Camera Obscura

In its simplest form, a camera obscura (Latin for ‘dark chamber’) is a dark room with a small hole in one wall. When it’s bright outside, light enters through the hole and projects an upside-down image of the outside world onto the wall opposite the light source. With our camera obscura, light is angled into a lens by a mirror, the lens then focuses the light onto the table, projecting an image onto it. The mirror tilts and rotates allowing us to see a 360-degree view of Sudbury.

The first known written account of a Camera Obscura is from Chinese philosopher Mo-tzu in 350 BC. In the 11th century, Ibn Al-Haytham identified the inverted image and experimented with the Camera Obscura concept. The term ‘Camera Obscura’ is said to have first been used in 1604 by Johannes Kepler. Artists such as Vermeer (allegedly) and Canaletto used Camera Obscuras in the 17th and 18th centuries, and smaller box-like versions were created around this time too. Camera Obscuras later became popular attractions and contributed to the development of modern photography by using them to expose paper covered in silver chloride to light.

From the 17th century onwards, some artists used Camera Obscuras as an aid in plotting composition, especially for complex scenes such as architecture, perspective, and people.

Although there is no evidence Gainsborough himself used a camera obscura, his close friend Joshua Kirby wrote a book about them. Other artists were also using them at the time Gainsborough was working. Gainsborough was clearly interested in experimenting with light— creating the Showbox (considered a ‘cousin’ to the camera obscura) which can now be seen at the V&A. Gainsborough would paint landscapes with oils on glass, and would view them through the Showbox, backlit by candles. He used this as an aid in planning larger compositions and to explore the effects of lighting.

Gainsborough’s historic House, Television masts, the Library/old corn exchange, St Peter’s Church (Sudbury Arts Centre), Sudbury Town Hall, Prolog (now flats at the top of North Street), The Quay Theatre, Vanners silk, St Gregory’s Church, Sudbury Water Meadows and Christ Church (top of school lane).