Silbury Hill 180
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Silbury Hill

A prospect of Silbury hill

nigelswift N
nigelswift Sep 20, 2005 09:45:58
Replying to Jane

As Picasso says: 'Art is a lie that helps us realise the truth.'

But whose truth? When Stukeley elongated the shape of the Sanctuary to make it a snake's head he was using 'Art as a lie to make us realise HIS truth'!

On a lot of the pics I've seen, the steep Silbury was deliberate, as other features weren't distorted.

L Littlestone
Littlestone Sep 20, 2005 10:10:45
Replying to nigelswift

>On a lot of the pics I've seen, the steep Silbury was deliberate, as other features weren't distorted.<

Yes, <b>Silbury Hill</b> by Sir Richard Colt Hoare shows the same exaggerated steepness* although everything else looks normal. I think I've also seen early illustrations of the Pyramids exaggerated in the same way - as if the artist is trying to 'impress'.

I still like Ishmael's info though that Stukeley instructed his engravers to squash an illustration so fitted the page. Any way of posting up an original Stukeley illustration of Silbury so it can be compared with the printed version?

* http://www.themodernantiquarian.com/img_fullsize/35062.jpg

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