Jon Lanier
01-20-2008, 12:39 AM
The idea and design came from a Charles Allen Gillbert painting from 1892. The “Vanity” is considered by many to be one of the finest optical illusions ever conceived. The painting is an ambiguous illusion with an allegorical theme.
The two aspects become clear as you study the figure. It can be seen as either, a beautiful girl gazing at her reflection in a large mirror; or the scene can be realized as a grinning human skull. The girl’s two heads make up the eye sockets of the skull, her vanity items, and an embroidered table cloth form the teeth and jaws.
The total size with including frame is 17” x 13”. Cut out (scroll saw) from 1/4 Birch. A little Danish Oil rubbed in for the finish. I wish now that I had cut this out of something with a little more grain.
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/989/allisvanity5picsahb0.jpg
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/9426/allisvanityaaiz6.jpg
The two aspects become clear as you study the figure. It can be seen as either, a beautiful girl gazing at her reflection in a large mirror; or the scene can be realized as a grinning human skull. The girl’s two heads make up the eye sockets of the skull, her vanity items, and an embroidered table cloth form the teeth and jaws.
The total size with including frame is 17” x 13”. Cut out (scroll saw) from 1/4 Birch. A little Danish Oil rubbed in for the finish. I wish now that I had cut this out of something with a little more grain.
http://img258.imageshack.us/img258/989/allisvanity5picsahb0.jpg
http://img261.imageshack.us/img261/9426/allisvanityaaiz6.jpg