Altdorfer's Hidden SKULL
bittne...@bvc.edu
Albrecht Altdorfer'Õs paintings, and we came across one entitled The French
Ambassadors done in 1533. The painting includes two ambassadors, one
affiliated with government , and the other man is associated with the church.
These individuals are shown as men who are noble and possess great power
among their people. Their attire is elaborate and elegant. This work was
painted with incredible detail and preciseness. Altdorfer gave careful
attention to the objects on the table that is found between the two
figures. The objects bore shadows and were positioned with near perfect
perspective. Even the polished marble floor is exact.
Within The French Ambassadors, Altdorfer seems to display all the
characteristics of a realistic painting. Since everything seems to have
been the product of his observant nature and skillful technique, it is
difficult for me to understand why he would choose to put a distorted shape
in the immediate foreground. When you view the painting across, rather
than at the picture plane, you can see a form that becomes a skull. The
quick onlooker would possibly dismiss it altogether, but one who has been
instructed to observe the painting at a different angle would be able to
share the meaning with Altdorfer. I understand the fact that it represents
the mortality of life, but I fail to understand how this undistinguishable
shape holds a place within a reasonably realistic painting. Is there
anyone else who can justify this illusion? I agree that Altdorfer is an
amazingly skillful artist to be able to paint the skull in such a
remarkable way that one cannnot originally identify it, but it seems like
this mysterious shape just does not belong in this carefully structured and
realistic setting.
What do you think? Iw wod really like to hear your views on this subject.
Please write me back to possibly help me understand it better.
Traci Bittner
Charles W Haxthausen
> The other day in my art history class we were looking at slides of
>Albrecht Altdorfer'Õs paintings, and we came across one entitled The French
>Ambassadors done in 1533.
>
>What do you think? Iw wod really like to hear your views on this subject.
>Please write me back to possibly help me understand it better.
The painting is not by Altdorfer but by Hans Holbein the Younger.
Mark Haxthausen
Charles Eicher
> The other day in my art history class we were looking at slides of
> Albrecht Altdorfer'Õs paintings, and we came across one entitled The French
> Ambassadors done in 1533.
I think the anamorphic skull in HOLBEIN's 'french ambassadors' is the
LEAST of the interesting features of that painting. Let me draw your
attention to my favorite:
Take some time to look closely at the pattern on the floor. The pattern is
a traditional pattern, known as 'Cosimate' but if you do some VERY close
examination, you will notice that the pattern, rendered in extreme detail,
in meticulous perspective, is slightly diagonal to the picture plane. You
will have to look very closely, perhaps this is best visible in the
circle, at the front center of the diamond shape on the floor. It skews
visibly to the left (although much of this is obscured, perhaps
deliberately, by the skull).
If you've ever done a perspective drawing, you KNOW that it is MUCH harder
to render a pattern that is slightly diagonal than to have rendered it
conventionally, that is, straight on. So, why did Holebein take the extra
trouble (extreme extra effort too!) to render the tile this way?
Look a little further, examine some of the circular patterns. Note that
the left figure has his foot planted in the center of one circle, while
the right figure seems to be backing away from the circle.
Also, notice that these 2 circles are not symmetrical, nor are they
rendered with the same border figurations. Note that the left circle is
under a border, while the right circle is over the border.
All these give a distinct impression that these figures are NOT standing
on firm ground. The very earth upon which they walk is NOT what it seems
to be..
If you want a further exploration of this painting, my favorite essay on
it is found in a very strange book called 'The Clam-Plate Orgy' by Brian
Key (a lot of what i said above is directly from this book, and I thank
Key for drawing my attention to these wonderful features of this
painting). His book is mostly about subliminal advertising, but it has
extensive illustrations and examples of 'subliminal' cues in classical
artworks. I especially loved his analysis of the Sistine Chapel ceiling,
wherein he shows the hints to read the expulsion of adam and eve from
eden, because God catches them in the act... You gotta read it!
------------------
Charles Eicher
cei...@netins.net
------------------
CA...@cunyvm.cuny.edu
painting THE FRENCH AMBASSADORS is by Hans Holbein the Younger, 1533, oil on
panel, 81 1/2 x 82 1/2 inches, National Gallery London. It pictures Jean de
Dinteville and his friend Bishop Georges de Selve. The form in the foreground
is what is called an anamorphic image (from the greek ana -again- and morphe -
shape- thus hinting you as viewer look again to form the image. More officially
this skull is a form of perspectival anamorphism since the image is skewed to a
certain viewpoint and adjusted to that perspective. Orginally the work was hung
on a wall accessible via stairs so that when one was walking up the skull
was apparent. There are examples of anamorphism in many other works, one was
found in a Codex of Leonardo. Other examples use ceilings, walls, and flat
panels where one must set a reflective tube to view the image.
Jurgis Baltrusaitis suggests that seeing the sculptural figure forces us to
re-evaluate our reading of the painting. It has also been suggested that
the work is a rebus, a pictorial pun, on Hollow bone (Holbein -- in German
Hohle bein -- and it was common during that time to attach meaning to many
pictorial representations of objects in paintings.
Best, Chris.
Michael Gerard Maranda
What an amazing coincidence.
I recently came across a painting by ALtdorfer where he
painstakingly painted a skull, in perfect porportions,
in the finest detail. Only problem is that it is floating
on an indistinguishable ground. I was confused by this
effect, as to why he would paint this utterly realistic
skull on top of complete confusion.
Then, a friend whow as familiar with the painting, suggested
that I step to my right and view the painting from an angle
different than the one I chose.
Lo and behold, the ghostly image of two ambassadors in finery
surrounded by the usual paraphanelia of memento more paintings
came into view. It was truly a sublime experience, one that
had an incredible effect on me. It all started to make sense ...
But seriously, if you are into a reading of this painting
that is brilliant if a little unsettling, check Jacques
Lacan's "The Four Fundamentals of Psychoanalysis" ...
chapter three I think. COuldn't a ttempt a summary here ...
However, there is something about this painting that
has always bothered me. The museum that owns it has it
hung in such a manner that one can not access the point
where the skull would come into "proper" perspective.
Very annoying.
--
......................................................................
......................Michael.Maranda..................................
.......................................mm017g@uhura.cc.rochester.edu....
.......................................................................
jAxAs
>> The other day in my art history class we were looking at slides of
>> Albrecht Altdorfer'Õs paintings, and we came across one entitled The French
>> Ambassadors done in 1533.
Holbein's painting is a recognized tour d'force. I think that his contemporary
Altdorfer also had an incredible ability to visualize in an age long before man
was known to fly (flights of fancy excepted). Take a look at Altdorfer's
"Battle of Issus" as an example. The aerial perspective is as astounding as
is his distortion of scale. The arctic scene in the distance is something he
could not have possibly had first-hand knowledge of--except for possibly
being on an Alpine peak in winter, and even then there would not have been
the ocean view. It is a view that you can see today from
a high flying aeroplane on an arctic route or perhaps flying over the Alps or
Northern Rockies in winter.
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
***** + Jaxas from Texas + *****
***** Look for the silver lining, *****
***** Easy to find in winter! *****
***** *****
***** ***** ***** ***** *****
Vela Press
always loved his work, so I read each of the comments. I am happy to learn
a new term,"anamorphic" and to know about the book you mention" The clam
plate orgy". If you have more info on that book please send me the info. I
need to get a copy. The reason is that on October 8, 1994, I discovered a
cryptic self portrait of Rembrandt in his famous masterpiece(now
deattributed) "the man with the golden helmet" in Berlin. Write to me at
c/o Vela Press , PO Box 4479 , San Diego, Ca. 92164 and I will send you
and anyone else who wants the info, proof of a remarkable discovery. I was
obligated to document and preserve the facts of the discovery and I
published the findings in a book I titled" Rembrandt, the man IN the
Golden Helmet". I have communicated with important art scholars in Europe.
The art world is very conservative. Change will take years. Those who
deattributed the painting are now faced(not a pun) with a hidden face in
this very great painting.But, to acknowledge it would be disasterous to
their reputations. Please write. My name is Louis Velasquez.
John Haber
approached for the first time pure, entirely secular landscapes.
He's not easily encompassed by the image of him as a Mannerist.
Charles Eicher
Newcomb) wrote:
> Charles Eicher (cei...@netins.net) wrote:
>
> : If you want a further exploration of this painting, my favorite essay on
> : it is found in a very strange book called 'The Clam-Plate Orgy' by Brian
> : Key (a lot of what i said above is directly from this book, and I thank
> : Key for drawing my attention to these wonderful features of this
> : painting). His book is mostly about subliminal advertising, but it has
> : extensive illustrations and examples of 'subliminal' cues in classical
> : artworks. I especially loved his analysis of the Sistine Chapel ceiling,
> : wherein he shows the hints to read the expulsion of adam and eve from
> : eden, because God catches them in the act... You gotta read it!
>
> This book is unavailable locally. Can you post a short summary of his
> Sistine Chapel analysis?
He only analyzed one panel, the expulsion of adam and eve.
I posted a brief synopsis in another message in another thread, entitled
"Re: THE LAST JUDGMENT - Overlooked?".. there was more to his
interpretation than what I posted, but I couldn't remember the rest..
where did I put that book?
Anyway, if you can't find that thread, or killed it, email me and I'll
give you a shorter, more explicit version. I hate to be redundant in the
newsgroup..
Guy Newcomb
: If you want a further exploration of this painting, my favorite essay on
: it is found in a very strange book called 'The Clam-Plate Orgy' by Brian
: Key (a lot of what i said above is directly from this book, and I thank
: Key for drawing my attention to these wonderful features of this
: painting). His book is mostly about subliminal advertising, but it has
: extensive illustrations and examples of 'subliminal' cues in classical
: artworks. I especially loved his analysis of the Sistine Chapel ceiling,
: wherein he shows the hints to read the expulsion of adam and eve from
: eden, because God catches them in the act... You gotta read it!
This book is unavailable locally. Can you post a short summary of his
Sistine Chapel analysis?
Cheers
----------------------------
Guy Newcomb
Brisbane, Australia
(G.Ne...@mailbox.uq.oz.au)