Using technology to reconstruct Johann Sebastian Bach's face
Researchers use a facial-reconstruction program to determine Johann Sebastian Bach's appearance.
Contunico © ZDF Studios GmbH, Mainz
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Transcript
NARRATOR: What did celebrated composer Johann Sebastian Bach really look like? No one can be sure as, although several portraits of the great man exist, he didn't sit for any of them. The Bachhaus museum in Eisenach, Germany has decided to find out, by having the composer's face reconstructed. Two scientists first attempted this back in 1894. They studied Bach's skull and sculpted a bust based on what they deduced. A unique endeavour, but is it still credible today?
JÖRG HANSEN [translation]: "They were particularly interested in the temporal bones. So they sawed one off the skull. They wanted to find out whether Bach had particularly good hearing. That is something you can infer from the development of the temporal bones. They said it was bigger than normal - whatever that means."
NARRATOR: That initial experiment took place over 100 years ago, so now the Bachhaus wants to take a more modern, high-tech approach to reconstructing the maestro's face. Scientists in Dundee, Scotland, specialize in this type of reconstruction. Using the latest computer technology, they believe they can make accurate deductions about Bach's appearance.
CAROLINE WILKINSON: "We know a lot more now about the relationship between the soft and hard tissues. We have more data that we can use for interpreting the nose and interpreting the mouth. We have a lot of research that's been done within the dental field to help us understand the lips. And so I think we're probably more accurate in our facial feature determination than a hundred years ago."
NARRATOR: This modern approach does not involve sawing off bits of the skull. Instead it utilizes state-of-the-art software, as used in the creation of the latest Hollywood animation films. In this case, the character's name is Johann Sebastian Bach. First the muscles are put in place, then the skin. The latter represents a particular challenge.
JANICE AITKEN: "We try very hard to get the skin to look like the skin of a person who is of that age. Also, for example with the archeological specimens, we can make guesses about what sort of lifestyle they would have had. For example, a very dark suntan because they would be outdoors all the time. That sort of thing."
NARRATOR: The virtual J. S. Bach slowly becomes more realistic. The skin is looking good. Now he just needs his characteristic hairdo. A sculpture is made of the head, based on the computer model. Soon, the true-to-life bust will welcome visitors to the Bachhaus in Eisenach.
JÖRG HANSEN [translation]: "They were particularly interested in the temporal bones. So they sawed one off the skull. They wanted to find out whether Bach had particularly good hearing. That is something you can infer from the development of the temporal bones. They said it was bigger than normal - whatever that means."
NARRATOR: That initial experiment took place over 100 years ago, so now the Bachhaus wants to take a more modern, high-tech approach to reconstructing the maestro's face. Scientists in Dundee, Scotland, specialize in this type of reconstruction. Using the latest computer technology, they believe they can make accurate deductions about Bach's appearance.
CAROLINE WILKINSON: "We know a lot more now about the relationship between the soft and hard tissues. We have more data that we can use for interpreting the nose and interpreting the mouth. We have a lot of research that's been done within the dental field to help us understand the lips. And so I think we're probably more accurate in our facial feature determination than a hundred years ago."
NARRATOR: This modern approach does not involve sawing off bits of the skull. Instead it utilizes state-of-the-art software, as used in the creation of the latest Hollywood animation films. In this case, the character's name is Johann Sebastian Bach. First the muscles are put in place, then the skin. The latter represents a particular challenge.
JANICE AITKEN: "We try very hard to get the skin to look like the skin of a person who is of that age. Also, for example with the archeological specimens, we can make guesses about what sort of lifestyle they would have had. For example, a very dark suntan because they would be outdoors all the time. That sort of thing."
NARRATOR: The virtual J. S. Bach slowly becomes more realistic. The skin is looking good. Now he just needs his characteristic hairdo. A sculpture is made of the head, based on the computer model. Soon, the true-to-life bust will welcome visitors to the Bachhaus in Eisenach.