AI and Landscape Painting. Perspective and Augmented Reality in Perugino’s Annunciazione Ranieri

Perspective restitution is a method for reconstructing the spatial layout depicted in a painting since the 17th century by reversing the perspective techniques used in its creation. Modern technologies have streamlined the process, enabling the creation of navigable 3D models that reveal insights into artists’ perspective techniques and the evolution of representation. Augmented reality (AR) enhances these analyses by aligning the painting’s perspective with an immersive 3D reconstruction, allowing users to ‘enter’ the depicted space. While architectural elements are easily modelled due to their geometric structure, representing landscapes in AR poses challenges, such as maintaining atmospheric coherence and optimizing real-time rendering. AI tools can address this by extending painted landscapes seamlessly, preserving their visual style and consistency. A practical application of these methods is seen in the study of Annunciazione Ranieri (1487–1489) by Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino, where perspective restitution and AI reconstruct its complex architectural space and surrounding landscape. The perspective restitution, enhanced by AI for the landscape generation, becomes a powerful tool for the technical, compositional, and symbolic study of Renaissance works.