Deceiving the eye

In 17th-century Netherlands, artists became very interested in the use of perspective. Portraits and scenes of everyday life were designed to deceive the eye. The representation of three-dimensional space on a two-dimensional surface to create a convincing illusion of depth, plus a general interest in optical illusion, became a central concern for many 17th-century Dutch artists.

This tour studies this experimentation with perspective and how it foreshadowed changes in painting technique across Northern Europe.

Martin Brown is a qualified art historian in History of Art and Architecture. As an award-winning Blue Badge Guide experienced in guiding in the National Gallery, Tate Britain and Tate Modern, Brown is passionate about the Gallery’s collection. Before retraining as a Blue Badge Guide, Brown worked for 30 years in education. Firstly, as a teacher of French and German in London secondary schools, and for the last 10 years as Head Teacher of a large Secondary School. In addition, Brown has worked as a Secondary School Improvement Adviser for a local authority, for OFSTED as an Inspector and for the Department for Education as a National Leader of Education.