PERSPECTIVE

FACULTY : PRASAD SWAIN

Assistant professor

Print Making

Faculty of Fine Arts.

UDI - 18765

Mail Id: prasad.18765@lpu.co.in , prasadkumarswain@gmail.com

Punjab +91-9872443281, Baroda +91-9979977108

COURSE CODE :FNA 247

Domain Code: AD 07, Course Planner : 18765: prasad swain

Teachers Manual

Course Title: Perspective 1 PICTORIAL COMPOSITION -1

01/09/14-05/09/14 ,8 C -702

Edited by Dr. Abid Hadi The Head Faculty of Fine Arts , LPU , INDIA

A B S T R A C T

Optical illusions have appealed to the mind of spectators throughout

history, and have had great impact when combined with architectural

elements. Illusionary methods have been used by artists and architects

since antiquity, but only during the Renaissance were they scientifically

analysed to produce the techniques of perspective, anamorphosis,

and their integration with trompe l’oeil. This paper is a study of these

methods employed by artists and architects, focusing on the invention

and evolution of the technique of anamorphosis from its birth during

the Italian Renaissance. By analysing a compilation of early and

contemporary cases of architectural illusionism in two and three

dimensions, the methods used to manipulate observers’ perceptions

are explored in detail. By reintroducing these techniques of the past

into contemporary practice they can prove very beneficial by

producing enhancing spaces when spatial or economic restraints must

be overcome.

ILLUSION OF plane Dematerialization

Mediterranean and Eastern cultures have exhibited ‘patterned optical

illusions’ on floors of tiles or woodwork, which seem to deconstruct

the flat floor plane and create additional illusory ones. Examples have

been found in a number of countries including Japan, China, India,

Persia, and Italy.

Tiled pavement, Pompeii (Italy)

ILLUSION OF plane Dematerialization

Tiled floor in the Scuola Grande

di S. Giovanni Evangelista, Venice (Italy)

An image created with linear perspective is ‘an instantaneous section

of the straight lines that join a point in space’ along with the prominent

characteristics of the objects in the scene. It is a method used to

represent ‘a three-dimensional scene’ which ‘is inferred from a two

dimensional

image’. This is an illusion that persuades the viewer that a

three dimensional scene is before them.

Vitruvius mentions Agatharcus of Samos,

in Ancient Greece, to be the

first to realise that parallel lines converge

to a single ‘vanishing point’. In 458 BC, he

created ‘perspectives’ which were

apparently painted upon a flat plane for the

stage scenery for Aeschylus’s, and in all

probability Sophocles’s, tragedies

.

Vitruvius mentions Agatharcus of Samos, in Ancient Greece

Vitruvius mentions Agatharcus of Samos, in Ancient Greece

Vitruvius mentions Agatharcus of Samos, in Ancient Greece

Vitruvius mentions Agatharcus of Samos, in Ancient Greece

Euclid’s work was translated, in the 12th century, from Arabic to Latin

The early history of perspective begins ‘after the end of the Greco-

Roman’ period. For a long time the technique was forgotten, only to

gradually resurface through artists. It was developed during

the Italian Renaissance, a time of ‘rebirth’ and explosion of artistic

growth and discovery, when artists and architects explored, adapted,

and mastered the technique for their creations.

The ‘sciences of Antiquity’ are believed to have been handed over

from Islam through the Middle Ages, and even Euclid’s work was

translated, in the 12th century, from Arabic to Latin, instead from the

original Greek. ‘By a curious contradiction, it was the culture most

hostile to vision in depth and in relief in painting and decoration that

taught its principles.’ Art and Science joined forces in Italy in the early

15th century, when artists such as Ghiberti, Alberti, Piero della

Francesca, Leonardo da Vinci, Jean Pelerin (Viator), Durer,

Vignola,

Serlio, Barbaro, and Cousin ‘applied mathematical theories

methodically and elaborated procedures for dealing with all possible

forms’. ‘Perspective was “the product of two disciplines - the study

of optics and practical experimentation by painters.”

The ‘sciences of Antiquity’ are believed to

have been handed over

from Islam through the Middle Ages, and even Euclid’s work was

translated, in the 12th century, from

Arabic to Latin, instead from the

original Greek. ‘By a curious contradiction, it

was the culture most

hostile to vision in depth and in relief in

painting and decoration that

taught its principles.’ Art and Science joined

forces in Italy in the early

15th century

Raphael ‘school of Athens’ Euclid

drawing with compass

Euclid-Ancient-Greek-Mathematician , Father of Geometry

entrance-to-a-greek-temple-in-perspective-black

Pompejian_fresco

Raphel ‘ school of athens

Magritte ‘The Promenades of Euclid’

Magritte ’DomainOfArnheim’

M.C. ESCHER INSPIRED from Eculid

hazard-stairs-florin-birjoveanu

Six point perspective

Two point perspective drawings

PERSPECTIVE

Perspective is the means by which an

illusion of three dimensional space is

created on a two dimensional pictorial

space in European art it was used in during

roman paintings. It was revealed once

again during the Renaissance period.

The renaissance perspective is also known

as scientific or geometric as it is based on

mathematical calculations and geometry.

It is also known as optical are linear

perspective as it is based on converge

lines

Scientific perspective is based upon the

optical impression that parallel lines

converge as their recede towards into the

space and meet at a single point know as

the horizon line which the parallel to the

viewers eye.

During the renaissance FILIPPO

BRUNELLESCHI Italian architect and

sculptor formulated the loss of perspective

for the first time his friend and sculptor

Alberti wrote a book called as ‘on painting’

in which he wrote instructions on

perspective rules for painters.

Jan Van Eyck

Kiki smith ‘mary-magdalen’

tilman-riemenschneider-mary-magdalen-with-two-angels-

Leanardo ‘ vitruvius’

Several renaissance painters used

perspective as a means to create three

dimensional space and depth they include

Paolo Uccello, Mantegna, masschio, and

Leonardo da Vince

In sculpture Alberti and Donatello used

scientific perspectives in their low relief

sculptures

Pavlo vccello

Pavlov the inventor of perspectives belongs to

Renaissance

LORENZETTI theories of perspectives

DUCCIO : the conquest of pictorial spaces , christ

Entering Jerusalem’ 1308-11 tempera on panel

103 x 53.7 cm

Giotto father of Renaissance

Mantegna most famous painting is dead Christ

Jan van Eyck famous painting is wedding portrait

Masaccio famous painting is holy trinity

Main features Renaissance period

Scientific perspectives'

Centralized perspectives'

Optical perspectives'

Florence Cathedral began by ARNOLFO DI

CAMBIO 1296 ; Dome by FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI

1420 -36

Lorenzo Ghiberti (c. 1381- 1455) the

commentaries, from book 2

How things seen reach the eye and how the

power of vision works, and how visual [ word

missing] works, and how visual things move and

how the theory of sculpture and painting ought to

be pursued

UCCELLO

A PIONEER OF PERSPECTIVE

One of the most innovative figures of the 15 th

century, DONATELLO (C. 1386-1466) WAS THE

FIRST ARTTIST TO MASTER THE TECHNIQUE OF

LINEAR PERSPECTIVE

IN 1417 HE BEGUN TO USE PERSPECTIVE IN HIS

RELIEF SCULPTURE TO CREATE THE ILLUSION

OF A CLEARLY DEFINED SPACE . HIS

PIONEERING WORK EXERTED AN ENORMOUS

INFLUENCE ON PAINTERS AND SCULPTORS

ALIKE . DURING THE 1440s, DONATELLO BEGAN

TO DEVELOP THE DRAMATIC POSSIBILITES OF

PERSPECTIVES IN A SERIES OF BRONZE RELIEFS

The great artist 34- uccello page no 1060

FOR THE HIGH ALTAR OF SANT’ ANTONIO IN

PADUA. UCCELLO ALTHOUGH IT SEEMS THAT HE

WAS NOT DIRECTLY INVOLVED WITH HIS

FRIEND’S WORK, HE WAS GREATLY IMPRESSED

BY DANATELLO’S SOPHISTICATED USE OF

PERSPECTIVE. UCCELLO LATER WORK REVEL

THE IMPACT OF HIS FRIEND’S REVOLUTIONNARY

IDEAS ON PERSPECTIVE

RELIEF OF THE MIRACLE OF THE PENITENT SON

THIS RELIEF FROM THE HIGH ALTAR OF SANT

ANTONIO, WITH ITS DRAMATIC SPATIAL

CONSTRUCTION, MAY HAVE INSPIRED THE

COMPOSITION OF UCCELLO’S FLOOD, PAINTED

AFTER HIS RETURN FROM PADUA

The great artist 34- uccello page no 1060

EXERCISE IN PERSPECTIVE

IN 1443 , THE SAME YEAR AS UCCELLO MADE

HIS CARTOONS FOR THE DUOMO’S/ CATHEDRAL

WINDOWS, HE ALSO PAINTED A CLOCK – FACE

FOR THE INTERIOR USING LINEAR PERSPECTIVE

TO CREATE THE ILLUSION OF A THREE-

DIMENSIONAL SPACE.

The great artist 34- uccello page no 1061

Alberti perspective system

Exploring perspective Albert’s system involved

dividing the base line of the picture into equal

sections and joining them to a central vanishing

point which determined the horizon. A separate

side elevation established the position of the

horizontal lines which divide picture plane into

foreshortened pavement

EXPERIMENTS WITH PERSPECTIVE

UCCELLO’S INNOVATIVE AND DECORATIVE USE

OF PERSPECTIVE , COMBINED WITH HIS FLAIR

FOR COLOUR , GIVES HIS PICTURES A UNIQUE

CHARM THT SETS THEM APART FROM THE

OTHER PAINTINGS OF HIS TIME

EXPLORING PERSPECTIVE ALBERTIS SYSTEM

INVOLVED DIVIDING THE BASE LINE THE

PICTURE INTO EQUAL SECTIONS AND JOINING

THEM TO A CENTRAL VANISHING POINT WHICH

DETERMINED THE HORIZION. A SEPARATE SIDE

ELEVATION ESTABLISED THE POSITION OF THE

HORIZONTAL LINE WHICH DIVIDE THE PICTURE

PLANE INTO A FORESHORTENED PAVEMENT

TRADEMARKS

PERSPECTIVE SYSTEMS

IN MOST OF HIS PAINTING S UCCELLO USES

RIGOROUS PERSPECTIVES SYSTEMS TO CREATE

THE ILLUSION OF DITAANCE . THE PERSPECTIVE

‘GRID’ IS OFTEN DELIBERATELY EMPPHASIZED

BY THE USE OF CAREFULLY SQUAREED

FLOORING , OR BY PLACING OBJECTS

STRAGTEGICALLY ALONG THE ORTHOGONALS

OR DIAGONAL PERSPECTIVE LINES

Uccello

Uccello, perspective study of a chalice This painstaking and detailed pen

drawing shows Uccello’s meticulous study of perspective and his concern

with geometric forms

Uccello

Uccello

Callable

Uccello ‘the profanation of the Host’ ( 1465-8) these two

scenes are the first in a series of six which make up the

predella painted by Uccello for the altar of the church of

Corpus Domini . The perspective system is employed

scientifically, rather than decoratively, to give the illusion

of three- dimensional reality, and is made explicit by the

flagstones on the floor because of the small scale of the

work the figures are simplified and brightly color often

The perspective ‘grid ‘ is the deliberately emphasized by

the use of carefully squared flooring, or by placing objects

strategically along the orthognals or diagonal perspective

lines

Uccello

uccelo

Uccelo ‘battle of san Romano’ 1456-60 An emphasis on

perspective in this painting liner perspective is confined

to the foreground of the scene. Broken lances indicate the

orthogonal and horizontals, and a fallen soldier and

scattered pieces of broken armor are foreshortened in

relation to the perspective grid

Masaccio

Uccelo ‘saint George and the Dragon’ 1455-60 22 X 28 , He formalized

depiction of the landscape and the clouds.

Prasad swain ‘Composition of Faculty Fine Arts Andhra

University ’ Studies on multiple perspectives done under

Prof. V. Ramesh pencil drawing on paper 2002

Prasad swain ‘dust

and bones’ pencil

on paper 2003,

drawing done under t.

sudhakar reddy

Prasad swain ,

‘wounds and plaster’

pencil drawing paper

2003, drawing done

under t. sudhakar

reddy

Prasad swain ‘ paranoid dream’ pencil drawing on paper 28 X 18 inches , 2004