Comparing two 3D measurement techniques for documenting painted wooden panels surface deformations on a real test case: “Mystical Marriage of Saint Catherine” by Renaissance artist Piero di Cosimo

Ancient wooden panel paintings are an essential part of our cultural heritage. Wood as artworks support has always been very popular and painted panels are largely diffuse in many churches and museums. However, depending on conservation conditions, the wooden panels shape may vary and if not properly controlled may lead to some sever damage to the artworks. This paper presents the results of a study on the measurement of paintings surface deformation carried out using two different three-dimensional acquisition devices both making use of structured light. The main goal was to highlight and measure the reliability of such 3D measuring techniques to evaluate deviations from planarity due to the curving and warping of the wood and to document spatial deformation suffered by the painting and monitoring its conservation status.