Skeuomorphism and the Picture Plane by @rachelmc

User interfaces patterned after analog equivalents have been critiqued endlessly. Love it or loathe it, visual skeuomorphic principles are used in a number of modern application interfaces. These products are either trying to delight us with the richness of physical detail or annoy us with forced real-world metaphors, depending on your point of view. This trend was driven by more than a sense of novelty, however, and a historical view can provide more perspective.

Paintings from the European Middle Ages reveal several common themes: religion and an attempt toward realism. Figures often exhibit awkward proportions, as though patterned after inanimate objects, not real people. Angles are distorted and depth is often conveyed entirely through scale.

Read more at http://rachelmc.com/blog/2013/01/skeumorphism-and-the-picture-plane/
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