Each of us has experienced visual illusions in which parallel structures or elements appear to bend or converge as they move further away from us. The best example or most common of these experiences is standing on railroad tracks. As one looks down the tracks the rails appear to draw closer and closer to one another as if they would meet at a single point on the horizon. If one walked for miles and miles on those tracks the parallel rails would obviously never meet. Why does it appear to? How can one explain this visual illusion?
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| The curvature of the human eye and the curvature of the earth's surface contribute to this effect. |
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In an attempt to replicate what the human eye sees on a two dimensional surface artists
of the Italian Renaissance developed a systematic formula for drawing and painting.
This formula is known as linear perspective. They utilized vanishing points and receding/converging lines to accurately illustrate what and how the human eye sees. They were able to capture the effect of objects in the distance looking smaller in scale than those in the foreground and reproduce the
"bending" of structures. |
Key Vocabulary:
Vanishing Points: where all the edges of structures/lines seem to connect.
Converging/Receding Lines: lines from the edges of structures to vanishing point.
Eye Level/Horizon Line
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Giotto di Bondone. (Italian, 1267-1337). Christ Before Caiphas, 1305.
Giotto di Bondone's painting above was the first work to introduce the basic components of linear perspective to the world. Many other artists contributed to refining the principles of this formula/technique. |
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| Masaccio (Italian) The Tribute Money. 1420. Fresco 97.2 X 235 in. |
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| Raphael (Italian). The School of Athens. 1509. Fresco. 16' 5" x 25' 3" (5.0 m x 7.7 m) |
Vermeer The Music Lesson. Oil on canvas. 1662-64. 28 X 25 in.
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| Gustave Caillebotte (French 1848-1894). "Paris Street, Rainy Day" 1877. Oil on canvas. |
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