent overview of how 3D printing is used within the art field while paying attention to ethical considerations...

Double Trouble - De veranderende relatie tussen publiek en het originele kunstwerk door identieke 3D-prints

Picture-Perfect – The Perception and Applicability of Facsimiles in Museums

Various types of digital and physical three-dimensional facsimile technologies (e.g., high-definition digital modelling and 3D printing) have entered the art world and have become increasingly important for research and presentation purposes. Yet, studies that go beyond the technical aspects of (3D) facsimile techniques, such as their...

Authenticity and meaningful futures for museums: the role of 3D printing

This article uses the COVID –19 crisis to re –evaluate the importance of reproductions – 3D prints – for art’s authenticity, and their significance in keeping art museums meaningful in a rapidly changing world. The fixation on ‘auratic experiences’, inherent to artworks’ materiality is integral to contemporary art theory and museum practice,...

3D Reproductions of Cultural Heritage Artifacts: Evaluation of Significance and Experience

3D digitization of cultural heritage has long been used to preserve information about cultural heritage (CH) objects such as architecture, art, and artifacts. 3D dissemination of CH objects through technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, and 3D printing have impacted the fields of art history and cultural heritage and have...

Culture, Corona, Crisis: Best Practices and the Future of Dutch Museums

The consequences of the coronavirus and the physical limitations it imposes on museums and their visitors force museums to rethink cultural identity and to approach the exhibition of material artworks differently. Only a limited number of people are allowed to visit the museum at one time, booking time slots is mandatory, making it difficult to...

Using 3D scanning to support conservation treatments for paintings

Various imaging techniques are used to visualise issues regarding a painting’s appearance before, during and after conservation treatments, i.e. visible light photography (VIS) raking light photography (RAK), ultraviolet fluorescence photography (UVF) and reflectance transformation imaging (RTI). However, these techniques cannot always...