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Optica Publishing Group
  • Frontiers in Optics 2004/Laser Science XXII/Diffractive Optics and Micro-Optics/Optical Fabrication and Testing
  • OSA Technical Digest Series (Optica Publishing Group, 2004),
  • paper FWX6
  • https://doi.org/10.1364/FIO.2004.FWX6

Evidence for mechanical (not optical) copying and enlarging in Jan van Eyck’s Portrait of Niccolo Albergati

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Abstract

We review Ketelsen et al.’s discovery of tiny pinprick holes in Jan van Eyck’s silverpoint study portrait of Niccolò Albergati(?), which indicate mechanical copying such as by a Reductionszirkel or Proportionalzirkel, rather than by an optical epidiascope. We “re-enact” copying by Reductionszirkel and find (sub-millimeter) fidelity equal to that in van Eyck’s work. We show that Renaissance artists would face significant challenges making and using an epidiascope, which finds no documentary support, including none from scientists, artists or patrons.

© 2004 Optical Society of America

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