September 2017 - THIS week's PICTURE

Tiles and balustrade, Library of Congress DC: photo by Malcolm Aslett

So, thinking in two planes, more or less. I've done this before in, for example, Tom outside the Door , where the floor is viewed as if from above and the wall from face on.

There is a fair bit of varnishing the truth though in a low key way, so it is hardly noticeable unless you are looking for it. For instance, the centre of the balustrade shows parts of its left and right side which should not be visible head on. The arches in the background are a repeated pattern of only four or five of the actual arches to ensure some coherence back there (check out the repeated figures standing in the lit doorways on the right). The walls to left and right of the mosaic are the same right hand wall as there was some awkwardness with matching tones and lighting. You can see a patch I missed in the 'cleaning' on the mid left. I suppose I could have made the flooring more regular but I prefer the wonky rectangle.

One thing I didn't notice until I had finished was the interpretation of the patterns in the mosaic as swastikas. Thirteen of them. Nothing symbolic there, at least on my end. The number of pillars is thirteen too, though I doubt it is in real life. Just an accident. The arches count sixteen by my reckoning. Four bright doorways. If I had been thinking about it I could have made something of that.

 

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