Document Type
Article
Publication Title
ISAR Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Abstract
The 1785 Salon Unreal Engine Reconstruction Project represents a significant advance in digital heritage and immersive art historical research by combining generative AI-based asset creation, modular user experience (UX) design, and historically informed workflows. During the Spring 2025 phase, the project achieved major milestones, including the successful development of a replicable pipeline for transforming 2D reference images into period-accurate 3D sculpture models using generative AI and digital sculpting tools. Simultaneously, a robust and adaptable Inspection System was engineered within Unreal Engine, offering granular interaction controls, bilingual (English/French) content integration, dynamic metadata display, and enhanced accessibility. These innovations collectively enabled historically faithful reconstruction of lost or dispersed artworks, while also establishing open-source methodologies and protocols for scalable virtual exhibition environments. By documenting stepwise processes for asset generation, UI system design, and troubleshooting, the project demonstrates a new standard for collaborative, reproducible digital heritage work, facilitating the responsible digital resurrection of cultural spaces and supporting broader accessibility and engagement with the art historical record.
Publication Date
5-2025
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Hutson, James; O'Brien, Charles; Wolfe, Wesley; Kraff, Kayla; and Olsen, Trent, "1785 Parisian Salon Project: New Methods and Practical Innovations in Digital Heritage Reconstruction" (2025). Faculty Scholarship. 739.
https://digitalcommons.lindenwood.edu/faculty-research-papers/739