Ebonised Artists' Reducing Lens, c.1900An ebonised artists' table top reducing lens, circa. late 19th early 20th century. Nineteenth century artists used reducing lenses, sometimes called 'diminishing glasses', to see a wider scene in miniature, helping them simplify tonal ranges, colour, and composition. These handheld and tabletop lenses, acting as the opposite of a magnifier, allowed painters to check perspective and fit complex landscapes or subjects onto their canvases, acting as an