Skip to main content
European Commission logo
English English
CORDIS - EU research results
CORDIS
CORDIS Web 30th anniversary CORDIS Web 30th anniversary
Content archived on 2024-06-16

Fingerprinting Art and Cultural Heritage - In Situ 3D Non-Contact Microscale Documentation and Identification of Paintings and Polychrome Objects

Objective

A project is proposed for the development of a system for the non-contact high-resolution fingerprinting of paintings and polychrome objects of art and cultural heritage. The compact system will consist of the in situ measurement of the roughness of selected areas of a painted surface at (sub)micron scale, spectral pigment and dye identification, and accurate colour digital documentation of the entire object.

This will provide a long sought after non-destructive method for "marking" and identifying valuable painted objects of art and cultural heritage by using the 3D micro-characteristics of the otherwise 2D surface of the object. Specifically, the (sub)micron roughness and spectral information at a certain (proprietary) location in an object's surface is a true "marking", unique to the painted object, and, in fact, the artist's "signature/fingerprint". Combined with an accurate colour digital image of the object, this information can be used to develop a comprehensive digital archiving system for museum collections, and vastly improve the traceability of objects on loan and in transport. The objectives of this project clearly fit into Task 2 of the Policy oriented research Priority 8.1.B.3.6 - "The protection of cultural heritage and associated conservation strategies".

However, FING-ART-PRINT will also be an excellent tool for the non-destructive analysis and detection of forgeries of objects, the objective of Task 1. For objects, which are already known to be authentic, FING-ART-PRINT will provide an identification method, which will be virtually impossible to forge, given the resolution attainable by the system, and the fact that the location, size and orientation of the fingerprint will only be known to the owner of the object. Finally, FING-ART-PRINT will provide an excellent non-destructive tool for studying the effect of conservation treatments and/or aging on the surface condition of painted surfaces, and their reversibility, as required by Task 4.

Call for proposal

FP6-2004-SSP-4
See other projects for this call

Coordinator

INSTITUUT COLLECTIE NEDERLAND
EU contribution
No data
Address
Gabriel Metsusstraat 8
AMSTERDAM
Netherlands

See on map

Total cost
No data

Participants (5)