The Prado, a famous Madrid museum, embarked on an unusual adventure: calling on technology to decipher its works of art. To carry out this project, the museum has teamed up with Sherpa.ai, a Spanish start-up, reports the Smithsonian Magazine online media. Thanks to this collaboration, an algorithm can, for example, count the objects and characters present on certain paintings. A daring bet that renews the experience of visitors, while highlighting the richness of the scenes presented.
Among the tables passed under a magnifying glass, that of Saint Ursule and the 11,000 virgins Particular intrigue. The AI only spotted 139, far from the account, therefore. The “master of 11,000 virgins”, nickname attributed to the anonymous artist behind the work, therefore seems to have exaggerated somewhat. But the interest of this project does not stop at the simple verification of legends.
The Prado also used this tool on much more imposing works, such as those of the Flemish artist Denis Van Alsloot. His paintings of Brussels processions, abundant with details, reveal for example 1,761 characters in The guild procession.
AI enters the museum
The museum took the opportunity to integrate this data into a new form of cultural mediation intended for the general public. By asking visitors directly to which painting has the most characters, Prado arouses curiosity, game and interaction. A fun way to rediscover your collections.
This approach is part of a broader policy of the museum, which has been using AI for several years. As early as 2019, tools had been set up to provide more contextual information around works of art. This was manifested in the form of interactive chronological friezes adapted to each visitor. The idea was to promote a better understanding, even without prior cultural baggage.
If some art historians use artificial intelligence to reconstruct works, the Prado museum remains faithful to its initial objective: to make its collections more accessible. By relying on the capacities of the AI to perceive the elements in large numbers or recurring, the museum reveals facets invisible to the naked eye. What change our way of looking at art.
