Google Cultural Institute invents 'Art Camera' to easily capture gigapixel images of paintings
Digital media is arguably making its analog counterparts less important. For instance, an old vinyl album or rare CD can be streamed -- the physical version just takes up space and can be a burden. The same can be said for books -- having a house full of bound sheets of paper is sort of pointless nowadays -- get a Kindle, y'all.
One thing that is not easily represented in the digital world is paintings. Sure, you can always view a captured image of a work of art, such as the Mona Lisa, on your computer, but it was never the same. Why? You need to experience it in person to truly see the detail, like brush strokes. This is changing, however, thanks to Google's new invention -- the Art Camera.
"The Art Camera is a robotic camera, custom-built to create gigapixel images faster and more easily. A robotic system steers the camera automatically from detail to detail, taking hundreds of high resolution close-ups of the painting. To make sure the focus is right on each brush stroke, it’s equipped with a laser and a sonar that—much like a bat—uses high frequency sound to measure the distance of the artwork. Once each detail is captured, our software takes the thousands of close-up shots and, like a jigsaw, stitches the pieces together into one single image", explains Ben St. John, Engineer, Google Cultural Institute
St. John further explains that this camera "will dramatically increase the scale and depth at which museums are able to provide access to our shared cultural heritage to anyone around the world. For example, if you wanted to see Van Gogh’s six famous portraits of the Roulin family up close, you’d need to travel across the Netherlands then over to LA and New York. Now the Art Camera can travel for you. It’s already captured the Portrait of Armand Roulin, which you can explore alongside the rest of the family, all in one place".
This invention is wonderful for a couple of reasons. For the benefit of humanity, it will help to preserve classic works of art. If a famous painting was destroyed in a fire, for instance, having an Art Camera-captured gigapixel backup can be used for posterity purposes. It is sort of like an insurance policy for paintings.
Another application is the ability to experience art without traveling. The world's great art is scattered around the globe -- it can be physically impossible to travel to see it all. Not to mention, many folks simply cannot afford to travel. The gigapixel images can introduce this art to anyone with an internet connection. This includes students, particularly in poor communities, leading to improved art education.
If you are ready to start broadening your horizons with gigapixel images of paintings, you can do so here.
What is your favorite painting? Tell me in the comments.