Indistinguishable Likeness: the impact of the original artwork and its 3D-printed twin on the discipline of art history, conservation, and museum practice

Author(s):
Tissen, L.N.M. (0000-0003-4478-7426)
Published
2024
Publication type
Doctoral Thesis

Abstract

The advancement of technology and digitization has made reproductions of art omnipresent. However, 3D printing stands apart from previous and current reproduction methods due to its unique ability to accurately replicate all material characteristics of a painting, such as three-dimensionality, translucency, and glossiness, at a high level of detail. Additionally, its digital nature enables limitless possibilities for adding, modifying, and manipulating new or existing data. Indistinguishable Likeness investigates how the original and its 3D-printed twin disrupt the Western emphasis on the materially unique artwork. Utilizing an interdisciplinary approach, this dissertation integrates technical art history, 3D printing, contemporary museum and conservation studies, philosophy, cognitive psychology, neuroscience, and ethics to achieve a profound understanding of this technology. Applied to several case studies, the research demonstrates how 3D-printed reproductions provide new perspectives on original artworks, deepening our understanding of art history, conservation methods, and public engagement with art.

3D printingAuthenticityReproductionDigital humanitiesConservationContemporary artMuseumsMaterial scienceArt historyPainting
Defense date
2024-10-09
Language
English
Supervisor(s)
Zijlmans, K.; Dik, J.
Advisor(s)
Elkhuizen, W.
Committee member(s)
Zwijnenberg, R.: Lehmann, A.; Hendriks, E.; Bayond Lucini, C.
Qualification
Ph.D.
Degree granting institution
Leiden University Centre for the Arts in Society (LUCAS), Faculty of Humanities, Leiden University, Leiden
hdl
1887/4094471
doi
10.60602/ysrr-g938

Funding

Sponsorship
This is a joint Ph.D. between Leiden University and Delft University of Technology. The 3D scans were made by the Factum Foundation (Madrid); The 3D prints were made by Canon Production Printing BV (Venlo); The artworks central to this dissertation are part of the collections of the Mauritshuis (The Hague), Museum de Lakenhal (Leiden), Amsterdam Museum (Amsterdam), Museum Catharijneconvent (Utrecht). The scans and prints were partly funded by the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus (LDE) Centre for Global Heritage and Development and the Netherlands Institute for Conservation+Art+Science (NICAS).