Artificial Intelligence Is Revealing Secrets About How the Ghent Altarpiece Was Made--and Damaged artnet News

Researchers have harnessed the power of artificial intelligence to decode x-ray images of the Ghent Altarpiece, the 15th-century masterpiece by brothers Hubert van Eyck and Jan van Eyck at the St. Bavo Cathedral in Belgium. Being able to read the x-rays can help identify damage to the painting by showing areas where varnish or overpainting hides cracks, paint loss, or other structural issues. The scans can also teach researchers about the artists' working methods, revealing the physical structure of the canvas or panel and its supports, as well as the different layers of paint used in its creation. But because the Ghent Altarpiece's panels are double sided, it has been difficult to parse the x-ray images. A newly developed algorithm has allowed scientists to deconstruct the data to create two distinct images.