Copperhead Snake on Dead Leaves
by Abbott Thayer (1903)
American artist Abbott Handerson Thayer (1849-1921) is known primarily for idealized portraits of women and children with angels' wings, but he has also been called "the father of camouflage." His theory of "protective concealment" in nature may have been overgeneralized and simplistic from a biologist's point of view, but as Patrick Wright points out in his review of DPM: Disruptive Pattern Material; An Encyclopedia of Camouflage,
Thayer demonstrated how stripes and spots could be used to disrupt perception of overall contours, and established that ‘countershading’ – here described as ‘the gradual darkening of a creature’s skin or fur from its light underbelly towards the dorsal region on its back’ – could have the effect of cancelling shadows and flattening a creature’s appearance.
Thayer's theories of camouflage were accepted and implemented by both the German and the Allied sides in the First World War. The Smithsonian has an online exhibit of Thayer's work. Check out the section called Still Life and Concealing Coloration. The photos have much better resolution than the one I'm using here, and they allow you to run the cursor over them to uncover the concealed animal.
"Copperhead" was done in collaboration with Rockwell Kent, Gerald H. Thayer, and Emma Beach Thayer. It is a watercolor with copper overlay (24.3 x 39.7 cm), displayed at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, a gift of the heirs of Abbott H. Thayer.
Self graffiti!
Posted by: MC | July 05, 2005 at 01:13 PM
I think a fascinating nucleus or theme for a short story would be something about psychological camouflage...using protective concealment within a relational context. How a person or maybe it would be richer if it was done dyadically, use disruptive patterns to conceal.
Posted by: Bob | July 05, 2005 at 01:33 PM
Or about artists who unkowingly create a camouflaged image in their work.
What's that about?
Posted by: MC | July 05, 2005 at 01:45 PM
Both of those ideas are great. I can imagine MC's idea being the basis of a horror story, if the hidden images are evil.
Posted by: gail | July 05, 2005 at 02:06 PM
Well, look for Night of the Giganto Bat Monster from Telluride at your theaters real soon ... A Work going on under the mountain production ...
Posted by: MC | July 05, 2005 at 02:38 PM
Thayer is one of my favorite artists. His winged figures delight me. He reminds me of Rosetti for some reason.
Posted by: Ana | July 05, 2005 at 05:45 PM
I think he must have been influenced by the pre-Raphaelites. There's that same etherial quality, with the medieval resonances.
Posted by: gail | July 05, 2005 at 06:01 PM
Snakes! I hate snakes! (/Indiana Jones off/)
Posted by: Major John | July 05, 2005 at 10:53 PM