Description:
<jats:title>Abstract</jats:title><jats:p>There are many examples of cultural heritage having optical properties that have changed with the passage of time. Examples include the yellowing, darkening, and fading of paints and varnishes caused by light exposure and atmospheric pollution. When it is infeasible to treat an object, an image simulation can provide a view to the past, known as a color reconstruction. A technique is described that relies on a color‐managed image, spectral reflectance factor measurements of the object, an optical model of colorant mixing, an optical database of artist materials, spreadsheet software, and image editing software. Spectral calculations are used to create adjustment curves where segmented portions of an object's image are translated in color. This approach has been used to produce color reconstructions of paintings by Vincent van Gogh and Georges Seurat. This colorimetric translation methodology is described and an example shown for the Chicago version of Vincent van Gogh's <jats:italic>Bedroom</jats:italic>. The methodology is compared with pixel‐based processing.</jats:p>