Communications of the ACM
Rice Prof’s Sleuthing Helps Id Lost Van Gogh
A Rice University professor's statistical analysis of X-ray images of the canvas beneath a previously unknown painting helped to identify it as an authentic work of Vincent Van Gogh.
Credit: Van Gogh Museum
Rice University professor Don H. Johnson performed a statistical analysis of X-ray images of the canvas behind the previously unknown "Sunset at Montmajour" to help identify the painting as an authentic work by Vincent Van Gogh.
The researchers compared the canvas of the painting in question to "The Rocks," another Van Gogh painting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (MFAH). "I pointed out the very close, but not exact, relationship of this painting's canvas to the canvas of the only Van Gogh in the MFAH," Johnson says. "Apparently, this pointed them in the direction of examining the Houston painting for a more detailed comparison."
Johnson used a signal-processing algorithm that automatically analyzes the thread density in X-rayed canvases to reveal previously unavailable details about the materials. The software shows how loosely or tightly a canvas is woven, which can be used to create a map of the weaving variation pattern that is common in many different paintings. Although the weaving patterns revealed for "Sunset at Montmajour" and "The Rocks" do not line up perfectly, they were found to be from the same bolt of fabric.
From Rice University
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