Role of Alberti Leon Battista in Linear Perspective - Essay Example

? Role of Alberti Leon Battista in Linear Perspective Leon Battista Alberti was the first person to demonstrate a better theory in the field of art. His theory used mathematical science to help painters translate three-dimensional world into two-dimensional surface of canvasknown as the picture plane. The only solution offered by Alberti was “linear perspective”; he claimed that converging appearances meet at a particular dying point and that everything getssmaller when the distance from the eye is increased (Alberti & Sinisgalli, 2011). This paper will focus on the efforts made by Alberti to illustrate the theory of linear perspective. During the times Alberti introduced the idea of linear perspective, many other people could write a treatise about the upcoming work of art (Peter, 2007). Fortunately, he was the only fully equipped to manage the work than anyone else in the time. He had the passion for art and device of words which most of his associatesneeded. He brought a familiarity and logical baggage to the task, which was essentially giving utterances to the rules covering his new art and convinced all clienteles and artists that the art was worth taking. Alberti’s thinking that his theory and other works of those times could be precised as knowledge comes from sensory insights (Alberti, 1966). The sensory perception used in comparison with others and in relation to human being to make conclusions (Honour & Fleming, 2002). The conclusions made, approved, and applied by use of mathematics. In his theory mostly made use of, joints of pyramids with image surface, comparativetrios and side view for foreshortening while testing with diagonal and the use of street as locus. Alberti was concerned with filmicentrances since person’s knowledge relies on sensualfacts. The fact that most solid bodies have a skin, Alberti was also concerned with the play of shades through the surface of an entity. Once these observations are, made conclusionsusing comparison since with it there is a power that illustrates within entities that are less or equal (Martin, 2003). Alberti believed that, man, nature, and mathematics are parts of one thing and that man uses mathematics to comprehend and regulate nature. In his theory, mathematics is a solutions not an end as the theory is more of appearance that reality. As Alberti is concerned, mathematics used to control the data used in art and the painting by itself. In his theory, he advocates for fertility and diversity of color codesand presumes the same variety of man positions and engagements. He says that good work of art has to consist of all sorts of living things including human beings of all ages and both male and female. He has not set formulae to guide the artist, but has put the obligation for the result in the artist’s hands. His approach of the use and the easy way of changing three-dimension world into two-dimension has helped many artist in their work and has been adopted by many across the world (Alberti, 1966). Alberti claims that a point is symbol that cannot split into several parts because it can be located on a plane and visible. He further explains how points joined to form a line and how these lines joined in rows to make a plane. A plane is known by its length and breadth and if need be the quality. Some plane qualities cannot change without changing the plane while others are due to visual effects and seems to change to the viewer even as the plane remains unchanged. A plane changes its name and shape when either its angles or lines are changed. By making angles either more acute or obtuse and shortening or lengthening the lines will completely change the plane. Alberti further explains other qualities of a plane that lie on the surface of a plane. There are two other qualities according to Alberti which although seems to change the plane, it is not actually changed (Stockstad, 2004). This depends on the power of sight as explained above, when the distance between an object and the eye changes, the object seems to change in which that is the perception of the eye and not a change as the eye seems to denote. Alberti’s theory used in the “Delivery of the Keys to Saint Peter”represented the ideal city where a temple is at center of an open space on a raised plane distinct from other houses.Perugino’s building show the contribution of Alberti’s treatise as the church symbolized as a polygon. This ideology later brought to be the model for classical buildings. Alberti trusted that, churches should be circular or polygonal as to him it seemed natural (Honour, 2002). Perugino’s artistic work is a best example of how linear perspective is used. It depicts the use of Alberti’s discovery to improve the world of artwork. Many artists accepted several vanishing points, which eased their work and improved the final paintings. Western world recognized the artistic, philosophical, and scientific changes during this time and writers sourced a lot from Greek and Roman that lead to the start of the modern world. Long before Alberti came up with theory, which incorporated the mathematics and science, philosophers’ debates where on the nature of vision. Many theories where developed and never brought any light in the world of art. However, since Florence, the city in which Alberti first implemented the theory of linear perspective had become a leader in trade where use of mathematics would increase profit margins and because of that, students learned mathematics and accounting. Because his theory relied on mathematics, most artists could easily understand and apply in their work. This helped the artist apply mathematics, which was popular among many people in that city to make their work easier (Andersen, 2007). Brunelleschi is another philosopher who came up with the idea of linear perspective but he used observation and experiments unlike Alberti who made his system through angles that are more theoretical. The difference in Brunelleschi’s theory and Alberti’s is mainly the fact that Alberti had more education that the later. Alberti used optics, which led to the codification of the linear perspective system. Alberti used mathematics and optics from other philosophers and assures artists that the treatise will guide them paint as their eye sees. He declares that, artists have to approach the painting by imitating the visual course of light. Alberti described many examples to artist and their importance unlike other philosophers. For instance, he explains the visual pyramid and its importance and refers to it as the “prince of rays”. However, he borrowed much from others like Ptolemy and Euclid, his way of coming to conclusion was easy to understand, and artists sort to adopt his theory. Alberti applied the geometry of Euclidean on visualpyramid and made a chart ofperspective that occupied space on a two-dimensional plane. He shows the vanishing point, situated at the middle of the image. Line from bottom of the image represented as vanishing point to represent three-dimensional space, which showed parallel lines at the back of the image. These lines established with no much effort for advanced geometry since the breadths were all equal at the front. As the lines approached the vanishing point, the distance in between them decreased. Although the idea seemed simple, Alberti assumed that, smaller one can represent big objects but their proportion remains the same as the others in the artwork. He further explained and justified the moral lessons of linear perspective. He claimed that, particular front view in linear perspective was the best way to pass a moral message. These explanations made people like artwork and saw many start the work as the theory was easy and simple to implement. Children learned these artworks from birth as it was termed as a highly respected and honored profession during those times. Slaves could not learn the artwork as they thought they would overtake their own citizens in the Florence (Martin, 2003). Consider the New Facade of Santa Maria Novella, was a design by Alberti. In the design, he used linear perspective theory and came up with that modern design which could be upto the 13th century structures. Main view reinforces that the facade viewed to be public space and not likely show anything about the interior. Many artists influenced by Alberti’s linear perspective approach. Some paintings done during those times used to study history. This is because, he insisted that a complete picture comprised of all sexes of human beings and all animals with other living things (Alberti & Sinisgalli, 2011). This meant that, artist used their eyesight and painted images which exactly resembled the ones in the times. The theory of linear perspective contributesmuch in advancement that changed the worldviewof the West. Interests of man and the nature of world gained increased amounts of devotion. In addition to the theory of linear perspective, Alberti increased the usage and popularity of optics in the region. Linear perspective brought new notions and illusions about pictures. References Martin, J. J. (2003). The Renaissance: Italy and abroad. London [u.a.: Routledge. Honour, H. & Fleming, J. (2002). The Visual Arts: A History.SixthEd. New York: Prentice-Hall. Stockstad, M. (2004). Art:A Brief History. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall. Peter, H. (2007). Leon Battista Alberti’sDelineation of the city of Rome.Arizona Board of Regents for Arizona.State University. Top of Form Andersen, K. (2007). The geometry of an art: The history of the mathematical theory of perspective from Alberti to Monge. New York: Springer. Alberti, L. B. (1966). On painting. New Haven: Yale University Press. Alberti, L. B., & Sinisgalli, R. (2011). Leon Battista Alberti: On painting : a new translation and critical edition. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Bottom of Form Read More