Saturday, September 18, 2004
Rembrandt's vision problem
Harvard scientists report that Rembrandt may have suffered from stereoblindness. The neurobiologists believe that many of Rembrandt's self-portraits show his eyes focused assymetrically. From the New England Journal of Medicine:
Stereopsis is an important cue for depth perception, yet it can be a hindrance to an artist trying to depict a three-dimensional scene on a flat surface. Art teachers often instruct students to close one eye in order to flatten what they see. Therefore, stereoblindness might not be a handicap — and might even be an asset — for some artists.Link (to Boston Globe article)
posted by David Pescovitz at 09:03:46 AM permalink | Other blogs' comments
