08-04-2024, 02:05 AM
Something that could have been drawn "from life" in 1420, could also have been drawn from memory in 1430, or 1440, etc. for some potential life span of the artist. More importanly, the VMs illustrations show us what the artist knew, and we need to have the same information in order to make the best interpretation. That doesn't happen very often, but there are a few instances. One of these is the VMs cosmos. It not only makes a significant historical connection, but it also demonstrates the intentional ambiguity and trickery that the artist has employed there and elsewhere.