Botticelli/Getting to the Hotel Room

[Salinas17 at aol.com]

In a message dated 6/22/04 11:20:45 PM, language at sprynet.com writes:
<< and not just the plastic ones that claim Botticelli's use of perspective
as a false universal. >>

I also have not had a moment to reply to Alex's original post, but this extra
little jab motivated me.

"Perspective" is just a reference to an artist's reproduction of the cues of
depth in a 3-dimensional world.  Unless Alex is a flat-worlder, he lives like
all (or most) of us in a real 3-dimensional world.  What is universal is not
Botticelli (although some lovers of the period might disagree with me).  What
is universal -- beyond just human perception -- is that 3-dimensional world.

Is there a natural human language that does not recognize 3-dimensions
lexically?  You'd have to show me before I'd believe it.

Wishing Alex a good trip to Philly, and hoping he will there make full use of
those universal spatial perceptions, without which he will not be able to go
"up" to his room or experience the marvels of Philadelphia's "downtown"...
Steve Long

PS -
In a message dated 6/16/04 2:27:07 PM, language at sprynet.com writes:
<< You're obviously not too well grounded in art history, or you would be

acquainted with the well-known case of the Dowager Empress of China

rejecting western-style portraits of her because the artists used similar

techniques, which she interpreted simply as blotches on her face making her
look ugly--and almost all Chinese of that time would have agreed with her. Not
very universal, is it? >>

Actually all too universal!  Nobody said 3-D had to be pretty.  The Dowager's
warts, for example, would have been ever so much more prominent if they were
made "life-like", i.e., given depth.  I wonder how she felt about mirrors.

But what you seem to be saying here is that the Dowager did not respond to
the cues of depth perception -- which is possible, I suppose.  (Royal
inter-breeding might do funny things to human organs.  One of the many down-sides of
eugenics.)  A much better explanation is probably that her artist did not have
the skill to pull it off.  The reason I brought up Botticelli was because of
your reference to road signs, which are also pretty poor in terms of representing
depth.  My bet is that the Dowager would have loved what Sandro Botticelli or
Rapheal Sanzio would have done with her -- so long as they air-brushed out
those "protruding" 3-dimensional warts.