Anamorphosis before 1583. "The Ambassadors" (c. 1533) by Hans Holbein the Younger is well known for the prominent oblique anamorphic transformation in the painting. In this artwork, a distorted shape lies diagonally across the bottom of the frame. Viewing this from an acute angle transforms it into the plastic image of a human skull. The painting is regarded as a "vanitas" - a meditation on the transience of life - with the skull a symbolic "memento mori". The altered perspective required to see the image reflects the contemporary practice of painting skulls on the reverse of otherwise tranquil paintings. Four centuries
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie as well, suggesting that readers "may come away with a slightly altered view of what is possible for a headstrong girl to achieve." The writing style in "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" has been described as reminiscent of the "Golden Age of crime writing," influenced by the author's appreciation for the work of Dorothy L. Sayers, Arthur Conan Doyle, Ngaio Marsh, Agatha Christie, G. K. Chesterton, W. J. Burley, and Josephine Tey. Reviewer Lucy Clark compared Bradley's style to that of Agatha Christie, calling "The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" a "delightfully old-fashioned mystery." "Kirkus