The Dome That Was Never Built
Antonino Emanuele
A flat ceiling opens into a convincing dome, entirely through paint.
Architectural illusions / 1480s
A Choir Compressed into Relief
A shallow space behind the altar appears to contain a deep, vaulted choir.
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Look past the altar at the coffered vault. Its regular pattern encourages a deep reading; a view from the side would reveal the shallow relief.
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History, evidence & image credit
THE IMAGE IN THIS ARCHIVE
Goldmund100
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What is A Choir Compressed into Relief?
A shallow space behind the altar appears to contain a deep, vaulted choir.
What should I look for in A Choir Compressed into Relief?
Look past the altar at the coffered vault. Its regular pattern encourages a deep reading; a view from the side would reveal the shallow relief.
What explains A Choir Compressed into Relief?
The coffers and architectural details shrink rapidly into a shallow relief. Seen along the nave, this accelerated perspective resembles a much longer barrel-vaulted space. An oblique view reveals the compressed construction. Unlike a simple wall painting, the effect uses genuinely three-dimensional details.
Another way to see it
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A Dome Painted onto a Vault
Andrea Pozzo
A painted cupola makes an existing vault seem to open upwards.