Art Photography
# art history # painting
21 January 2021
Grace Ebert
Last year, researchers released records of nearly two years of analysis of Johannes Vermeer’s most acclaimed work of art, “Girl With a Pearl Earring.” Although their findings do not include the coveted identity of the subject, they revealed that the gray background is actually a dark green curtain and that the lashes are only visible with magnification. Thanks to Emilien Leonhardt and Vincent Sabatier, from Hirox Europe, we can all study the intricacies of Vermeer’s elusive work and look directly into the paint cracks with an interactive panorama of ten billion.
The duo began to determine the surface condition of the iconic piece after multiple restorations, measuring the space between the broken pigments and elucidating the artist’s technique. Using a personal microscope, Leonhardt and Sabatier took 9,100 photographs of the painting, which were then woven together into the massive panorama. It reveals details up to 4.4 microns per pixel.
Go to Hirox Europe’s website to explore the incredible intricacies of ‘Girl With a Pearl Earring’ in both 2- and 3-D, and watch the video above for more information on the technical aspects of capturing small details. (via Peta Pixel)
# art history # painting
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