Artistic photography
#art history #painting
January 21, 2021
Grace Ebert
Last year, researchers released records of nearly two years of analysis of Johannes Vermeer’s most recognized work of art, “Girl With a Pearl Earring”. Although their findings do not include the subject’s much sought-after identity, they revealed that the gray background is actually a dark green curtain and that the figure has lashes visible only with magnification. Thanks to Emilien Leonhardt and Vincent Sabatier of Hirox Europe, we can all study the complexities of Vermeer’s elusive work and look directly at the cracks in the painting with an interactive 10 billion pixel panorama.
The pair began the work of determining the surface condition of the iconic piece after multiple restorations, measuring the space between the fractured pigments and elucidating the artist’s technique. Using a custom microscope, Leonhardt and Sabatier took 9,100 photos of the painting that were woven together in the massive panorama. It reveals details of up to 4.4 microns per pixel.
Visit the Hirox Europe website to explore the incredible intricacies of “Girl With a Pearl Earring” in 2 and 3-D and watch the video above for details on the technical aspects of capturing tiny details. (via Peta Pixel)
#art history #painting
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