The limits of colorimetry in cultural heritage applications

Abstract

Colours in cultural heritage are not only means of expression, but also materials with physical and chemical properties. Since the beginning of the current century, colorimetry has become a fundamental field aiming at restoring, preserving and valorising the art works. There are different colorimetric applications in cultural heritage (eg, from light design to digitisation and modelling), and the variety of cultural material is extremely wide, from statues and frescoes, to old book and films. In this heterogeneous context, the development of instruments, measurements and tools faithful to the original objects are fundamental to correctly reproducing and representing materials, contrast and colours of the works under analysis. In this work, we will analyse the main limits of colorimetry applied in cultural heritage domain considering a variety of applications on physical colour representation and on digital colour reproduction. We will focus on main state‐of‐the‐art studies, regulations and guidelines for objects illumination, colour analysis and digitisation workflow showing some practical example of issues encountered by standard pointwise colorimetry.

The Wisdom of Building Dong Wind and Rain Bridges in Northern Guangxi —— An Example from Pingyan Village in Sanjiang County

“…In addition, the literature [15] investigated a new electron diffraction technique based on transmission electron microscopy, thus pinpointing the spatial structure and intrinsic chemical properties of tangible cultural heritage, a technique that can operate even at the nanoscale. The literature [16] considered that the color of tangible cultural heritage is not only a means of expression but also has physical and chemical properties, and therefore proposed a color restoration and repair of tangible cultural heritage based on an improved colorimetric method for better study. Literature [17] proposed that Asia, Europe, and Africa connected by MSR and LSR are the cradles of ancient civilizations, and these tangible cultural heritages are analyzed by big data cleaning and spatial subdivision methods to preserve them.…”

Smart Heritage: an easy method for matching colors

“…As spectrophotometers and colorimeters are often designed for other purposes, their use in built heritage conservation and for in situ analysis of wall paintings is often hampered [7].…”

Energy and Economic Sustainable Illumination Design for a Gymnasium: A Case Study

“…The colour rendering index (CRI), which compares a light source to natural or standard light, is a quantitative indicator of how accurately a light source can display the colours of diverse objects. In situations where colour accuracy is crucial, such as neonatal care [38], art restoration [39,40], and sports facility too [41,42], in which light sources having a suitable CRI are preferred.…”