by Ralf Ressmann
Have you ever tried something like this?
This prompt works with Midjourney and Dall-E:
“imagine: oil painting, an elderly scholar reading by candlelight, deep chiaroscuro, warm golden tones, rich texture, detailed brushstrokes, 17th-century clothing, introspective expression, realistic lighting, shadowed background, baroque style”
Don’t rejoice too soon: the result doesn’t look like a genuine Rembrandt yet.
A team in Amsterdam gave some more thought to the topic of AI and Rembrandt several years ago. A total of 346 original paintings were analyzed. This resulted in
– 150 gigabytes of graphic files
– 168,263 image fragments
– 148 million pixels
– 13 print runs with UV ink
The result: a portrait of a man between 30 and 40 years old with a beard, hat, and collar. The AI wanted to learn not only visual language and proportions, but also to imitate Rembrandt’s characteristic brushwork and materiality.
The verdict of Rembrandt expert Ernst van de Wetering is short and sweet: “Absolute crap.” Without human assistance, the AI forgot the tear film that gives painted eyes a shine on the lower eyelid.
#KIunplugged is part of my collaboration with Auctority GmbH. The company provides consulting and assistance with a network of experts at the interface of leadership, communication, and change. Gemeinsam unterstützen wir Euch bei der Einordnung des Potentials von generativer KI.
