Revitalizing Art with Technology: A Deep Learning Approach to Virtual Restoration

Authors

  • Nurrohmah Endah Putranti National Yunlin University of Science & Technology
  • Shyang-Jye Chang National Yunlin University of Science & Technology
  • Muhammad Raffiudin Chiang Mai University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14421/jiska.2025.10.1.87-99

Keywords:

Art Restoration, CycleGAN, Deep Learning, PSNR, SSIM

Abstract

This study evaluates CycleGAN’s performance in virtual painting restoration, with a focus on color restoration and detail reproduction. We compiled datasets categorized by art style and condition to achieve accurate restorations without altering the original reference materials. Various paintings, including those with a yellow filter, are used to create effective training datasets for CycleGAN. The model utilized cycle consistency loss and advanced data augmentation techniques. We assessed the results using PSNR, SSIM, and Color Inspector metrics, focusing on Claude Monet’s “Nasturtiums in a Blue Vase” and Hermann Corrodi’s “Prayers at Dawn.” The findings demonstrate superior color recovery and preservation of intricate details compared to other methods, confirmed through quantitative and qualitative evaluations. Key contributions include the application of CycleGAN for art restoration, model evaluation, and framework development. Practical implications extend to art conservation, digital library enhancement, art education, and broader access to restored works. Future research may explore dataset expansion, complex architectures, interdisciplinary collaboration, automated evaluation tools, and improved technologies for real-time restoration applications. In conclusion, CycleGAN holds promise for digital art conservation, with ongoing efforts aimed at integrating across fields for effective cultural preservation.

References

Adhikary, A., Bhandari, N., Markou, E., & Sachan, S. (2021). ArtGAN: Artwork Restoration Using Generative Adversarial Networks. 2021 13th International Conference on Advanced Computational Intelligence (ICACI), 199–206. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICACI52617.2021.9435888

Al-Emam, E., Beltran, V., De Meyer, S., Nuyts, G., Wetemans, V., De Wael, K., Caen, J., & Janssens, K. (2021). Removal of a Past Varnish Treatment from a 19th-Century Belgian Wall Painting by Means of a Solvent-Loaded Double Network Hydrogel. Polymers, 13(16), 2651. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym13162651

Engin, D., Genc, A., & Ekenel, H. K. (2018). Cycle-Dehaze: Enhanced CycleGAN for Single Image Dehazing. 2018 IEEE/CVF Conference on Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Workshops (CVPRW), 938–9388. https://doi.org/10.1109/CVPRW.2018.00127

Farajzadeh, N., & Hashemzadeh, M. (2021). A Deep Neural Network Based Framework for Restoring the Damaged Persian Pottery via Digital Inpainting. Journal of Computational Science, 56, 101486. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jocs.2021.101486

Khalid, S., Azad, M. M., Kim, H. S., Yoon, Y., Lee, H., Choi, K.-S., & Yang, Y. (2024). A Review on Traditional and Artificial Intelligence-Based Preservation Techniques for Oil Painting Artworks. Gels, 10(8), 517. https://doi.org/10.3390/gels10080517

Kumar, P., & Gupta, V. (2024). Unpaired Image-to-Image Translation Based Artwork Restoration Using Generative Adversarial Networks. In Smart Innovation, Systems and Technologies (Vol. 372, pp. 581–591). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-6774-2_52

Li, J., Wang, H., Deng, Z., Pan, M., & Chen, H. (2021). Restoration of Non-Structural Damaged Murals in Shenzhen Bao’an Based on a Generator–Discriminator Network. Heritage Science, 9(1), 6. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-020-00478-w

Maali Amiri, M., & Messinger, D. W. (2021). Virtual Cleaning of Works of Art Using Deep Convolutional Neural Networks. Heritage Science, 9(1), 94. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-021-00567-4

Maali Amiri, M., & Messinger, D. W. (2023). Virtual Cleaning of Works of Art Using a Deep Generative Network: Spectral Reflectance Estimation. Heritage Science, 11(1), 16. https://doi.org/10.1186/s40494-023-00859-x

Pietroni, E., & Ferdani, D. (2021). Virtual Restoration and Virtual Reconstruction in Cultural Heritage: Terminology, Methodologies, Visual Representation Techniques and Cognitive Models. Information, 12(4), 167. https://doi.org/10.3390/info12040167

Sizyakin, R., Voronin, V. V., & Pizurica, A. (2022). Virtual Restoration of Paintings Based on Deep Learning. In W. Osten, D. Nikolaev, & J. Zhou (Eds.), Fourteenth International Conference on Machine Vision (ICMV 2021) (p. 60). SPIE. https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2624371

Wan, Z., Zhang, B., Chen, D., Zhang, P., Chen, D., Liao, J., & Wen, F. (2020). Bringing Old Photos Back to Life. http://arxiv.org/abs/2004.09484

Wang, H. L., Han, P. H., Chen, Y. M., Chen, K. W., Lin, X., Lee, M. S., & Hung, Y. P. (2018). Dunhuang mural restoration using deep learning. SIGGRAPH Asia 2018 Technical Briefs, 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1145/3283254.3283263

Wang, J., Zhang, E., Cui, S., Wang, J., Zhang, Q., Fan, J., & Peng, J. (2023). GGD-GAN: Gradient-Guided Dual-Branch Adversarial Networks for Relic Sketch Generation. Pattern Recognition, 141, 109586. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patcog.2023.109586

Wang, S., Cen, Y., Qu, L., Li, G., Chen, Y., & Zhang, L. (2024). Virtual Restoration of Ancient Mold-Damaged Painting Based on 3D Convolutional Neural Network for Hyperspectral Image. Remote Sensing, 16(16), 2882. https://doi.org/10.3390/rs16162882

Wu, Y., Wang, X., Li, Y., Zhang, H., Zhao, X., & Shan, Y. (2021). Towards Vivid and Diverse Image Colorization with Generative Color Prior. 2021 IEEE/CVF International Conference on Computer Vision (ICCV), 14357–14366. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICCV48922.2021.01411

Xiao, Y., Jiang, A., Liu, C., & Wang, M. (2019). Single Image Colorization via Modified Cyclegan. 2019 IEEE International Conference on Image Processing (ICIP), 3247–3251. https://doi.org/10.1109/ICIP.2019.8803677

Zeng, Y., Gong, Y., & Zeng, X. (2020). Controllable Digital Restoration of Ancient Paintings Using Convolutional Neural Network and Nearest Neighbor. Pattern Recognition Letters, 133, 158–164. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.patrec.2020.02.033

Zhu, J. Y., Park, T., Isola, P., & Efros, A. A. (2017). Unpaired Image-to-Image Translation Using Cycle-Consistent Adversarial Networks. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1703.10593

Zou, Z., Zhao, P., & Zhao, X. (2021). Virtual Restoration of the Colored Paintings on Weathered Beams in the Forbidden City Using Multiple Deep Learning Algorithms. Advanced Engineering Informatics, 50, 101421. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aei.2021.101421

Downloads

Published

2025-01-31

How to Cite

Putranti, N. E., Chang, S.-J., & Raffiudin, M. (2025). Revitalizing Art with Technology: A Deep Learning Approach to Virtual Restoration. JISKA (Jurnal Informatika Sunan Kalijaga), 10(1), 87–99. https://doi.org/10.14421/jiska.2025.10.1.87-99