"Experts are using artificial intelligence (AI) to help reassemble a priceless fresco by the early Renaissance artist Cimabue that was reduced to tens of thousands of fragments when earthquakes devastated a 13th-century basilica in central Italy nearly 30 years ago. The project has revived hopes for the full recovery of a masterpiece hailed by Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, as a symbol of national pride."
"Three of the four sections, those depicting Saints John, Luke and Mark, were shattered into relatively large pieces but largely reconstructable, allowing restorers to piece them back together. The fourth section, representing Saint Matthew, collapsed completely, leaving a gaping hole in the vault, and disintegrated into around 120,000 tiny fragments. Each fragment was painstakingly collected, scanned and catalogued. A neutral-coloured curved panel now fills the void in the ceiling, with just roughly 30 fragments subsequently reattached."
Two powerful earthquakes in 1997 severely damaged the Basilica di San Francesco in Assisi, damaging Giotto frescoes and a vaulted Cimabue fresco. The Cimabue ceiling comprised four curved triangular sections depicting the evangelists with labeled regions. Three sections shattered into relatively large pieces and were largely reconstructed. The Saint Matthew section collapsed into about 120,000 tiny fragments; each fragment was collected, scanned and catalogued. A neutral-coloured panel currently fills the void with roughly 30 fragments reattached. A joint project led by the Galleria Nazionale dell'Umbria and Perugia's engineering department now applies AI to aid reassembly and revive hopes for full recovery.
Read at The Art Newspaper - International art news and events
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