The Magic Mirror of Life
April 29, 2003 11:42 PM   Subscribe

The Magic Mirror of Life. An appreciation of the camera obscura.
posted by plep (6 comments total)
 
Fascinating stuff, plep! Funnily enough, I've never been able to provoke the typical camera obscura image or, in fact, seen one. Now I'm quite anxious to!

There's this old shed, see...?
posted by MiguelCardoso at 3:47 AM on April 30, 2003


Interesingly, David Hockney believes that Vermeer, Holbein, Velazquez, Hals, etc. -even Rembrandt - used the camera obscura to render their subjects, which does not undermine their accomplishments, but allows some perspective on the tools and technology of those times.

It certainly doesn't diminish the stunning simplicity and gravity of Vermeer's allegory, or portraiture.
posted by hama7 at 5:46 AM on April 30, 2003


More here.
posted by Witty at 6:17 AM on April 30, 2003


I've never been able to provoke the typical camera obscura image or, in fact, seen one.

Greenwich Royal Observatory's is pretty impressive -- worth the hike up the hill -- and I'm told that the Edinburgh one is even better. And there's apparently one at the Castelo de São Jorge in Lisbon, so you have absolutely no excuse.
posted by riviera at 8:22 AM on April 30, 2003


*shrinks*
posted by MiguelCardoso at 9:49 AM on April 30, 2003


The Edinburgh one is nifty indeed.
posted by Vidiot at 8:03 AM on May 1, 2003


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