This 500-year-old painting is astonishingly detailed.
And its details unravel one of the most important stories ever told — the Tower of Babel.
Look closer and you'll see why it was doomed to fail... (thread) 🧵
Many artists have taken on the story of the Tower of Babel.
But none have done so like the mysterious painter of the Flemish Renaissance, Pieter Bruegel the Elder...
It's just a few lines long, yet one of the Bible's most enduring lessons:
After the flood, united by one language, humanity tries to build a tower great enough to reach Heaven. So God renders their speech unintelligible to one another — work is abandoned and they are scattered.
This 600-year-old painting is one of the most mysterious in history.
That mirror at the back is just 3 inches wide — yet it reflects the entire room in immense detail.
Look closer at it and you'll realize nothing is as it seems… (thread) 🧵
At first glance, you might think Jan van Eyck's masterpiece is an ordinary portrait: Italian merchant Giovanni Arnolfini and his wife, Costanza.
It looks like it could be a wedding ceremony, but there is far more going on...
First, it's astonishingly rich in detail and symbolism.
To give you an idea, the prayer beads at the back (a gift to the bride symbolizing purity) each cast a tiny shadow on the wall — and reflect the room's light.