‘Shazam for Artwork’ Helps You Recognize Paintings

Hi-Tech March, 9 2017 Nikolay Udintsev

Smartify app for iOS recognizes unfamiliar paintings and provides information about their author and their short history.

Smartify is based on image recognition algorithms and recognizes a painting when you point a smartphone camera on it. The application provides the name of the painting, its author, the year when it was created, as well as a short description.

Smartify is currently able to identify the works from the Wallace Collection, Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam, the Cartoon Museum in London, the Laguna Art Museum, Sluice Exhibition in New York City, halls 4 and 20 of the National Portrait Gallery in London, as well part of the collection of the Louvre and the Metropolitan Museum. The app recognizes the painting even if it is printed on paper or a postcard.

The New Scientist reports that the app will be launched in May, but it has already been released on App Store and is available for downloading. The Android version will be released later. Developers plan to add collections from other museums if the users request them to. The applications are accepted at: info@smartify.org.uk.