Shifts in color, opacity, surface texture, and gloss are commonly observed in artworks over time. Some alterations are a result of the environment—light, temperature, humidity, and air pollution can all affect the look of an object. Others may result from the use of unstable materials or particular methods of application. When changes cannot be reversed, it is sometimes possible to create digital images that simulate an object's original appearance.

The Chiarito Tabernacle is an ideal candidate for digital color reconstruction: the blue background has darkened to almost black, the pink robes have faded, and in some yellow areas the pigment has almost completely fallen away. These pigments were identified using scientific analysis, and their original appearance in the Tabernacle was calculated using similar areas from better-preserved works as references. Other colors also may have changed, but since less information was available, they were not digitally "restored." Even this partial digital color reconstruction provides an informed visualization of how the painting would have originally appeared. Simulations such as this may provide new art historical perspectives, inform conservation treatment, and offer modern viewers an experience closer to that of the Florentines of the 14th century.