Martin Shepherd wrote: >I have heard it suggested that the painting was originally hung on a staircase, so >that someone standing at the bottom of the stairs (if it was hung on the left) would >see the skull "normally" and little else - another aspect of the symbolism? > > I was very fortunate to see this painting in person just last week on a trip to the U.K. Its been fun that this interesting conversation follows so closely on that visit. (I just wish I could go back now!)
Upon my return, and based on other conversations, my retired-phyicist Father dug up an old 16mm BBC film entitled "Things are Not What They Seem" that talks about the various "illusions" that artists use to create various effects. Its pretty humorous watching the professorial types in the film posing with their cigarette's and pipes in self-importance. (It was also interesting to remember just how quickly the sound of a 16mm projector puts me right to sleep!) Anyway... this film talks briefly about "The Ambassadors" and their explanation also claimed that it originally hung on a staircase and was meant to be viewed from the lower left. Obviously the skull resolves itself from either the lower left or upper right. The painting is so large that the museum's caption advises you to step to the right to see the skull. I like the explanation (on an earlier referenced page) that you can't see both the skull and the painting's subjects in their intended perspectives from the same viewpoint.... death dividing all. I also viewed the "SLOW" and "ARAF" signs that Steward McCoy mentions while driving through numous small towns in England and Wales. I can't testify as to the length of the signs but I am fairly certain that I saw a grinning, stretched skull flash past my vision several times as thundering Lorries streamed past *on the wrong side of the road*!!! :-) Eric
