True Mirrors
I was listening to a programme about Rembrandt on Radio 4 recently. Rembrandt was an artist who seemed to do a lot of self portraits – an exercise which usually requires looking in a mirror and painting what you see.
Recently people have been able to see under the layers of paint (some sort of whizzy X Ray) and noted that, in one picture at least, he had painted his left hand holding the brush – which is the image a normal mirror would give. He then, apparently, amended the painting so that he was right handed.
The discussion touched briefly on true mirrors. These project the image that is shown to them (basically some fancy 90 degree angled mirrors fandangle), rather than the image that is seen in a mirror. If you look in a true mirror and are wearing a T shirt with a slogan, the slogan will appear as other see it, not as the image is reflected. This means that if you use a true mirror, you see yourself as others see you.
The specialist from the Courtauld looked in a true mirror and was shocked – she felt she identified more with the true image than with the image usually seen in a mirror. As we know, we’re none of us entirely symmetrical (apart from Calypso in the Camomile Lawn) so looking in a true mirror will result in some differences.
I would like to see myself in a true mirror! And, having looked up Mary Wesley, I see she has some novels I haven’t read yet. I will be acquiring some of them, if not all, for some reading on my upcoming honeymoon.
Recently people have been able to see under the layers of paint (some sort of whizzy X Ray) and noted that, in one picture at least, he had painted his left hand holding the brush – which is the image a normal mirror would give. He then, apparently, amended the painting so that he was right handed.
The discussion touched briefly on true mirrors. These project the image that is shown to them (basically some fancy 90 degree angled mirrors fandangle), rather than the image that is seen in a mirror. If you look in a true mirror and are wearing a T shirt with a slogan, the slogan will appear as other see it, not as the image is reflected. This means that if you use a true mirror, you see yourself as others see you.
The specialist from the Courtauld looked in a true mirror and was shocked – she felt she identified more with the true image than with the image usually seen in a mirror. As we know, we’re none of us entirely symmetrical (apart from Calypso in the Camomile Lawn) so looking in a true mirror will result in some differences.
I would like to see myself in a true mirror! And, having looked up Mary Wesley, I see she has some novels I haven’t read yet. I will be acquiring some of them, if not all, for some reading on my upcoming honeymoon.
posted by Chaya at 11:24 am
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home