From Lima to Canton and Beyond: An AI-aided heritage materials research platform for studying globalisation through art
Applying and refining spectral imaging methods to determine the geographic origins of cultural heritage materials, with a broader goal of illuminating historic patterns of global trade and cultural exchange. The UK partner, Nottingham Trent University, is requesting £109,870 from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.
This project proposes a humanities-led project to study watercolors commissioned by the colonial powers or made for export to Europe or North America by local artists as a lens to global trade and information exchange networks between the Americas, Asia and Europe ca. 1750-1850. Inspired by the Enlightenment, art was used for cartography and scientific recording of flora and fauna as well as ethnographic recording around the world. Pigments/dyes are expensive commodities, their identity and the way they are used in combination are often traceable to their geographic and cultural origins. These paintings are scattered across the Atlantic in various US and UK museums. The aim of this project is to use modern scientific imaging and analysis techniques to gather data at scale on the artist materials used on these paintings to trace the movements of the artist materials (pigments, dyes, paper etc) and the paintings. An enhanced AI aided heritage materials analysis platform will be developed
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Project fields:
Art History and Criticism; Interdisciplinary Studies, Other; Latin American History
Program:
Cooperative Agreements and Special Projects (Digital Humanities)
Division:
Digital Humanities
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Totals:
$149,785 (approved) $124,538 (awarded)
Grant period:
2/1/2021 – 1/31/2024
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