The Droste effect (Dutch pronunciation: ˈdrɔstə), known in art as an example of mise en abyme (French for “put in the abyss”), is the effect of a picture recursively appearing within itself, in a place where a similar picture would realistically be expected to appear. This produces a loop which in theory could go on forever, but in practice only continues as far as the image's resolution allows.
The effect is named after Droste, a Dutch brand of cocoa, with an image designed by Jan Misset in 1904. It shows a nurse carrying a serving tray with a cup of hot chocolate and a box with the same image.
The Droste effect has since been used in the packaging of a variety of products (e.g. Land’O’Lakes butter and The Laughing Cow ceam cheese), on magazine covers, in comic books, etc. Also, the cover of the 1969 vinyl album Ummagumma by Pink Floyd shows the band members sitting in various places, with a picture on the wall showing the same scene, but the order of the band members rotated. Suitably freaky.
The effect is also seen in the Dutch artist M. C. Escher's 1956 lithograph Print Gallery, which portrays a gallery that depicts itself. Watch a short video that endeavours to explain Print Gallery HERE. [Ed: I watched it several times. Still confused.]
The Droste effect was anticipated by the artist Giotto early in the 14th century, in his Stefaneschi Triptych. The altarpiece portrays in its centre panel Cardinal Giacomo Gaetani Stefaneschi offering the triptych itself to St. Peter.
The advent of the digital age has taken the old Droste effect to a whole new level of prevalence. Today the creations are mostly done using digital images, and there are some helpful software solutions to make it easy to create your own piece.
Postscript
The Droste effect is celebrated in a REMO T-shirt design that was originally called the “Existential Shirt Shirt” when first unleashed on CustOMERs in 1991. The design bears the image of a plain T-shirt printed onto a plain T-shirt printed onto a plain T-shirt. It's like being in a hall of mirrors. Maybe a bit confusing. Not suitable as gifts for the elderly. Check out what is now called the “Existential Tee” HERE.
Story Idea: Sue Cadzow, 50s Vintage Dame
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References
wikipedia.org/wiki/Droste_effect
wikipedia.org/wiki/Print_Gallery_(M._C._Escher)
Images
1. Droste cocoa packaging
2. The original 1904 Droste cocoa tin, designed by Jan Misset (1861–1931)
3. The early 14th century Stefaneschi Triptych by Giotto. In the central panel is the kneeling figure of Cardinal Stefaneschi … who is holding the triptych itself.
4. Print Gallery, a lithograph printed in 1956 by the Dutch artist M. C. Escher
5. Diagram of the apparent paradox embodied in Print Gallery, as discussed by Douglas Hofstadter in his 1980 book Gödel, Escher, Bach
6. Judge Magazine Cover, 19 Jan 1918
7. Laughing Cow packaging since 1924
8. Cover of the 1969 vinyl album Ummagumma by Pink Floyd
9. Spoof magazine cover
10. "Outro Infinito" by Tiago Sozo Marcon
11. "Eternal clock" by Robbert van der Steeg
12. Existential Tee design collection at REMO HERE
Video: Escher's Print Gallery Explained
