The point?

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419Eater Admin Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Posts: 7469

A 16 billion pixel resolution scan of Leonardo da Vinci's 'Last Supper' has been posted here: http://www.haltadefinizione.com/

I have to ask those who may know more than this clueless poster; what's the point? Even offline there is no point in having such a ludicrous resolution on that kind of image. If you zoomed 1:1 all you would see (even on a fairly high resolution display) would be a single pixel filling the entire screen!

BBC News linky: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/7065903.stm

Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 12:07 pm

^^^I'm with you 100% on that one, surely there is little if anything to gain by that.

Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:18 pm

@Shiver

I suspect that the absolute number of pixels comes from the sheer size of the original object, not an overstrung resolution.

This here:

is the tip of Jesus' nose in the highest close-up.

Being able to see an object like that so close up is interesting. The image above is flat, and it's interesting to see how Da Vinci created an illusion of depth just using hues.

I remember that I was really surprised at the ingenious way Vermeer had painted certain details when I say the paintings a few years ago in London. That could only be seen very close up and I'd never seen it in any printed version.

I think the answer to the question "what's the point?" is: if you can, why not?

Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 8:52 pm

shiver wrote:

what's the point? Even offline there is no point in having such a ludicrous resolution on that kind of image.

You could print it out full size and paste it to the ceiling of your lounge. No wait, not large enough. Hallway? No? 3 car garage? Erm.... umm....

Damned if I know actually.

Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:22 pm

There are so many things mankind does just because he can.

Baiting Guru Joined: 31 Jan 2007 Posts: 12237

Leo invented watermarking! He was one smart Renaissance Man!

Edit: Is that blowing the forum out?

419Eater Admin Joined: 30 Sep 2003 Posts: 7469

@KD: I think I suffered from a case of "my connection wasn't as fast at the time that I thought it was" Smile

I managed to get to 80% zoom, and then it appears that when I thought I was at 100% in fact the data hadn't been passed through my so-called "broadband" connection. I was looking at an incomplete image.

Basically, Virgin Media's 20mb broadband sucks the big one...

Posted: Sun Oct 28, 2007 9:58 pm

^^^^ Answer: don't use the scroll bar, click on the image to enlarge.

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:41 am

shiver wrote:

what's the point? Even offline there is no point in having such a ludicrous resolution on that kind of image

I guess the same point that drives thousands of customers to upgrade from a 3 to a 5 to a 7 megapixel digital camera every year. So they can look at their holiday pics on a 1024 x 768 px monitor and print them out in 300 x 300! Very Happy

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:05 pm

I don't know what point "they" had in mind, but I bet a 16 million pixel attachment would really foul up a lad's day...

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 2:33 pm

Don wrote:

I guess the same point that drives thousands of customers to upgrade from a 3 to a 5 to a 7 megapixel digital camera every year. So they can look at their holiday pics on a 1024 x 768 px monitor and print them out in 300 x 300! Very Happy

Or if you own a 16 megapixel digital camera you can just crop the image to the area you like the most and have that part of the photo printed our in 300 X 300! Very Happy

shiver wrote:

The point?

The point is - People can search for the hidden messages where to find the Holy Grail! (I think I found it)

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:04 pm

I would venture to guess this is a step in finding a way to make the painting last forever. They already take great care in keeping the lights low and secure it so you can't even breathe on it to slow down the damage Time does to it...getting an incredibly high digital resolution is a step towards keeping it pristine for future generations.

....or it's a waste of time... Wink

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 6:58 pm

I've seen the real thing, it's very huge, 15 feet � 29 ft, but in the low lighting of the refectory, and with all the other walls painted white, it looks for all the world like a projection on a wall.

Also the faces had been over restored compared top the rest of the painting, and looked like they'd been photoshopped on...

Still impressive though, to see something that famous with my own eyes. A wartime photo showed the whole place had been flattened by a bomb, save that one wall!

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:50 pm

I don't really like the way the bloke just to the right of JC appears to be taking advantage of the woman wearing the sling. I also don't like the musical accompanyment. Is it Aled Jones before his voice broke and he got religion on Radio 2?

I'll get me coat, again!

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 7:57 pm

Uhm those are all guys in the painting TS, dont believe everything that you read especially in fictional stories.

Count them up 12 guys one for each of the 12 apostles, go figure.

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:08 pm

I see potential in this though. You can buy the whole painting for bulk and then sell every individual pixel...... all you need to do is find a buyer, but I think it is a sure way to get rich Laughing

Posted: Mon Oct 29, 2007 8:25 pm

TheGreatOok wrote:

Count them up 12 guys one for each of the 12 apostles, go figure.

Riiiight! I still don't trust the other guy to the further left in the piccy who appears to be attempting to nick the other one's bread Shocked