Beyond Documentation: 3D Technologies for the Interpretation of Renaissance Terracotta Sculpture in Museum Collections

ABSTRACTWithin the context of the PNRR project CHANGES (Spoke 4), this article explores how 3D imaging technologies can move beyond documentation to function as analytical tools for art-historical research. Focusing on two terracotta works by Antonio Begarelli — The Lamentation over the Dead Christ and The Baptism of Christ (Gallerie Estensi, Modena)— it investigates how structured-light scanning and photogrammetry can support new forms of interpretative inquiry into Renaissance sculptural practice. Three complementary workflows are tested: monochromy surface simulation, spatial reconstruction, and volumetric comparison. The first highlights how digital reconstruction can reshape the perception of terracotta materiality, while also exposing its dependence on conservation conditions and acquisition constraints. The second demonstrates how virtual environments can be used to reassess compositional arrangements and test hypotheses about fragmented or historically altered configurations, revealing spatial logics not evident in traditional viewing conditions. The third applies mesh-to-mesh comparison and scalar-field analysis to detect subtle morphological correspondences, suggesting potential reuse of workshop models, while treating quantitative outputs as comparative indicators rather than absolute measures. Overall, the study suggests that 3D methods may be particularly effective when used as exploratory and comparative tools rather than as mechanisms for definitive reconstruction. In this capacity, they open new avenues for investigating materiality, spatial composition, and production processes in Renaissance sculpture.