The Use Of Mirrors In 16th Century Paintings Essay - 1

The Use Of Mirrors In 16th Century Paintings - Essay Example This paper shows that Anamorphosis is that particular style of drawing in which the piece of art appears distorted until it is viewed by the observer at a particular angle or by means of a special lens. Sometimes whole scenes and landscapes were embedded in these picture puzzles (Chilvers 14, Bousquet 155). A classic example of such a work will be Parmigianino’s Self Portrait done in the year 1434. For this painting, he placed a convex mirror in front and painted exactly what he saw. To lend an added air of authenticity to the image, Parmigianino especially constructed a wooden sphere and cut it in half in exact accordance with the dimensions of the convex mirror. As a result, Parmigianino’s hand appears disproportionately, almost grotesquely large, as it is placed near the mirror. Georges De La Tour’s (George De La Tour) The Repentant Magdalene brings yet another touch of novelty to the usage of mirrors. Here, Tour portrays Mary Magdalene, seated in front of a mirror, gazing absently at it, while her left hand is lightly placed on a skull and the candlelight casts a shadow on her face. The reflection of the mirror is used to point towards the inner reflections of Mary Magdalene. Here the mirror is used to symbolize introspection. Magdalene is shown as gazing at the mirror; it is her inner world, however, that she is gazing at. These examples are only a few. There are many others of this kind where one can see the mirror not just embellishing a painting and adding to its visual and artistic value but also conveying a deeply symbolic and moral meaning.

The New Face of American Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

The New Face of American Politics - Essay Example The book explores the role of money, ethnicity, and religion in politics and the issues that are rampant in society today. The authors also explores the charismatic and mass appeal of Obama which, they claim, transcends racial, financial, religious, and gender barriers. In essence, the book discussed how Obama’s political ideologies sustained him throughout his political career. His political path to Washington documented in the book highlighted every campaign and every opponent he faced during his campaign. Obama’s stalwart convictions carried him through every campaign. Where his detractors focused on his failings as a candidate, he instead focused on issues like health care and protecting minority rights. The authors highlighted how his competitors self-destructed in the face of the campaign – from being involved in sex scandals to being embroiled in domestic violence. And through such controversies surrounding his competitors, he emerged as the most favorable candidate. Obama’s focus during his campaigns was not too complicated, nor was it too lavish, but his principles and his promises appealed to many Americans because it spoke to them of the American dream. The concerns of each constituency became his concern, and this fact did not go unnoticed by the American public who were looking for the ideal candidate who could listen to them. The book is very much about the strengths of Obama. Just as Obama skirted over these issues during his campaign, so do the authors of this book.