Researcher(s)
- Richard Breder, Electrical Engineering, University of Delaware
Faculty Mentor(s)
- Roxanne Radpour, Art Conservation & Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Delaware
Abstract
In summer 2024, infrared reflectography (IRR) was performed as part of a pilot study at the Delaware Art Museum on artworks by Pre-Raphaelite artist Simeon Solomon (1840-1905). Three paintings were imaged using a designed-for-art-conservation InGaAs camera, the Opus Apollo. This camera is meant for ease-of-use application by non-technical experts. However, the system design has two main issues: long image acquisition times and working distance. For the largest painting in the study, 1.5m x 1m, nine separate image collections are required to produce an IRR image of the entire painting with the highest spatial resolution and shortest working distance (1m). A single image acquisition takes 20 minutes; to image the whole painting at the sensor’s full spectral range along with 3 bandpass filters, a white reference, and a dark frame, the study would take 15-18 hours with the painting exposed to a halogen lamp. This is impractical and unsafe for artworks, therefore the proposed imaging was reduced to select areas of interest with specific bandpass filters. This research addresses these challenges exploring a faster, safer camera alternative: MVCam, a commercially available video-rate InGaAs sensor (Princeton Infrared Technologies), designed for industrial applications. MVCam is lightweight, highly portable, with fast acquisition times (~15 ms/image) and minimum working distance of 10 cm. To make MVCam accessible to art conservators, this research aimed to create a new software to operate the camera and collect data. The software was developed with Python 3.10 and Bitflow SDK 6.5 on a Windows 11 laptop. Currently, the software uses Windows command prompt to receive user commands to acquire images, save images, and change the key operating parameters of MVCam. Going forward, the software will continue to be refined and MVCam will undergo more comprehensive testing to compare against other InGaAs cameras applied for art conservation.