Was El Greco Astigmatic
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WAS EL GRECO ASTIGMATIC? Stuart Anstis, Department of Psychol- ogy, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, U.S.A. E-mail: <[email protected]>. Received 14 September 2000. Accepted for publication by Roger F. Malina. Why did El Greco (1541–1614) paint such elongated human gures? It has been suggested that he suffered from astigmatism. This is an optical defect of the frontal surface of the eyeball, which if over-corrected by a spectacle lens, could have optically stretched his reti- nal images horizontally, causing him to paint tall, thin objects that looked normal to him. A horizontal optical stretch would have restored his elon- gated portraits to normal proportions. Similarly, Holbein’s (1497–1543) squat, broad portraits might be attributed to a vertical astigmatism. A logical objection is that an astig- matic defect would stretch the sitter and the portrait horizontally by the same amount, so that the two distor- tions would cancel each other out. El Greco should thus have produced geometrically accurate portraits. There are also historical objections: El Greco sketched his gures on canvas in pencil in normal proportions and elongated them only when he painted them over; and he painted angels taller and thin- ner than mortals, suggesting a deliber- ate mannerism. Instead of relying on logic or history, I converted normally sighted observers into “arti cial El Grecos” using a spe- cially constructed cylindrical-lens tele- scope to stretch their visual images horizontally by 30%. Five subjects looked through this telescope in turn, with the other eye patched. Upon at- tempting to draw a freehand square from memory, they drew a tall, thin rectangle elongated vertically by 35%. When they were shown an actual square and asked to copy it, they drew a perfect, square copy—although both original and copy looked like squat, wide rectangles to them. So freehand portraits “from memory” showed an El Greco effect, but copy portraits “from life” did not. I conclude that subjects drew freehand shapes that appeared as square retinal images and drew simple facsimiles when asked to copy a shape. Logically, then, El Greco could have painted accurate life studies and dis- torted portraits from memory. To simu- late El Greco’s supposed lifelong astigmatism, a volunteer was persuaded to wear the El Greco telescope over one eye for 2 days, with her other eye cov- ered. At night she was blindfolded. Four times a day, she drew both a copy of a square and also a freehand square. Her copied squares were perfectly square. On the rst day, her freehand squares were 50% too tall, but they became squarer every day because she rapidly adapted to the optical distortion, and after two days she drew as though she had normal vision (see Fig. 1). I con- clude that even if El Greco were astig- matic, he would have adapted to it, and his gures, whether drawn from mem- ory or from life, would have had normal proportions. His elongations were an artistic expression, not a visual symptom. Bibliography Trevor-Roper, P.D. The World through Blunted Sight, 2nd Ed. (London: Thames & Hudson, 1988). Linksz, A. An Ophthalmologist Looks at Art (San Fran- cisco: Smith-Kettlewell, 1980). STATEMENT Fig. 1. When a normal observer wore a horizontally magnifying telescope for 2 days, her copies of a square (lower curve) uctuated around a perfect reproduction. Her freehand squares (upper curve) were initially 50% too tall, but they rapidly became squarer and after 2 days appeared as though she were not wearing the telescope. Conclusion: Even if El Greco experienced any astigmatic distortion he would have rapidly adapted to it. (© Stuart Anstis) 208 LEONARDO, Vol. 35, No. 2, p. 208, 2002 © 2002 ISAST
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Was El Greco Astigmatic
Transcript of Was El Greco Astigmatic
WAS EL GRECO ASTIGMATIC?Stuart Anstis, Department of Psychol-ogy, University of California at SanDiego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0109, U.S.A.E-mail: <[email protected]>.
Received 14 September 2000. Accepted forpublication by Roger F. Malina.
Why did El Greco (1541–1614) paintsuch elongated human � gures? It hasbeen suggested that he suffered fromastigmatism. This is an optical defect ofthe frontal surface of the eyeball, whichif over-corrected by a spectacle lens,could have optically stretched his reti-nal images horizontally, causing him topaint tall, thin objects that lookednormal to him. A horizontal opticalstretch would have restored his elon-gated portraits to normal proportions.Similarly, Holbein’s (1497–1543) squat,broad portraits might be attributed to avertical astigmatism.
A logical objection is that an astig-matic defect would stretch the sitterand the portrait horizontally by thesame amount, so that the two distor-tions would cancel each other out. ElGreco should thus have producedgeometrically accurate portraits. Thereare also historical objections: El Grecosketched his � gures on canvas in pencilin normal proportions and elongatedthem only when he painted them over;and he painted angels taller and thin-ner than mortals, suggesting a deliber-ate mannerism.
Instead of relying on logic or history,I converted normally sighted observersinto “arti� cial El Grecos” using a spe-cially constructed cylindrical-lens tele-scope to stretch their visual imageshorizontally by 30%. Five subjectslooked through this telescope in turn,with the other eye patched. Upon at-tempting to draw a freehand squarefrom memory, they drew a tall, thinrectangle elongated vertically by 35%.When they were shown an actualsquare and asked to copy it, they drew a
perfect, square copy—although bothoriginal and copy looked like squat,wide rectangles to them. So freehandportraits “from memory” showed an ElGreco effect, but copy portraits “fromlife” did not. I conclude that subjectsdrew freehand shapes that appeared assquare retinal images and drew simplefacsimiles when asked to copy a shape.
Logically, then, El Greco could havepainted accurate life studies and dis-torted portraits from memory. To simu-late El Greco’s supposed lifelongastigmatism, a volunteer was persuadedto wear the El Greco telescope over oneeye for 2 days, with her other eye cov-ered. At night she was blindfolded. Fourtimes a day, she drew both a copy of asquare and also a freehand square. Her
copied squares were perfectly square.On the � rst day, her freehand squareswere 50% too tall, but they becamesquarer every day because she rapidlyadapted to the optical distortion, andafter two days she drew as though shehad normal vision (see Fig. 1). I con-clude that even if El Greco were astig-matic, he would have adapted to it, andhis � gures, whether drawn from mem-ory or from life, would have had normalproportions. His elongations were anartistic expression, not a visual symptom.
Bibliography
Trevor-Roper, P.D. The World through Blunted Sight,2nd Ed. (London: Thames & Hudson, 1988).
Linksz, A. An Ophthalmologist Looks at Art (San Fran-cisco: Smith-Kettlewell, 1980).
STATEMENT
Fig. 1. When a normal observer wore a horizontally magnifying telescope for 2 days, hercopies of a square (lower curve) � uctuated around a perfect reproduction. Her freehandsquares (upper curve) were initially 50% too tall, but they rapidly became squarer and after 2days appeared as though she were not wearing the telescope. Conclusion: Even if El Grecoexperienced any astigmatic distortion he would have rapidly adapted to it. (© Stuart Anstis)
208 LEONARDO, Vol. 35, No. 2, p. 208, 2002 © 2002 ISAST
