Photometric Stereo by UV-Induced Fluorescence to Detect Protrusions on Georgia O'Keeffe's Paintings

TL;DR

This paper introduces a non-invasive UV-induced fluorescence photometric stereo technique to detect, characterize, and monitor surface protrusions on Georgia O'Keeffe's paintings, aiding conservation efforts and long-term deterioration assessment.

Contribution

The study develops a novel, isotropic fluorescence-based 3D imaging method that improves shape accuracy and material characterization for monitoring surface protrusions on artworks.

Findings

Effective detection of micro-protrusions using UV fluorescence

Enhanced shape estimation accuracy over traditional methods

Potential for long-term monitoring of paint surface changes

Abstract

A significant number of oil paintings produced by Georgia O'Keeffe (1887-1986) show surface protrusions of varying width, up to several hundreds of microns. These protrusions are similar to those described in the art conservation literature as metallic soaps. Since the presence of these protrusions raises questions about the state of conservation and long-term prospects for deterioration of these artworks, a 3D-imaging technique, photometric stereo using ultraviolet illumination, was developed for the long-term monitoring of the surface-shape of the protrusions and the surrounding paint. Because the UV fluorescence response of painting materials is isotropic, errors typically caused by non-Lambertian (anisotropic) specularities when using visible reflected light can be avoided providing a more accurate estimation of shape. As an added benefit, fluorescence provides additional contrast information contributing to materials characterization. The developed methodology aims to detect, characterize, and quantify the distribution of micro-protrusions and their development over the surface of entire artworks. Combined with a set of analytical in-situ techniques, and computational tools, this approach constitutes a novel methodology to investigate the selective distribution of protrusions in correlation with the composition of painting materials at the macro-scale. While focused on O'Keeffe's paintings as a case study, we expect the proposed approach to have broader significance by providing a non-invasive protocol to the conservation community to probe topological changes for any relatively flat painted surface of an artwork, and more specifically to monitor the dynamic formation of protrusions, in relation to paint composition and modifications of environmental conditions, loans, exhibitions and storage over the long-term.