Collier: A tale of art and illusion from 17th century
Thursday, July 7, 2022
  • Circulation
  • Advertise
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Sports
  • Business
  • More
    • RSS in News
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
SUBSCRIBE
No Result
View All Result
Organiser
  • ‌
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Sports
  • Business
  • More
    • RSS in News
    • Special Report
    • Culture
    • Sci & Tech
    • Entertainment
    • Education
    • Books
    • Interviews
    • Travel
    • Health
    • Obituary
No Result
View All Result
Organiser
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Opinion
  • Analysis
  • Culture
  • Defence
  • RSS in News
  • Subscribe
Home General

Collier: A tale of art and illusion from 17th century

Archive Manager by WEB DESK
Oct 27, 2012, 12:00 am IST
in General
Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement chairman Sohail Abro

Jeay Sindh Freedom Movement chairman Sohail Abro

Share on FacebookShare on TwitterTelegramEmail

Dr Vaidehi Nathan
Mr. Collier’s Letter Racks: A Tale of Art & Illusion at the Threshold of the Modern Information Age, Dror Wahrman, Oxford University Press,  Pp 275, $ 34.95

Mr. Collier was a painter of the late 17th–early 18th century, who was taken little notice of  and has been forgotten. His works, a challenge to the intellect of the viewer did not catch the imagination of people. Dror Wahrman, who chanced upon his works in a museum took this challenge up. His book, Mr. Collier’s Letter Racks – A Tale of Art & Illusion at the Threshold of the Modern Information Age, presents to the reader the joy of this discovery.

Collier, born in Holland came to England and settled there. He specialised in an art form called trompe l’oeil, which in painting creates an illusion of three dimension. For instance, painting a window on the wall as though to make it appear  there is a window. Dror Wahrman gives a detailed introduction to Collier’s work by discussing the first painting of his that caught his attention. It is a letter rack. It has three leather straps. Under each, there are objects. It is these objects that have the clue to a kind of puzzle that Collier set up for himself. Reading it would seem as though the artist was afraid someone may discover his ‘secret.’ “Nothing in these paintings is really what it seems. This is because Collier was an artist who specialized in trompe l’oeil paintings, although this term would not be coined for another century.”

Trompe l’oeil was practised during the period of Collier, with the letter rack itself being a popular theme. Dror takes up Collier’s paintings and deciphers them for the readers. “Such eye-deceiving paintings try to fool the beholder into believing they they are the real thing they represent…: but they are not. They are illusionist deceptions.”

But the end gets as gripping as Collier might have desired. The main feature of the paintings, the letter racks themselves are probably part of this trompe l’oeil. For, according to the limited research undertaken by Dror, letter racks were not in vogue during the 17th-18th centuries, though every other object depicted in the paintings are familiar till date. To understand Collier’s works one has to have a sound knowledge of history, which the author has. Dror Wahrman is Ruth N Halls Professor of History at Indiana University and Professor of History at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

(Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2, 6DP, United Kingdom)

Download Organiser App
ShareTweetSendShareSend
Previous News

Mass Suryanamaskar to commemorate Vivekananda’s Chicago address

Next News

The half a per cent super class syndrome

Related News

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde to be new Maharashtra CM, to take oath today

Why Shinde and not Fadnavis became Chief Minister?

‘Mistakes can be rectified’, says Mamata as Mahua Moitra faces FIR over insulting remarks against Goddess Kali

‘Mistakes can be rectified’, says Mamata as Mahua Moitra faces FIR over insulting remarks against Goddess Kali

Number of students enrolled in UP madrasas witnesses sharp decline in last 6 years: Reports

Number of students enrolled in UP madrasas witnesses sharp decline in last 6 years: Reports

Boris Johnson set to resign as UK Prime Minister: Report

Boris Johnson set to resign as UK Prime Minister: Report

Jihadis at Doorstep

​State Complicity in Udaipur Violence

Left-Liberal silence over Hindu killing in Kashmir

Shashi Tharoor says ‘opinion personal’ amid backlash over Mahua Moitra row

Comments

The comments posted here/below/in the given space are not on behalf of Organiser. The person posting the comment will be in sole ownership of its responsibility. According to the central government's IT rules, obscene or offensive statement made against a person, religion, community or nation is a punishable offense, and legal action would be taken against people who indulge in such activities.

Latest News

Shiv Sena leader Eknath Shinde to be new Maharashtra CM, to take oath today

Why Shinde and not Fadnavis became Chief Minister?

‘Mistakes can be rectified’, says Mamata as Mahua Moitra faces FIR over insulting remarks against Goddess Kali

‘Mistakes can be rectified’, says Mamata as Mahua Moitra faces FIR over insulting remarks against Goddess Kali

Number of students enrolled in UP madrasas witnesses sharp decline in last 6 years: Reports

Number of students enrolled in UP madrasas witnesses sharp decline in last 6 years: Reports

Boris Johnson set to resign as UK Prime Minister: Report

Boris Johnson set to resign as UK Prime Minister: Report

Jihadis at Doorstep

​State Complicity in Udaipur Violence

Left-Liberal silence over Hindu killing in Kashmir

Shashi Tharoor says ‘opinion personal’ amid backlash over Mahua Moitra row

Hurting Hindu Sentiments: Left Double-Speak Not to be Tolerated

Hurting Hindu Sentiments: Left Double-Speak Not to be Tolerated

After ban on wheat, India restricts exports of flour, other derivatives

After ban on wheat, India restricts exports of flour, other derivatives

English Print Media betray Islamist bias

English Print Media betray Islamist bias

Complaint filed against Leena Manimekalai for portraying Kaali Maa in bad light, hurting religious sentiments of Hindus

Twitter takes down Leena Manimekalai’s ‘Kaali’ poster tweet after protests

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • Cookie Policy
  • Refund and Cancellation
  • Delivery and Shipping Policy

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Bharat
  • World
  • Editorial
  • Analysis
  • Opinion
  • Defence
  • Culture
  • Sports
  • Business
  • RSS in News
  • Special Report
  • Sci & Tech
  • Entertainment
  • Education
  • Books
  • Interviews
  • Travel
  • Health
  • Obituary
  • Subscribe
  • Advertise
  • Circulation
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Refund and Cancellation

© Bharat Prakashan (Delhi) Limited.
Tech-enabled by Ananthapuri Technologies