In this two-part program, Austrian art historian Sir Ernst Gombrich (1909–2001) discusses the natural phenomenon of light and its representation in art. Part 2 focuses on reflection and the distinction between the objective character of illumination and the subjective character of reflection (the way light is thrown back from a surface). Gombrich points out examples of reflections and highlights in the works of various European painters, including Pieter der Hooch, Chardin, and Van Eyck, and shows how smooth surfaces, such as mirrors, bounce light while rough surfaces absorb light. Filmed in Gombrich’s London home, he demonstrates his ideas using numerous objects and works of art.
Watch Part 1 of this program.
