{"id":1675,"date":"2024-09-12T11:59:46","date_gmt":"2024-09-12T11:59:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/szmz.hu\/teaching\/media-history\/on-perspective\/"},"modified":"2026-03-11T13:13:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T13:13:57","slug":"on-perspective","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/szmz.hu\/teaching\/media-history\/on-perspective\/","title":{"rendered":"on Perspective"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Highly recommended reading: Erwin Panofsky: Perspective as Symbolic Form\u201d<\/strong><\/a>
Translated by Christopher S. Wood, Zone Books, New York, 1991
magyarul: Erwin Panofsky: A perspekt\u00edva mint \u201eszimbolikus forma\u201d<\/strong><\/a>
in: Erwin Panofsky: A jelent\u00e9s a vizu\u00e1lis m\u0171v\u00e9szetekben, Gondolat Kiad\u00f3, Budapest, 1984, 170-248. oldal,
a let\u00f6lthet\u0151 pdf az ELTE BTK M\u0171v\u00e9szett\u00f6rt\u00e9neti Int\u00e9zet Budapest 2011-es \u00fajrak\u00f6zl\u00e9se, ebben a 151-221. oldalon tal\u00e1lhat\u00f3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Highly recommended website: http:\/\/www.c3.hu\/perspektiva\/frameseten.html<\/a>
webpages of the exhibition Perspective, M\u0171csarnok, 1999<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"
Wall paintings from Catalonian Churches, 14th century<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
Painting from Catalonia, 14th century<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

“Our contemporary notion of an image is mostly shaped by the Renessaince idea of perspective. Nothing is more characteristic of this type of picture than the common verbal mistake that does not always make a distinction between spectacle and image. In a large number of books that deal with the topic we find that the notions of spectascle(i.e., what we see) and that of the image are treated as being equivavalent with each other.<\/strong> In everyday language, ill-considered use of words and a common visual sense, blur the distinction between spectacle and image. This, however, is not very natural and was not all the case before the Renessaince or even after it for a long while as the concept of perspective started to spread.It is enough to refer to the image classifications of Saint John of Damascus or Reformist reactions to the idea of the image, such as the writings of Luther. The early notion of image did not primarily mean the planar surface cut out of its natural surroundings by means of a frame – in fact this meaning came from the Renessaince. Earlier a figure meant a figure, a portrait or a replica or some identifiable and proper sign of the similarity between a real and the depicted object, person or form. Early images are to be viewed as the orderly arrangements of figures and patterns composed out of contents and textures (or visual texts and redundant ornaments). They are not primarily spectacles but rather messages that were made spectacular whose motives can be deciphered and\/or verbally defined.<\/strong>” (Mikl\u00f3s Petern\u00e1k: On Perspective, in: Perspective, catalogue, published by M\u0171csarnok, 2001, p. 11-12.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

“A mai \u00e9rtelemben vett k\u00e9p fogalm\u00e1nak kialakul\u00e1s\u00e1ban d\u00f6nt\u0151 szerepet j\u00e1tszott a renesz\u00e1nsz perspekt\u00edva. Mi sem jellemz\u0151bb erre a k\u00e9pfajt\u00e1ra, mint az a t\u00e9ny, hogy a mai nyelvhaszn\u00e1lat \u00e1ltal\u00e1ban keveri a l\u00e1tv\u00e1ny \u00e9s a k\u00e9p fogalmait: nagy sz\u00e1zal\u00e9kban vehet\u00fcnk el\u0151 b\u00e1rmely vizu\u00e1lis t\u00e9m\u00e1val foglalkoz\u00f3 sz\u00f6veget, azt tal\u00e1lva, hogy nincs vil\u00e1gos sz\u00e9tv\u00e1laszt\u00e1s ak\u00f6z\u00f6tt, amit l\u00e1tunk, illetve egy k\u00e9p k\u00f6z\u00f6tt.<\/strong> A l\u00e1tv\u00e1ny \u00e9s k\u00e9p fogalma egym\u00e1sra tol\u00f3dik az \u00e1tgondolatlan fogalmaz\u00e1s \u00e9s a k\u00f6znapi \u00e9szlelet el\u0151tt. Pedig ez egy\u00e1ltal\u00e1n nem term\u00e9szetes, \u00e9s a renesz\u00e1nsz el\u0151tt, s\u0151t a perspekt\u00edva elterjed\u00e9se ut\u00e1n is j\u00f3 darabig nem volt \u00edgy – el\u00e9g el\u0151venni Damaszkuszi Szent J\u00e1nos k\u00e9pklasszifik\u00e1ci\u00f3it vagy a reform\u00e1ci\u00f3 k\u00e9ppel kapcsolatos megnyilv\u00e1nul\u00e1sait, p\u00e9ld\u00e1ul Luther M\u00e1rton \u00edr\u00e1sait. K\u00e9pen kor\u00e1bban nem vagy nem els\u0151sorban a kerettel a k\u00f6rnyezett\u0151l elk\u00fcl\u00f6n\u00edtett s\u00edk fel\u00fclet volt \u00e9rtend\u0151 – ennek az \u00e9rtelmez\u00e9snek a kialakul\u00e1s\u00e1hoz \u00e9pp e renesz\u00e1nsz tal\u00e1lm\u00e1ny vezet el. A k\u00e9p kor\u00e1bban ink\u00e1bb alak, hasonm\u00e1s, m\u00e1solata vagy megfelel\u0151, felismerhet\u0151 jele az \u00e1br\u00e1zol\u00e1s mint\u00e1j\u00e1ul szolg\u00e1l\u00f3 t\u00e1rgynak, szem\u00e9lynek, form\u00e1nak. A kor\u00e1bbi k\u00e9pek ink\u00e1bb alakok, illetve mint\u00e1zatok rendezett halmazak\u00e9nt tekintend\u0151k<\/strong>, tartalmak \u00e9s text\u00far\u00e1k (vagy vizu\u00e1lis textusok \u00e9s redund\u00e1ns ornamensek) egybeszerkeszt\u00e9sei. Nem els\u0151dleges l\u00e1tv\u00e1ny, hanem l\u00e1that\u00f3v\u00e1 tett \u00fczenet<\/strong>, melynek programja visszafejthet\u0151 \u00e9s \/ vagy megnevezhet\u0151.\u201d PETERN\u00c1K Mikl\u00f3s: A perspekt\u00edv\u00e1r\u00f3l, in: Perspekt\u00edva, katal\u00f3gus, M\u0171csarnok, Budapest, 2001, p. 5-6.)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Perspective is a software<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we call Perspective is an artificial method (algorithm) of depicting 3D volumetric objects on a 2D plane.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Leon Battista Alberti publishes his treatise “Della Pittura” first in 1435\/6 (in the Tuscan dialect of Italian), then in 1439-41 in latin (De pictura<\/em>). De pictura aimed to describe systematically the figurative arts through “geometry”. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
\n
\"\"
left: Alberti’s algorithm, NR is the viewing distance; right: Distance point calculation, CD is the viewing distance (Jean Pelerin: De Artificiali Perspectiva, Toul, 1505, N\u00fcrenberg, 1509)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

First of all, on the surface on which I am going to paint, I draw a rectangle of whatever size I want, which I regard as an open window through which the subject I am going to paint is seen, I divide the bottom of my rectangle into as many parts as it will hold.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I establish a point in the rectangle wherever I wish – the vanishing point. I draw lines from the vanishing point to each of the divisions on the base line. These lines show me how the successive transversals quantities visually change to an almost infinite distance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I have a(nother) drawing surface on which I make a single line, and this I divide into parts like those into which the base line of the rectangle is divided. Then I place a point above this line, directly over one end of it at the same height as the vanishing point is from the base line of the rectangle. From this point I draw lines to each of the divisions on the line.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Then I determine the distance I want between the eye of the spectator and the painting, and I drop a perpendicular to the base line. This perpendicular will give me, at the places it cuts the other lines, the measure of what the distance should be in each case between the transverse equidistant lines in the pavement.mIn this way I have all the parallels of the pavement drawn.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Figure from the 1804 edition of Della pittura showing the vanishing point<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Rendition of Alberti’s description of how a circle projected as an ellipse<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Figure showing pillars in perspective on a grid<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The Flagellation by Piero della Francesca, 1455-1461<\/strong><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Sighting Grid, Leonardo da Vinci, Circa 1500<\/p>\n\n\n\n


From the Codex Atlanticus: \u201cHave a piece of glass as large as a half sheet of royal folio paper and set thus firmly in front of your eyes, that is, between your eye and the thing you want to draw. Then place yourself at a distance of 2\/3 of a braccia from the glass fixing your head with a machine in such a way that you cannot move it at all. Then shut or entirely cover one eye and with a brush or red chalk draw upon the glass that which you see beyond it; then trace it on paper from the glass, afterwards transfer it onto good paper, and paint it if you like, carefully attending to the aerial perspective.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

(Royal Folio is about A4 or Letter Size, so the suggested size is 15 x 20 cm, and braccia is a measure of length, \u2018arm\u2019 in Italian, equal to 66-69 cm).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Note: The Codex Atlanticus is a 12-volume set of bound original drawings made by Leonardo between 1478 and his death in 1519. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Albrecht D\u00fcrer: Man Drawing a Lute, 1523\/25<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

D\u00fcrer’s Door (Sportello),
Salomon de Caus,
1612<\/p>\n\n\n\n

<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>
\n

Sighting Grid
Albrecht D\u00fcrer
1525
Sighting Grid<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Underweyssung der Messung, 1525<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n

Sighting Easel
Albrecht D\u00fcrer
1525
Sighting Easel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Source: Underweyssung der Messung, 1525<\/p>\n<\/div>

\"\"<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

” In order to guarantee a fulli rational – that is, infinite, unchanging and homogeneous – space, this “central perspective” makes two tacit but essential assumptions: first, that we see with a single and immobile eye, and second, that the planar cross section of the visual pyramid can pass for an adaquate reproduction of our optical image. In fact these two premises are rather bold abstractions from reality, if by “reality” we mean the actual subjective optical impression. For the structure of an infinite, unchanging and homogeneous space – in short, a purely mathematical space – it is quite unlike the structure of psychophysical space: “Perception does not know the concept of infinity; from the very outset it is confined within certain spatial limits imposed by our faculty of perception. And in connection with perceptual space we can no more speak of homogeneity than of infinity.”
“…”
“Exact perspectival construction is a systematic abstraction from the structure of this psychophysical space. For it is not only the effect of perspectival construction, but indeed its intended purpose, to realize in the representation of space precisely that homogeneity and boundlessness foreign to the direct experience of that space. In a sense, perspective transforms psychophysiologigal space into mathematical space. It negates the difference between front and back, between right and left, between bodies and intervening space (“empty ” space), so that the sum of all the parts of space and all its contents are absorbed into a single “quantum continuum.” It forgets that we see not with a single fixed eye but two constantly moving eyes, resulting a spheroidal field of vision.”(Panofsky 1991, p. 28-30.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drawing aids are hardware tools <\/strong>
to accelerate depiction according to the rules of Perspective<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Optical devices, measuring tools and drawing aids help to depict 3D volumetric objects on a 2D planes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n