which painting?

[mata hari]

Can you tell me which painting shows a robed man with something on the floor in front of him. When this painting is viewed from the extreme side the object turns into a skull?

[gary baldy]

The Ambassadors by Hans Holbein

http://www.artborder.com/anamorph.html

[mata hari]

Thank you Gary Baldy, that's just great! I wonder if this is the only example of this type of art ? Isn't it very strange, but very clever !

[gary baldy]

Without boring you - they were very popular during the Renaissance when artists discovered all about perspective (it was unknown or misunderstood before then!) and they started playing about with it.
the technique is called anamorphosis so if you do a search you should turn up many examples.

[Peter Pedant]

National portrait gallery - just next door to the place thats got the Ambassadors, has an anamorphosis portrait of Edward VI .

[mata hari]

Thanks very much both of you for your answers. Now I know what it is called I can get googling !!!

Happy new year!!

Mata