Still Life with Fruit Basket – Paul Cezanne
Think globally with awareness and understanding of complexity and multiple perspectives

Predators have eyes in the front so they can see their prey. Prey have eyes on each side so they can watch out for predators. Flatfish, like the flounder, have eyes on one side so they can blend into the sea bed and hide. Humans have eyes spaced apart and they can see things from two angles and as three dimensional objects.

So much for biology.

The human brain is a cathedral of complexity that frees us from the univision of one dimensional thinking.  The more we learn of the world the more interconnected, fractured and dizzying it can become.  Cultures see things differently – over time and space. There is always another way of seeing, another point of view to take into consideration as we arrive at our own conclusions.

Perspective is a ghastly mistake which it has taken four centuries to redress – Georges Braque

In his book Cezanne’s Composition (1943) Erle Loran diagrams the four different perspectives at work in the painting above:

The painting itself is in the Musée d’Orsay, Paris.
JosieHolford

Recent Posts

A Bonfire in the Dark

When I was in the emergency room last year having busted my elbow, a nurse…

3 weeks ago

Locked Out

Most of us have done it at some point or another - accidentally locked ourselves…

3 weeks ago

The #1970 Club: Germaine Greer and The Female Eunuch

Thanks to the #1970 Club, I've spent the spare moments of the past week immersed…

1 month ago

The Forgetful Mog

Thanks to the #1970 Club,  I have a new mog in my life and a…

1 month ago

The #1970 Club: Language and Learning

The #1970 Club is starting tomorrow (October 14th) and I'm prepared with some reading and…

1 month ago

How do they live with themselves?

How Do They Live with Themselves? This was the question Roger Rosenblatt asked in The…

1 month ago