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Hidden images: Games of perception, anamorphic art, illusion : from the Renaissance to the present
BOOK DETAILS -- 202 illustrations, including 28 plates in full color. BOOK BLURB -- "Among the most baffling and entertaining illusions are those created by anamorphic distortion. By sophisticated application of the laws of perspective, pictures can be stretched and distored beyond recognition, remaining 'unreadable' until they are viewed from a special angle or with the aid of a suitably shaped reflecting surface." In this book "we can play the game of perspective distortion in the company of artists such as Leonardo, Holbein, Caravaggio, and Carracci, and follow its progress through the centuries...." "A sheet of reflecting silver plastic is packed in each book. When rolled into a cylinder and placed on a circular picture, it unravels the many secrets -- the hidden political, religious, and erotic images -- that lie hidden in these strange and wonderful works of art."
- GenresArt
167 pages, Paperback
First published February 10, 1976
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August 8, 2018
Hidden images has an intriguing idea. It is a study of images across the centuries, from medieval times to the present day (or when the book was published, which was actually 1976.) These comprise photographs of architecture, urban design, oil paintings, theatrical designs, Dutch "perspective cabinets", illusionistic wall and ceiling paintings, graphic designs and more, all having a common theme. They all have a element of illusion due to the use of perspective anamorphosis.
The laws of perspective are applied in some cases to increase an idea of beauty, in others to deliberately mislead or deceive. Some pictures are so distorted that it is impossible to interpret what is actually depicted until a certain vantage point is reached, or in the more extreme examples, by using a special device, for example rolling a reflective surface into a cylinder, to view the image.
"When placed on a circular picture, it unravels the many secrets - the hidden political, religious, and erotic images - that lie hidden in these strange and wonderful works of art."
Painters such as Leonardo, Holbein and Caravaggio all employed these "tricks", sometimes in order to conceal secrets from the uninitiated, and sometimes just to delight in trickery.
The book comes with a sheet of reflecting silver plastic. Also there is a section of games at the back, using details from paintings across many centuries and cultures. Had it not been for the fact that only 28 of the 202 illustrations are in colour, it would be a 4 star book. It would be well worth an update, with larger illustration all in colour.
The laws of perspective are applied in some cases to increase an idea of beauty, in others to deliberately mislead or deceive. Some pictures are so distorted that it is impossible to interpret what is actually depicted until a certain vantage point is reached, or in the more extreme examples, by using a special device, for example rolling a reflective surface into a cylinder, to view the image.
"When placed on a circular picture, it unravels the many secrets - the hidden political, religious, and erotic images - that lie hidden in these strange and wonderful works of art."
Painters such as Leonardo, Holbein and Caravaggio all employed these "tricks", sometimes in order to conceal secrets from the uninitiated, and sometimes just to delight in trickery.
The book comes with a sheet of reflecting silver plastic. Also there is a section of games at the back, using details from paintings across many centuries and cultures. Had it not been for the fact that only 28 of the 202 illustrations are in colour, it would be a 4 star book. It would be well worth an update, with larger illustration all in colour.
Displaying 1 of 1 review