Old Masters' Secrets: Lenses & Mirrors Revealed

David Hockney's book, 'Secret Knowledge,' probes the largely overlooked use of optical devices by European painters after the Middle Ages. Hockney, a painter himself, investigates whether mirrors and lenses, particularly the camera obscura, facilitated the significant advancements in realism seen in art.

The book links to a collection of writings on optics and includes discussions with academics. Hockney's research focuses on how projected images influenced painting, noting that while these tools enabled precision, they also introduced limitations like monocular vision. This technique might explain the unique qualities in works by masters like Caravaggio and Vermeer.

Hockey posits that optical devices were in use from the early 15th century, with a noticeable shift in painting styles around 1600, coinciding with Caravaggio's work. Caravaggio, working in Rome around 1595, was part of an experimental environment that included figures like Galileo. His techniques, possibly involving mirrors and compasses, allowed him to paint directly from life, directly from projected images.

The use of such optical projection, potentially achieved with a concave mirror and light source, appears central to Caravaggio's Roman period works. Vermeer, half a century later, also made optics a core element of his artistic vision. Hockney's work encourages a fresh look at familiar paintings, highlighting the crucial role of optical science in art history.