Abstract
In complément of recent publications about Mona Lisa
What were the true colors when the Mona Lisa left Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop ?
Contact Press
Abstract
Lumiere Technology, a start-up based in Paris, reveals the true colors of the Mona Lisa.
Pascal Cotte, engineer and founder of Lumiere Technology, largely contributed to the knowledge of the Mona Lisa thanks to the multispectral digitization of the famous painting, whose report is detailed in the famous book “Mona Lisa - Inside the Painting”, recently published by Abrams in
The hidden knowledge of the true colors was revealed by multispectrally scanning the painting in thirteen channels – from Ultra Violet to Infra Red. Then the spectral response curve of the varnish in each pixel was isolated and subtracted from the digital file to virtually reveal the surface of the painting when it had freshly exited Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop.
This virtual removal of years of accumulated varnish is an illustration of Lumiere Technology’s technical knowledge that will now be marketed as an exclusive digitization service to museums and private fine art collections worldwide.
The true revolution that Pascal Cotte developed enables the in-depth study of fine art paintings using a numerical file to reveal the true pigments for viewing and analysis without touching or damaging the paintings.
Lumiere Technology offers this service to museums worldwide as a unique, single tool to assess, analyze, authenticate, restore and reproduce their masterpieces of fine art.
Here are some of the discoveries revealed by Pascal Cotte,
in complement of different studies recently published:
The Mona Lisa’s originally-painted colors "Physical removal of brittle varnish that weighs on a painting’s surface – particularly in delicately-painted facial complexion areas - would be very risky. Touchless multispectral digitization makes this possible.” |
The painting can now be virtually restored through digital varnish removal | |
A fur-lined coat rests on the Mona Lisa’s knees: | |
There is a modern artifact on the painting
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The painting is proven to have shrunk , "Knowing the mathematical rigor of Leonardo da Vinci who adhered to the harmonic rectangle (the diagonal of the square of the rectangle is equal to the height of the rectangle) to ensure the ‘divine proportions’ essential to the harmony of a portrait and being assured of the total absence of distortion in our optical measurement, we could apply these factors to accurately determine the dimensions of the original poplar wood panel. |
What were the true colors when the Mona Lisa left Leonardo da Vinci’s workshop?
The Mona Lisa painting has been subjected to many experiments, whose results are the subject of the book, “Mona Lisa, inside the painting” that explores the mystery of this work’s creation. While Canadians conclude pregnancy because of the veil that covers the lady’s chest, the Japanese have simulated her speech.
But, the mystery remains for specialists to interrogate the painting’s original colors before protective varnish was applied.
The sfumato technique applied by Leonardo di Vinci makes any restoration perilous. According to the French expert of Da Vinci technique, Jacques Frank, “to attempt to unvarnish the Mona Lisa would involve touching the surface, with the risk to irrevocably damage or erase the famous smile. Furthermore, the varnish may not be able to be physically differentiated from the pigments.”
This conclusion heightens the reality of lightening or eliminating varnished numerically without human contact to physically touch the original.
2 years ago, In October 2004, Pascal Cotte, the inventor of Lumiere Technology’s multispectral camera, digitized the famous masterpiece in the Louvre’s basement Laboratory of the Museums of France.
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The result of analysis and virtual restoration is clear for all to see. The model seems younger and the sky is blue as Leonardo da Vinci had originally painted with Lapis lazuli, the most expensive pigment to buy, actually more than 20.000 $ the Kg !
This multispectral camera is a major inventgion that pakes it possible for our company to go beyond traditional techniques to transform the worldwide digitla conservation, study and sharing of cultural heritage, that's Google does not do yet!
Remember the dream of Bill Gates who wanted to show on his LCD screen on the walls Fine Arts paintings. We are now able to deliver the "reality" of the true color palette of a painting, on different illuminants in the room, sunlight, tungsten, candle, as he'll wish.. Even if you are amblyopic, you will see as you and me the true colors."..
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