Daniela Korolija Crkvenjakov, PhD

Short bio Senior conservator and associate professor of conservation at the Academy of Arts, University of Novi Sad, Serbia. Before joining the university, she worked as a museum conservator in the field of paintings conservation. Her research interests are multidisciplinary studies of painting materials and techniques, where she promotes the dialogue between different experts involved in the preservation of cultural heritage, as well as the history of conservation.

 

Abstract

Imaging methods in the conservation practice and scientific research – from basic applications to innovative multidisciplinary studies

Imaging is an important tool in the conservation study of the object of work. Using different radiation sources and incident light angles, as well as an enlarged view, a wealth of information becomes available. This gives answers to a lot of conservators’ questions. A particular challenge is the visualizations of the hidden layers and structures, where IR reflectography and radiography are the most used techniques. Advanced applications will be presented on two examples: the first one is the cracks detection and the virtual in-painting of two Baroque icons using machine learning, performed in collaboration with Ghent University. The results are interesting for the discussion about the origin of different types of cracks present in the paint layer, and whether this can indicate the presence of different techniques in the same artwork. Artificial intelligence and big data analysis for art diagnostic are becoming fashionable areas of interest for art historians, conservators, and image scientists. The second example is related to the use of advanced medical diagnostics, such as Computerized Tomography (CT) in the examination of artworks. This methodology, well known in the diagnostics of the human body, is rather new in art diagnostics, and related studies are published only recently. In collaboration with the University of Novi Sad, CT imaging of selected artworks was performed in order to investigate the potentiality of the method.