Of all the things 3D printers can do, I would never have thought that recreating famous works of art would be one of them. Now researchers in the Netherlands are doing just that.

Researchers at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands have come up with a novel 3D printing process that allows them to recreate famous works of art. By using two cameras, they can create a 3D scan of these famous works of art. It allows them to see where the brush strokes originated, and how much paint was applied in each area.

Here’s another video showing how the researchers create a 3D scan of a painting:

Using the information obtained from the 3D scanners, they can create an accurate 3D print of the painting. What makes this amazing is that these researchers have been able to create the most accurate reproduction ever made. It’s not merely a copy of the colors used, but the exact depth of the paint itself. It’s one of the most amazing things I’ve ever seen, and you’ll definitely want to check it out:

So, is there any reason for this? For art researchers and historians, the benefits are tremendous. With this new technique, they’ll be able to see if famous artists throughout history inserted any hidden details into their paintings. With how eccentric many famous artists, the potential for new discoveries is vast.

[h/t: 3ders]

[Image: Tim Zaman]