Antarctic Oil Painting Shrouded in Mystery

yahoo news/AP ^ | Mar 28, 2005

[nuconvert]

[FairOpinion]

Fascinating GGG ping


" As art restorers in London inspected a 230-year-old painting by master landscape artist William Hodges, they noticed the canvas was thicker in some areas than others.

Using an X-ray machine, they peered behind the lush greens of New Zealand and discovered the oldest known painting of Antarctica.

The X-ray revealed two icebergs, painted during Captain James Cook's historic expedition below the Antarctic circle. Until the National Maritime Museum in London made the discovery last year, historians believed that only sketches of the frozen continent had been produced. "

[SteveMcKing]

The composition is striking. Beautiful use of colors.... Gray, and dark gray. Magnificent.

[AntiGuv]

The New Zealand painting (that covers the Antarctica scene) is here for anyone who wants to check it out.

[A CA Guy]

Probably his wife at that time was more frigid than the landscape of the portrait, so the artist painted it over rather than be reminded of this by his viewing of it.

[ApplegateRanch]

Thanks for posting the link for the paintings.

[ARCADIA]

The composition is striking. Beautiful use of colors.... Gray, and dark gray. Magnificent.

I just want to know if that thing floating between the bergs is a steamship?! (now that would be a real shocker)

[SteveMcKing]

Are you kidding?! This is CRAP!!

[nuconvert]

Thanks

[ApplegateRanch]

Blowing it up, it STILL looks like a person clinging or climbing the sheer side of the left 'iceberg', which looks like a cliff.

Makes me wonder just how certain they are that these are icebergs.

[bd476]

Fascinating story, nuconvert. Thanks for posting it.

[FairOpinion]

"This is an X-ray, provided by the Yale Center for British Art, of an image beneath William Hodges' painting entitled 'View in Pickersgill Harbour, Dusky Bay Sound, New Zealand,' which is currently on temporary display at the center in New London, Conn. Experts believe this image shows the oldest known painting of Antarctica, painted during Captain James Cook's exploration there. (AP Photo/Yale Center for British Art) "

[Charles Henrickson]

Actually, this is the Pickersgill Harbour scene that was painted over the icebergs:

[AntiGuv]

Oh, oops! Sorry for the mistake.

[bd476]

It's a beautiful painting. Thanks for posting it.

[FairOpinion]

Isn't it amazing that the article doesn't give you the title of the actual painting?

[Charles Henrickson]

Isn't it amazing that the article doesn't give you the title of the actual painting?

It does:

. . . Hodges immediately turned on his iceberg canvas and painted his "View in Pickersgill Harbour, Dusky Bay Sound, New Zealand."

[FairOpinion]

I missed it! Thanks.

[andysandmikesmom]

Thanks for that link...have bookmarked for further enjoyable 'looking at'...took a short glance, but will explore further later on...I cannot draw any better than a toddler, so I always enjoy looking art, such as on that website...again, thanks...