Skip to main content
Journal cover image

Restoration of X-ray fluorescence images of hidden paintings

Publication ,  Journal Article
Anitha, A; Brasoveanu, A; Duarte, M; Hughes, S; Daubechies, I; Dik, J; Janssens, K; Alfeld, M
Published in: Signal Processing
March 1, 2013

This paper describes our methods for repairing and restoring images of hidden paintings (paintings that have been painted over and are now covered by a new surface painting) that have been obtained via noninvasive X-ray fluorescence imaging of their canvases. This recently developed imaging technique measures the concentrations of various chemical elements at each two-dimensional spatial location across the canvas. These concentrations in turn result from pigments present both in the surface painting and in the hidden painting beneath. These X-ray fluorescence images provide the best available data from which to noninvasively study a hidden painting. However, they are typically marred by artifacts of the imaging process, features of the surface painting, and areas of information loss. Repairing and restoring these images thus consists of three stages: (1) repairing acquisition artifacts in the dataset, (2) removal of features in the images that result from the surface painting rather than the hidden painting, and (3) identification and repair of areas of information loss. We describe methods we have developed to address each of these stages: a total-variation minimization approach to artifact correction, a novel method for underdetermined blind source separation with multimodal side information to address surface feature removal, and two application-specific new methods for automatically identifying particularly thick or X-ray absorbent surface features in the painting. Finally, we demonstrate the results of our methods on a hidden painting by the artist Vincent van Gogh. © 2012 Elsevier B.V.

Duke Scholars

Published In

Signal Processing

DOI

ISSN

0165-1684

Publication Date

March 1, 2013

Volume

93

Issue

3

Start / End Page

592 / 604

Related Subject Headings

  • Networking & Telecommunications
  • 46 Information and computing sciences
  • 40 Engineering
  • 10 Technology
  • 09 Engineering
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences
 

Citation

APA
Chicago
ICMJE
MLA
NLM
Anitha, A., Brasoveanu, A., Duarte, M., Hughes, S., Daubechies, I., Dik, J., … Alfeld, M. (2013). Restoration of X-ray fluorescence images of hidden paintings. Signal Processing, 93(3), 592–604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sigpro.2012.09.027
Anitha, A., A. Brasoveanu, M. Duarte, S. Hughes, I. Daubechies, J. Dik, K. Janssens, and M. Alfeld. “Restoration of X-ray fluorescence images of hidden paintings.” Signal Processing 93, no. 3 (March 1, 2013): 592–604. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.sigpro.2012.09.027.
Anitha A, Brasoveanu A, Duarte M, Hughes S, Daubechies I, Dik J, et al. Restoration of X-ray fluorescence images of hidden paintings. Signal Processing. 2013 Mar 1;93(3):592–604.
Anitha, A., et al. “Restoration of X-ray fluorescence images of hidden paintings.” Signal Processing, vol. 93, no. 3, Mar. 2013, pp. 592–604. Scopus, doi:10.1016/j.sigpro.2012.09.027.
Anitha A, Brasoveanu A, Duarte M, Hughes S, Daubechies I, Dik J, Janssens K, Alfeld M. Restoration of X-ray fluorescence images of hidden paintings. Signal Processing. 2013 Mar 1;93(3):592–604.
Journal cover image

Published In

Signal Processing

DOI

ISSN

0165-1684

Publication Date

March 1, 2013

Volume

93

Issue

3

Start / End Page

592 / 604

Related Subject Headings

  • Networking & Telecommunications
  • 46 Information and computing sciences
  • 40 Engineering
  • 10 Technology
  • 09 Engineering
  • 08 Information and Computing Sciences