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Euros and Box Cover Art: The Albrecht Durer Syndrome
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(Disclaimer: I was no Art History major (I actually wanted to get a job out of college), so the following comments may be full of crap.) It seems that Euro games have not only a plethora of--for lack of a better word--fugly box covers, but seem to often be simplistic variations on the same basic elements one can find in Albrecht Durer's self portrait of 1497 (make sure to scroll to the side in order to see the full glory of Albrecht's painting):
1. Some guy--preferably dressed in flowing, colorful, and gaudy garb--in the foreground.
2. The subject must also be angled to the side, facing away from the viewer, but looking at them.
3. The main color must be brown. There are no exceptions to this rule. All other colors must either be variations of brown, or complimentary colors. Consult your color wheel.
4. The background must resemble an expansive, pastoral landscape, preferably with brownish-green moors, maybe crumbling castles in the distance, and perhaps some sort of action that obliquely depicts economic activity (this is probably the one thing that hints at what you'll be doing in the game).
5. The subject must be "the man." You as the viewer must immediately be aware that you are looking at an alpha male, condescendingly taking the time out of their hectic and important schedule to cast their gaze on you. Or, as a replacement for this rule, it just has to be a man.
6. The man must have a slightly misshapen head.
The following Euro game covers exemplify my point. They all use some variation of the rules above, some more than others. Please add others that you see to be using the rules state above, and thanks for reading.
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Posted On: 2007-11-20 16:42:17
Edited On: 2007-11-21 13:29:31
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Caylus [Average Rating:8.08 Overall Rank:7]
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Here we see the classic Albrecht Durer Syndrome: Self-important man posturing at an angle, not sure how formally he should pose. Gaudy, billowy dress, with pastoral landscape in background. Brown, with the one color that is most different from brown yet compliments it: blue. |
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3 Comments []
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Posted On: 2007-11-20 15:43:42
Edited on: 2007-11-20 15:49:16
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Self-important man (in this case men) posing at an angle: 10/10.
Pastoral landscape: Most definitely.
Brown: Swimming in it.
Slightly misshapen heads: Two of 'em.
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0 Comments
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Posted On: 2007-11-20 15:55:20
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3.
Goa [Average Rating:7.87 Overall Rank:22]
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Brown: contrasted nicely with a Halloween brown-orange.
Important man: check (bonus points for ruffled shirt and smirking smile).
Pastoral landscape: Eh, not as bucolic or arcadian as the others, but you have an idealized vision of history, depicting the hustle and bustle of stuff-trading. Not a stretch.
This one places a nice variation on Durer's piece, by mirroring the man to the other side. Also, the subject is less obvious, is it the dude in the funny hat, or the dudes making funny poses in the background? |
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0 Comments
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Posted On: 2007-11-20 16:02:34
Edited on: 2007-11-20 16:03:27
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Another classic with variation. I call it "Dude in foreground, with other dudes." This one does not include a distinct frame, like El Grande.
Pastoral backdrop: Check.
Misshapen head: Enough to give your kid nightmares.
Brown: More variation that those above, but it's all over it. I especially like the oddly wood-sided cathedral/ rising above the stone houses surrounding it.
Self-importance of subject: of course, he's an army general or something, very generally pointing at a general spot on the map.
EDIT: On second thought - this may be too interactive for the Durer Syndrome. |
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7 Comments []
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Posted On: 2007-11-20 16:09:19
Edited on: 2007-11-20 18:02:21
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Posted On: 2007-11-21 08:29:42
If only they'd stuck with the original cover, but alas they were reprimanded by the European Council on Board Game Covers and forced to conform more closely to the Albrecht Durer Syndrome.