CFPR STAFF CAREER STORIES 0.3
Dr Xavier Aure Calvet
RESEARCH FELLOW
Dr Xavier Aure Calvet (‘Xavi’) is a Research Fellow in the CFPR. Having completed his Masters in the conservation of easel paintings at Northumbria University in 2009, Xavi worked in practical conservation and restoration of paintings and historic interiors for over ten years. In 2014 he applied to undertake a collaborative PhD funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), supervised by Professor Carinna Parraman (director of the CFPR) and the National Gallery, London. Xavi focused on the use and potential applications of 2.5D and 3D technologies for the conservation and presentation of surface texture in paintings and was granted unparalleled access to the National Gallery’s collection. Using imaging methods, software and computer graphics techniques, he was able test and develop a practical workflow to generate high-resolution 3D models of paintings, which can be used for online visualisation and real-time interaction.
Appointment into the role of Research Fellow in 2019 at the CFPR, as part of the Research England investment, has given Xavi access to technologies and equipment he would not otherwise have had, such using a milling machine to physically recreate the surface of paintings. Having completed his doctorate in 2019, and been awarded an Immersion Collaboration grant from the South West Creative Technology Network, for a project developed at the CFPR to share cultural heritage through creative immersive experiences, Xavi designed a prototype scanning system to capture surface information from cultural artefacts. His highly detailed 3D replicas give audiences a new viewing experience, provide a deeper understanding of the craftsmanship of artists, and heighten public awareness about the importance of preserving cultural assets.
Using his new scanning system, Xavi has undertaken some significant collaborations with other institutions, scanning, for example, an 18th century painting at Woburn Abbey. Xavi examined the artistic methods and style of 18th century Italian painter Giovanni Antonio Canal (Canaletto), using his prototype scanner capable of capturing minute details, textures and brush strokes that are invisible to the human eye. The painting, ‘The Grand Canal, Ascension Day’, was scanned over three days and more than 5,000 up-close images of the painting were captured to create the final scanned images which users can view and interact with online. The final high-resolution images provide a fascinating insight into Canaletto’s working method, particularly his process of incising and outlining the architectural elements of the painting. Meanwhile, shaded images rendered from the surface structure information clearly show the incision lines that were produced while the paint was still wet. These allowed the artist to emphasise architectural details.
Collaborating with Bristol Museum in 2020 Xavi scanned an 1860 Divination Bowl for the acclaimed BBC TV series Civilisations. Civilisations was a BBC Two series presented by Simon Schama, Mary Beard and David Olusoga, spanning 31 countries and covering 5000 works of art across human history. The Civilisations augmented reality app can be used to examine the artefacts explored. In 2021 he also produced a series of 3D digital models of Japanese Netsuke for Bristol Museum’s Exhibition Netsuke: Miniature masterpieces from Japan, currently viewable online.
In 2023 Xavi was awarded an AHRC Fellowship at the CFPR to undertake an 18-month study into 3D technologies applied to historic textiles using the collection of Stuart embroideries at The Holburne Museum in Bath as a case study, aiming to develop a methodology for accurate imagebased 3D capture of fragile textiles. In parallel he is collaborating with Fabio D’Agnano and Mike White from the CFPR on a project focusing on embroidery from the collection held at the New Forest Heritage Centre, using a custom 3D scanning system on site. The resulting models will allow people with visual impairments to engage with the embroidery. He is also collaborating with the University of Leicester to construct 3D representations of historic manuscripts.
Alongside supervising PhD students, Xavi is regularly invited to lead museum and university workshops and undertake collaborative research with other universities and cultural organisations. He has developed numerous skills, including how to pitch for funding bids, learning methodological approaches by working with collaborators, collecting and interrogating data and engaging with audiences. Throughout his work, Xavi’s primary motivation is to pioneer applied research into the creation of photorealistic content representing cultural heritage.
Key recent grants awarded:
UWE Vice-Chancellor’s Early Career Researcher Development Award (2020/21) for the project A 3D surface scanner: development of workflows and processing algorithms, developing a novel combination of methods to guarantee a scientific workflow when digitally capturing and processing data.
South, West and Wales Consortium II Doctoral Training Partnership program funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council to co-supervise a doctoral study on HMS Victory and the Mary Rose: Comparative Conservation Strategies for the Preservation of Neighbouring Historic Warships (2022-2025).
Co-investigator on the project 3D Data Services For The Arts And Humanities funded by the AHRC in 2022. The team included University of Brighton, Kings College London, University College London, University of the West of England, University of Cambridge, University of Edinburgh, Duke University (US) and the International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF)-3D community.
AHRC research development and engagement fellowship (2023- 25) to bring together advanced imaging techniques and digital fabrication technologies to contribute to the conservation, study, and presentation of historic textile collections.
With thanks to Woburn Abbey for permission to use the image of the Canaletto painting. Visit the scanner viewer tool to zoom in on the painting ‘The Grand Canal, Ascension Day’ and compare it to the detailed scan.
With thanks to the Holburne Museum for permission to use the images of the Stuart embroideries.
