ABSTRACT
This study starts with the possibility of a quantitative analysis of artworks through the convergent of art history and technology. The purpose of this study is to computationally analyze the distribution of brightness and saturation of Monet's series through the Barycenter Pattern Analysis and to visualize the data. The results are as follows: In the three series, the positions of center point and the distribution of Barycenter Pattern of brightness and saturation differ depending upon the production time and season of the artworks (i.e. the change of light). In the case of ‘Wheatstacks,’ the distributions of brightness are affected by the arrangement of the subject, and the influences of light and weather on the distribution of the central point of brightness and saturation are presented in a certain pattern in the series of ‘Rouen Cathedral.’ In particular, in the case of ‘Water Liles’ series, several irregular patterns are revealed in the distribution of the Barycenter of brightness and saturation due to the the worsening of cataract problems. For example, the distribution of brightness and saturation in the artworks which were produced before the diagnosis of cataract reveals a certain pattern. On the other hands, the distribution of brightness or saturation in the artworks which were produced after the diagnosis of cataract becomes more irregular. The significance of this study is to prove the possibility of discovering the painter's style change or the painter's personal influence, which cannot be discovered by a qualitative method, through the Barycenter Pattern Analysis. As various technological approaches are converged with art research methodologies, we expect that the applications of quantitative methodologies can be expanded to illuminate the relevance between works of art and to identify art forgeries.