Image analysis applied to the planning of a canvas painting restoration intervention

Abstract

This work proposes a methodology of digital analysis of the state of conservation of a canvas painting to solve difficulties related to the pictorial reintegration of paintings that present an excessive number of different lacunae in terms of size and extent. The case study is related to the small-size oil on canvas painting executed by an unknown artist, where the lacunae were challenging to analyze and localize graphically. Therefore, it required a careful evaluation of the approach to be used during the pictorial reintegration intervention. Using an image analysis method, based on the semi-automatic extraction approach, the state of conservation’s graphic relief outlining different virtual operating proposals was obtained.