# Imaging Based Techniques Combined with Color Measurements for the Enhancement of Medieval Wall Paintings in the Framework of EHEM Project

## TL;DR

This paper presents a new method combining color measurements and imaging to study and enhance the colors of medieval wall paintings in Santa Maria Antiqua.

## Contribution

The novel use of hypercolorimetric multispectral imaging with SpectraPick® software for detailed color mapping of medieval artworks.

## Key findings

- Chromatic data for all wall painting colors was obtained using the CIELAB color space.
- Chromatic similarity maps were generated using an innovative HMI system and SpectraPick® software.
- The method enables reconstruction of original colors in fragmentary and complex medieval paintings.

## Abstract

(1) Background: This paper illustrates an innovative methodological approach chosen to study and map the colors of the medieval wall painting of Santa Maria Antiqua in the Roman Forum, one of the pilot sites of the EHEM project (Enhancement of Heritage Experiences: The Middle Ages). Digital Layered Models of Architecture and Mural Paintings over Time). (2) Methods: Two methods were employed to gather information about colors and mapping. Specifically, colorimetry was utilized for spot measurements, and hypercolorimetric multispectral imaging (HMI) was employed to map the same colors sampled through colorimetry. (3) Results: Chromatic data for all colors in the wall paintings were obtained in the CIELAB color space. Additionally, chromatic similarity maps were generated using the innovative HMI system, a multispectral imaging technique capable of obtaining color data information through advanced calibration software named SpectraPick® (Version 1.1). This comprehensive approach facilitates a thorough understanding of color characteristics and distribution. (4) Conclusions: The color measurements and mapping represent significant advancements in the interpretation of medieval wall paintings, which are often fragmentary and stratigraphically complex. This research sheds new light on the colors used and enhances our understanding of the original appearance of the iconographic patterns. Furthermore, it enables the reconstruction of colors that closely resemble the originals.