All the newly produced scans are presented with precise color accuracy and exceptionally high fidelity and can be explored on The Met’s website, where viewers can zoom in, rotate, and examine each model, bringing unprecedented access to significant works of art. The 3D models can also be explored in viewers’ own spaces through augmented reality (AR) on most smartphone and VR headsets, as a resource for research, exploration, and curiosity. A majority of the models are available for free download and use under The Met’s Open Access program and CC0 license. [...]

Nine of the newly produced models were made in collaboration with NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corporation) as part of the public broadcaster’s initiative to produce ultra-high definition 3D computer graphics of national treasures and other important artworks. Using portable laser scanning systems combined with camera-based photogrammetry techniques, NHK worked alongside The Met’s Imaging Department to digitize monumental works of art. These include Vincent Van Gogh’s Wheat Field with Cypresses (1889); armor that belonged to Henry II, King of France (ca. 1555); Antonio Canova’s Perseus with the Head of Medusa (1804–6); a pair of screens, Amusements at Higashiyama in Kyoto (ca. 1620s); and Jean-Baptiste Carpeaux’s Ugolino and His Sons (1865–67), many of which cannot be moved from their galleries for traditional imaging. The Met and NHK are now exploring further educational programming and potential content using these cutting-edge, best-in class models.