Degradation of great works of art can be slowed but not stopped. Experiments in digital image processing are investigating the application of computer technology to encoded reproductions of works of art for the distant future. An experiment, begun in 1983, conducted jointly by the IBM Scientific Center in Rome and the Laboratory for the Restoration in Florence focused on chromatic selection and abstraction inpainting techniques (as used on Cimabue's Crucifixion), using numerical means to select the colors to be used on large losses for a global average or neutral hue. Drawbacks are discussed, and the need for a multidisciplinary approach is emphasized.