h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I think h2g2 is now crying out for an entry on the use of Golden Section in renaissance art.

For thems as don't know, yer renaissance artists would subdivide their canvasses according to the golden ratio - i.e. they would place imaginary lines perpendicular to the sides of the convas, such that each side was divided in golden ratio. They would place major elements of the composition, or spiritually significant elements (e.g. the head of the crucified Christ, the weeping Madonna) at the points of intersection. Sometimes they would further sub-divide the lines - and this was the inspiration for Piet Mondriaan's famous rectangular compositions.

My favourite example of Golden Section is in a truly shocking painting by Caravaggio. http://www.smb.spk-berlin.de/4d/feature/ggnb/werk5.htm Click on the painting to enlarge it. Draw the golden section lines. Obviously, for each side of the canvas you have 2 (1:Φ and Φ:1). Now look at what's at the bottom-rightmost intersection.

(1:Φ and Φ:1) should read (1:Phi and Phi:1). Strange, since I C&P'd the phi from the entry.

I'm sorry, I just don't get maths enough - please put my out of my misery and tell me what exactly is at the bottom rightmost intersection of the painting.

Deb

Cupid's balls and buttocks cleft.

(Sorry! But you did ask)

We're always told there's a difference between 'pornography' and 'art'. Actually, this was commissioned as a piece of kiddie porn. It would have been kept behind a curtain, to be revealed and drooled over on special occasions.

It's the centrepiece of the forthcoming, major Caravaggio exhibition at (?) The National Gallery.

Thank you, I'll consider myself enlightened.

You know, I don't know much about art - but I think I should start finding out. There's a bit more to it than first meets the eye!

Deb

Welllll....you could do worse than starting with 'The Story of Art' by EH Gombrich: http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0714832472/qid=1108977445/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/026-4626964-9407627

Thanks for that - I'll give it a go.

Deb

In the lower left hand corner of the painting there is a violin. It is known that Stradivarius used the Golden Section to make his violins. Having it in this painting, coinsidence?

Proabably. Caravaggio died before Stradivarius started making violins. But there may well be some other significance in the placement. Maybe some atrocious pun to do with kiddie fiddling?...