Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing art and history. A recent study uses AI to analyze a Raphael masterpiece. Modern technology is unlocking secrets that have been hidden for centuries. What is the future of art authentication?
In December 2023, a team of British and American researchers analyzed a famous Raphael painting using artificial intelligence. Madonna of the Rose.. The analysis revealed a surprising detail: the face of Saint Joseph in the upper left corner of the work may not have been painted by the Italian master himself. The discovery reignited the debate over the authenticity of certain parts of the painting, a topic that has fascinated experts for more than a century and a half.
AI in the service of artistic analysis
The research team developed a custom analysis algorithm based on Raphael’s authentic works. This innovative method combines two artificial intelligence techniques:
- A pre-trained architecture called ResNet50, designed MicrosoftMicrosoft ;
- A traditional machine learning method is called Support Vector Machine (SVM).
Lee Dr. Hasan Ugal, MathematicianMathematician And a computer scientist at the University of Bradford, explains: Through in-depth feature analysis, we trained the computer to recognize stylestyle From Raphaël’s great detail, from the brush strokes to the palette ColorColorIncluding all aspects of shading and working ».
This AI analysis method has already proven its effectiveness in identifying Raphael’s paintings with an accuracy rate of 98%. For this particular study, which was published in Heritage Sciencethe researchers refined the approach by examining not only the task as a whole, but also the faces individually.
A face that piques curiosity.
Analysis of Madonna of the Rose. Produced interesting results. While the faces of the Virgin Mary, the Child Jesus and St. John the Baptist were confirmed to be by Raphael, the faces of St. Joseph stood out. Dr Youghill explains: When we tested “Della Rosa” as a whole, the results were inconclusive. So we tested the pieces individually, and while the rest of the painting was confirmed to be by Raphael, Joseph’s face was probably not his. ».
This discovery confirms long-standing suspicions. HistoriansHistorians of art, in fact, since the mid-19th centurye century, critics have expressed doubts about the authenticity of certain parts of the work. The face of Saint Joseph, in particular, is considered less well executed than the other figures in the painting.
|
Table element |
Attributed to Raphael |
|
Virgin Mary |
Oi |
|
baby jesus |
Oi |
|
St. John the Baptist |
Oi |
|
Saint Joseph |
non |
Collaboration between man and machine
While AI played an important role in the discovery, the researchers emphasize the importance of human expertise in the process of authenticating works of art. Dr Youghill insists: This is not a case of AI replacing people’s jobs. The process of authenticating a work of art involves checking many aspects, from its origin, the pigments used, the condition of the work, and more. ».
AI is therefore considered a complementary tool in the arsenal of art experts. This makes it possible to detect microscopic details that are otherwise invisible.the eyethe eye Arian, thus offers new perspectives on works studied for centuries.
This innovative approach opens the way to new methods of analysis in the field of art history. This can help solve other mysteries surrounding the authenticity or attribution of famous works, increasing our understanding of the world’s artistic heritage.
The union between artificial intelligence and human expertise promises to revolutionize our view of art and history, uncovering secrets buried for centuries and offering a new look at masterpieces that have shaped our culture. .
