The comparator mirror functions by reflecting the subject at a 45-degree angle, allowing the artist to see both the subject and the painting surface simultaneously.

A comparator mirror is an optical tool traditionally used by artists to achieve hyper-realistic accuracy by aligning a subject and a canvas within the same field of vision. This technique gained widespread fame through the documentary Tim's Vermeer , where inventor Tim Jenison used the device to replicate the painting style of Johannes Vermeer. 🎨 Art and Technical Application

: Modern research suggests Old Masters like Vermeer and Caravaggio may have used these mirrors to capture precise light and color values.