Kenneth Zapata is a Designer at Fat Pencil Studio
When working on the various crime scenes, explainers, construction claims, and construction logistics cases, we sometimes visit the wonderful crap-shoot that is the SketchUp 3D Warehouse, in search of assets already created.
Perhaps we need to add a specific kind of vegetation, piece of equipment, year/make/model of a vehicle, type of furniture, or even the very commonplace machete... The Warehouse provides a selection of possible starting points. From there, we can download and use as-is, modify, or add to the 3d model's color, material, size, and characteristics.
During this process of adding detail and perusing the vast library that is the 3D Warehouse, I stumbled upon a three dimensional reconstruction of M.C. Escher's mind-bending Waterfall. I went on to search for more of these user-created, 3d reconstructions of famous artworks and decided to showcase them here.
M.C. Eshcer
Waterfall, 1961
At one perspective, this recreation of a perpetual waterfall looks just like the lithograph as Escher intended. But, in order to achieve this, you’ll notice as the perspective changes, the buildings are skewed, the waterfall is in the foreground, and the aqueduct proceeds further in space-- fundamentally, altering the illusion.
Credit: Jan Hendrik Fennema | 3D Warehouse Model | Wikipedia
M.C. Eshcer
Hand With Reflecting Sphere, 1935
Taking context clues from the spherical mirror Escher holds, this 3d artist models the interior of the room along with the furniture, his head, body, and hand holding the spherical mirror. Though SketchUp is not capable of rendering reflections, a two-dimensional image of the lithograph is applied to the sphere.
Credit: Julian Buhagiar | 3D Warehouse Model | Wikipedia
Johannes Vermeer
The Milkmaid, 1658
During what is known as the Dutch Golden Age, Vemeer is famous for his intimate household scenes painting everyday subjects and use of serene light. In this 3d model, the floor, two walls, and textured window make up the architecture. The table, baskets, bread, and pottery are also modeled three dimensionally. The video above illustrates how one can orbit, fly, and zoom into the painting while also seeing the hidden geometry and all facets to create the meshed surfaces. Additionally, the 3d artist uses SketchUp's fog feature in an attempt to create chiaroscuro, or the contrast of light and dark.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z2hgtFBBbxk
Credit: Jan Hendrik Fennema | 3D Warehouse Model | Wikipedia
Pietro Perugino
Marriage of the Virgin, 1504
At first, I wanted to find the Delivery of the Keys (1482) and The School of Athens (1511), but settled with Perugino's Marriage of the Virgin. These were all well known in my art history courses in college, as being created during the Italian Renaissance and the alleged rediscovery of perspective. In this linear one-point perspective, this 3d model works similar to a diorama with a white arched framing the scene, figures in the foreground, figures in the middle ground, a building in the background, and a landscape as a backdrop. The model cleverly extracts features from the painting by having the figures as a two dimensional surface and the steps and building as three dimensional.
Credit: Antonello Buccella | 3D Warehouse Model | Wikipedia
Diego Velázquez
Las Meninas, 1656
In what has been lauded for its layering of ideas such as perspective, composition, reflections, and the painter and its subject, this reconstruction of Las Meninas attempts to place figures in the painting. This include the painter himself, Velázquez, the canvas, a large mirror (which is represented as a hole in the wall with then another layer of figures), the subjects next to the painter and the direct gaze of Margaret Theresa, the subject in the doorway, and what is believed to be a smaller mirror reflecting who are King Philip IV and Queen Mariana of Spain.
For more analysis and a deeper-dive of this painting, be sure to check this video and this article.
Credit: Eugeni Llopart | 3D Warehouse Model | Wikipedia
Edward Hopper
Nighthawks, 1942
Much like a storyboard artist working alongside a director, Edward Hopper created several sketches and studies in preparation for what would be his most well-known painting. Set in Greenwich Village, New York City, this isn't a real place that can be geolocated, but it captures the mood and spirit of America during the Great Depression and the onset of World War II.
The 3d model sans figures, shows a street scene of downtown diner, and building in the background. For higher fidelity, Mars Volume's technical artists showcase Nighthawks imported into an immersive 3d environment. With the advent of Google Genie 3, some users have put in an image and through AI, are able to explore with arrow keys an in-painted environment.
Credit: JediCharles | 3D Warehouse Model | Wikipedia
These days it's easy to get caught up in how AI is changing how we work, generate ideas, and potentially convert a two-dimensional image into a short video clip like Google Genie 3 or even 3d model front, sides, and even the back and bottom (see Meshy). There is also, for some reason, a trend to immerse yourself in the Van Gogh's Starry Night or Claude Monet's Lily Gardens.
These derivative works may seem be trivial but there is value in how famous artworks can help new viewers develop visual literacy, and forge a connection with a time and place in our cultural heritage.