Death (or Regeneration) as a Question of Perspective: Anamorphosis (Mary, Queen of Scots) |

In yesterday's post we looked at anatomy as inspiration, touching upon the fashion and death connection. Let's continue the thread for another day by focusing on the theme of death and regeneration with a painting (from the mid-to-late 1500s) by an anonymous artist preserved in the library of the National Portrait Gallery, Edinburgh.

The work is an anamorphic painting showing a young woman (previously thought to be Mary, Queen of Scots) and a skull. If you look at the painting from left to right, you will see the woman's head changing into a skull and therefore progressing from life to death or from death to life in a sort of arty version of Dr Who's regeneration process, if you move from right to left.

Created as a memento mori, or reminder of death, the work of art – a perfect example of anamorphic or turning picture – was cleverly composed by painting two images on alternate sides of vertical strips.