A Preliminary Survey of Semantic Descriptive Model for Images

2025-01-13

AI Summary

Ancient Chinese paintings lack standardized semantic descriptions and a systematic framework for deep cultural analysis. Method: This study constructs a Semantic Description Model (SDM) grounded in the Palace Museum’s collection and integrating iconographic theory—specifically, the first systematic application of Panofsky’s three-level iconographic framework to semantic modeling of premodern Chinese painting. We propose a theme-driven workflow for automated terminology extraction and cross-level mapping, enabling joint representation of artistic form, iconography, and cultural meaning. Domain ontology development and integration with a cultural heritage knowledge graph further support the model. Contribution/Results: Empirical evaluation confirms SDM’s effectiveness in thematic annotation, cross-work cultural association discovery, and knowledge inference. The model provides a scalable, interpretable semantic infrastructure for AI-augmented art historical research, significantly advancing cultural computing capabilities for ancient Chinese painting.

Technology Category

• Cognitive Modeling & Cognitive Systems: Symbolic Representations
• Data Mining & Knowledge Management: Semantic Web
• Natural Language Processing: Lexical Semantics and Morphology

Application Category

• Semantics and Knowledge: Methods, algorithms and applications for the development of semantic models, knowledge graphs and other forms of structured data models with machine-interpretable semantics
• Search and Retrieval-Augmented AI: Web query analysis, representation and understanding
• Web Mining and Content Analysis: Models for Web evolution

Abstract

Considering the lack of a unified framework for image description and deep cultural analysis at the subject level in the field of Ancient Chinese Paintings (ACP), this study utilized the Beijing Palace Museum's ACP collections to develop a semantic model integrating the iconological theory with a new workflow for term extraction and mapping. Our findings underscore the model's effectiveness. SDM can be used to support further art-related knowledge organization and cultural exploration of ACPs.

Problem

• Ancient Chinese Painting
• Cultural Analysis
• Standardized Methodology

Innovation

• Ancient Chinese Painting
• Art Analysis Theory
• Systematic Understanding