Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Anamorphosis Perspective

The Ambassadors (1533) by Hans Holbein the Younger hangs in the National Gallery, London. It is a a double portrait, but the painting also contains a still-life of several  objects. It is also an example of anamorphosis in painting.
Anamorphosis is a distorted projection or perspective requiring the viewer to use special devices or occupy a specific vantage point to reconstitute the image. "Ana - morphosis" comes from the Greek words meaning "formed again."