Re: VMs: hairstyles [was: Re: further ramblings ]

[elvogt@xxxxxxxxxxx]

Zitat von Barbara Barrett <barbarabarrett@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>:

> ...Hoo boy. Ok, my first training was at art college (50 and always feckless,
> so I've been about a lot <g>) and let me tell you how line drawing works. It
> does not accuratly portray anything, it *can not* because it lacks detail.
> ...
> Julie may disagree, but line drawing is smoke and mirrors, so the apparent
> presence of renaisance hairstlyes to her is not evidence and means nothing
> because it is her subjective impression only.
> ...
> barbara
> 

Hullo,

I think I tend to beg to differ.

The line drawing technique is not as abstract as you make it look, rather, it 
_reduces_ the information content -- admittedly, crucial information might get 
lost that way, but it may also be made to stand out more prominently 
afterwards. (The high amount of information transferred in a line drawing is 
exemplified in the medium of comics.)

Eg we recently discussed the striding crossbowman in the Sagittarius page of 
the VM lately, and a weapons expert tried to date the MS based on technical 
details drawn in the crossbow. Although the result was pretty ambiguous, that 
was not the fault of the drawing, but rather that the artist depicted a run-of-
the-mill crossbow which couldn't be pinned down to one spot in place and time.

Likewise, though being far from an expert, I can usually track down a medieval 
manuscript to about +/- 25 years by simply having a look at people's costume 
and armour. (ie. not even taking the artistic technique into account.) Some 
details are just dead giveaways of that time's fashion. Some items in armour, 
like little square "epaulettes" on the shoulders, repeating the bearers 
heraldry, were in use for only two or three decades, and are also very helpful 
even in a stylized line drawing context.

It is well possible that the hairdo is a poor candidate, because it isn't very 
distinctive. But you please shouldn't dismiss the general chance to date the MS 
based on items depicted in the line drawings.

Cheers,

   Elmar


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