Speaker to explore how artists used optical aids in early 1400s

Art studios dating as far back as the 1430s included more than paint, brushes and canvas: They also included optical aids that helped the artists see more than meets the eye. By using tools such as mirrors and magnifying lenses, the artists were able to include realistic details often missed by the naked eye.

Charles M. Falco, a University of Arizona professor of optical sciences, will present evidence from his visual investigation of the use of optical aids by western artists of the last millennia on Thursday, March 11, at 4 p.m. in 1610 Engineering Hall. The project is part of a collaborative effort between the professor and renowned British artist David Hockney.

To detect the use of optical aids, Falco and Hockney closely examined areas in paintings where objects appear out of focus or distorted, or where changes occur within straight lines. What they found suggests that some of the “grand masters” of the Renaissance era used these aids 200 years earlier than previously thought — an observation, the optical scientist notes, that corresponds with a change in the “reality” of portraits occurring in the early 1400s.

Falco’s talk is sponsored by the Materials Science program and the physics department. Remote access is being planned via a live stream link at http://www.engr.wisc.edu/interd/msp. Information: Diana Rhoads, 263-1795, rhoads@engr.wisc.edu.