Artwork Monitoring by Digital Image Correlation

The mechanical response of artwork to external loads from varying climate is monitored by time-records of displacement maps. These are obtained by digital correlation of series of images from either ordinary photographs in white-light illumination or speckle images in laser light. Special features and the advantages of either version are discussed. Both methods are applied in the study of degradation in historical leather tapestry - right at the site (some representative halls of Jever castle in Northern Germany) as well as for basic model investigations on leather behavior in artificial climate. Ideas are presented to derive the stress situation in the material from the original displacement data.