Hunting on the Lagoon (recto); Letter Rack (verso)  1495

The hinges and latch on this two-sided panel suggest that it was used as a decorative window shutter or a door to a cabinet. The front depicts a scene of Venetian bird hunters, and the reverse shows a trompe-l'oeil (deceive the eye). Contemporary viewers looking at the front of the panel had the illusion of looking into the lagoon, as is evident in this reconstruction of h...