Abstract

Brewster’s dark patch is a simple optical effect in the environment. It is easily seen, but apparently it has not been formally noticed or explained until quite recently. Nevertheless, some artists appear to have represented it in paintings without, of course, knowing its optical origins. A case can be made that a watercolor by Albrecht Dürer from around 1497 illustrates the phenomenon.

© 2020 Optical Society of America

Polarization optics of the Brewster’s dark patch visible on water surfaces versus solar height and sky conditions: theory, computer modeling, photography, and painting

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