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New app reveals the hidden landscapes within Georgia O’Keefe’s paintings

Dale Kronkright/Georgia O’Keeffe Museum

By Sid Perkins

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Ever wonder if a lost masterpiece lies hidden under the surface of a newer work? Researchers at Northwestern University have developed a simple-to-use app, unveiled here today at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, which publishes Science, that can zoom in on the smallest details of a painting and depict them in 3D, transforming brushstrokes into canyons and cliffs. The resulting landscapes, which can easily be mistaken for satellite images of Earth’s rugged terrain, could help art conservationists and historians preserve pieces at risk—and reveal what may lie beneath.

Consider, for example, the small goosebump-like blebs (the pimple-like features in the blue area, above) that pepper the paintings of Georgia O’Keeffe, the mid 20th-century artist made famous by her depictions of flowers and the American Southwest. At first, art conservationists thought these tiny protrusions were grains of sand embedded in the paint, but soon recognized them to be the result of chemical reactions between some components of the paint itself. Specifically, the researchers say, the blobs—which can grow and, over time, cause the overlying paint to flake off—result from reactions between lead and zinc ions and the fatty acids that are used as binders in the paint.

Monitoring the growth of these blebs in artworks of any sort can help art conservationists figure out the best way to diagnose problems, prevent or slow damage, and possibly restore the artwork. The technique can also help researchers determine what caused the defects in the first place.

The 3D images generated by the app could have other uses too, the researchers suggest. Subtle differences in the thicknesses of paint on a canvas, for example, might betray the existence of older paintings—possibly even lost or unknown masterpieces—beneath the more-recent surface layers.


Source: Science Mag