Research-based 3D modelling of Renaissance built environments:

The project focuses on the art and architecture of Renaissance Florence, and will be delivered in parallel to an ongoing collaboration between the National Gallery and Prof. Nevola’s ‘Immersive Renaissance’ project (funded by the Getty Foundation, through its Digital Art History initiative).

We seek to recruit and train a PhD student that would work on an aspect of Renaissance Italian art and architecture that intersects with the National Gallery collections, most likely one or more artworks originally produced in Florence (c. 1400-1550) from a religious or secular setting (or indeed both).

The PhD project has a core focus on the technical application of 3D modelling to heritage and museums contexts, built around key case examples centred on selected works in the National Gallery, to reconstruct their original settings and environment.

The candidate will adopt and further develop the workflow that has been developed for research-based modelling as part of the Florence4D project; particular attention will be given to establishing standards for the application of IIIF to 3D models and going beyond the specific technical task to develop and resolve some of the research questions that arise from the process.

It addresses the need to provide a robust basis for the development of a digital model of the original context and setting of artworks that can also show the evolution of the workflow and give the viewer access to the evidence underpinning the model. This allows for further interrogation of the decision-making process and communication of the uncertainties involved. Evaluation of the means of expressing this uncertainty within the actual 3D model is also needed to further develop this workflow.