Art and Artificial Intelligence: A New Frontier in Research
Schmidt Sciences Announces Grant to Digitize and Analyze 19th-Century Art
Barthélémy Jobert, a renowned art historian and former president of the Sorbonne University, is set to receive a significant grant from Schmidt Sciences to digitize and analyze the works of French Romantic artist Eugène Delacroix. The grant, thought to be in the high six figures, will enable Jobert to expand his project, known as Digital Delacroix, which aims to digitize and analyze Delacroix’s letters, journals, and murals, as well as contemporary newspaper accounts of his work.
The Project: Digital Delacroix
Jobert’s project, which has been decades in the making, will use artificial intelligence (A.I.) to analyze and cross-reference Delacroix’s works. The goal is to provide a comprehensive online platform for scholars and the general public to explore and study Delacroix’s art. The project will also focus on resolving mysteries surrounding Delacroix’s attribution, including who painted what and what was left to his assistants.
The Role of A.I. in the Project
Schmidt Sciences will provide funding for the project, which will involve using A.I. to analyze and identify patterns in Delacroix’s brushstrokes and those of his studio assistants. The project will also use photogrammetry to reconstruct the murals in digital 3-D and create a computer vision system to recognize Delacroix’s brushstrokes. Xavier Fresquet, deputy director of the Sorbonne Center for Artificial Intelligence, believes that there is a high possibility that the A.I. system will work.
The Hôtel de Ville Murals: A Lost Work
Jobert’s ultimate goal is to create a virtual reconstruction of the allegorical murals by Delacroix that once adorned the Salon de la Paix in the Hôtel de Ville, the city hall of Paris. The central element of the murals was "Peace Descends to Earth," a ceiling panel that depicted the earth weeping and raising its eyes to heaven to plead for an end to its sorrows. Unfortunately, the murals were destroyed in a fire in 1871, leaving only a single photograph, sketches, etchings, and watercolors as remnants.
Conclusion
The grant from Schmidt Sciences will enable Jobert to bring together a team of experts in art history and A.I. to analyze and digitize Delacroix’s works. The project will provide a unique opportunity to explore the life and art of one of France’s most famous Romantic artists and to shed new light on the mysteries surrounding his attribution.
FAQs
Q: What is the scope of the Digital Delacroix project?
A: The project aims to digitize and analyze the works of Eugène Delacroix, including his letters, journals, and murals, as well as contemporary newspaper accounts of his work.
Q: What is the role of A.I. in the project?
A: A.I. will be used to analyze and identify patterns in Delacroix’s brushstrokes and those of his studio assistants, as well as to reconstruct the murals in digital 3-D and create a computer vision system to recognize Delacroix’s brushstrokes.
Q: What is the goal of the project?
A: The goal of the project is to provide a comprehensive online platform for scholars and the general public to explore and study Delacroix’s art and to resolve mysteries surrounding his attribution.
Q: How will the project be funded?
A: The project will be funded by Schmidt Sciences, a nonprofit organization founded by Eric and Wendy Schmidt.
