Computational Study of the Production and Reproduction of Italian Renaissance Paintings
The project ‘Decoding Raphael’ explored the use of computational techniques for the study of artistic practice. It took as point of departure the painting, the Bridgewater Madonna, by Renaissance artist Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio, 1483-1520) and its reproductions over time to investigate how computer vision can be used in art historical research.
In particular, the project developed a toolbox, UnRaphael, https://unraphael.streamlit.app/, comprised of several computer vision techniques to assist users in comparing and studying paintings. The application is open source and accessible through a browser. It is hoped that this will assist art historians, museum professionals and enthusiasts into further investigating the artistic past, while also paving the way for a larger project that traces the circulation of models and artistic collaboration in Renaissance Italy.
Unraphael is a computer vision tool for art history, designed to support the analysis of figure-outline similarities in images to study Renaissance copying practices. Its user-friendly interface lets researchers inspect structural patterns, revealing insights into artistic techniques.