Physical properties of Mona Lisa
nightbat
I wrote on a previous post to Mr.J.W.Shepherd, that
scientist's would quantify and unemotionally state, the painting is just
a physical depiction of oils and canvas, yet no other responded. Hello,
I know there are brilliant scientists and mathematicians on this
newsgroup, because I have seen your doodles. When taking about a Master,
are there no other Masters to respond, with the exception of Mr.
Shepherd? The Mona Lisa is not a painting on canvas, it was painted on
panel, yes wood. And the particular style that sets it apart is unique.
What makes it a Master, is its vivid color, set in dark pastel hue. The
lasting beauty betrays its sole oil foundation. Leonardo was a clever
one, for he layered the painting because he had to, despite choosing
oil. But why? What was the secret, he masterfully kept, to set himself
apart? Egg Tempera, by experimenting, he must of found that by combining
this old technique with then the new, sfumato, and oil base paint, at
once he would achieve immortality. Egg Tempera must be layered, but
prevents yellowing, the sfumato gives the painting its smoky pastel
look, and finally the base oil paint, its vivid lasting beauty, contrast
and ease for corrections. A very tedious process, but a Master
accomplishment. The ice bullet of the centuries.
the nightbat
ca314159
There's alot of physics in oil painting.
Some of the paintings show a very large knowledge of how
light works both at the macro and microscopic levels.
Reflection, refraction, diffraction, interference, ....
not just in the picture, but within the picture.
Besides color theory there's the influence of the many
layers of oil and pigment on the light as it passes
through them to produce many optical effects. Sometimes
even holographic like illusions of 3-d due to the interference
of light on the surface of the painting.
http://google.yahoo.com/bin/query?p=hand+drawn+holograms&hc=0&hs=0
Chemistry also. Some of the pigments don't mix well or yield
strange effects when they do. Some pigments fade more than
others or the fading can be used to advantage if one has enough
foresight.
And there are the long term mechanical effects like cracking;
which materials can and can't be layered on top of each other.
Many paintings are experiments in physics and chemistry as much
as art.
Da Vinci wrote alot about the physics of oil painting.
Dali and Magritte seemed more into the idea of 'pataphysics:
http://www.infind.com/infind/infind.exe?query=pataphysics&time=60
Sort of the complementary scientific method:
the search for anomalies rather than invariants.
oroboros