Perspective in Art

Sophia L.

Pietro Perugino - "Christ Giving the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter (1481-1483 CE)." One of the most famous examples of linear perspective, found in the Sistine Chapel (PA1).

Introduction to Perspective in Art

The rediscovery of linear perspective by Filippo Brunelleschi in 1410 CE had a significant impact on the Italian Renaissance in that it allowed for the creation of a new level of realism in painting and sculpture, and provided a visual framework for the humanism philosophy. An early system of perspective in art is thought to have originated in 5th century BC Greece, though documentation was lost through the Middle Ages. Artwork from the Byzantine Empire had a religious theme but lacked realism and depth. With the rediscovery of linear perspective by Brunelleschi and the publication of this system in Leon Battista Alberti's Della Pittura (On Painting) in 1435, the ability to create a three-dimensional image on a two-dimensional surface became a common technique of Renaissance painters (Atkins) (Wilde). Additional advancements in paint mediums, techniques, and bold pigments allowed artists to add individualism and realism to their works, aligned with the theme of humanism (O’Hanlon).

Filippo Brunelleschi

Filippo Brunelleschi (1377–1446 CE) was an Italian architect, designer, goldsmith, innovator, and sculptor. Around 1410 CE, Brunelleschi rediscovered linear perspective by conducting an experiment at the Cathedral Baptistery of San Giovanni in Florence, Italy (PA2) (Sarah).

Brunelleschi's Experiment

Brunelleschi created a hole in a realistic perspective sketch of the Cathedral Baptistery. A mirror was held at arms length in front of the painting creating a site line. He matched the pattern in the mirror to the building, documenting that parallel lines converged to a single point. This experiment demonstrated that by using a mathematical system artists could re-create a three-dimensional effect on a flat surface, giving an illusion of distance and depth (PA3) (Atkins) (Sarah).

Linear Perspective

There are three elements to create linear perspective:

Horizon Line - represents the viewer's eye level.
Vanishing Point is a single point on a horizontal line where all parallel lines appear to converge.
Orthogonal - parallel lines recede into the painting and meet at the vanishing point.

Linear perspective is achieved by creating a mathematical grid of orthogonal lines to the vanishing point. Objects appear smaller as they get farther away from the viewer and closer to the vanishing point (PA4) (Leon Batista Alberti Paintings) (Linear Perspective Explained).

Examples of Linear Perspective

Linear perspective was broadly used throughout the Italian Renaissance and supported the theme of realism in art. Many artists in the Renaissance would use a string to develop the “perspective” mathematical grid system to guide the painting.

The artworks presented demonstrate how perspective, realism, and symmetry were key aspects that defined Renaissance Art.

Masaccio (1401-1428 CE) was born and lived in Florence, Italy. He is considered the first artist to incorporate linear perspective into his art (PA5).

Masacciao -

The Holy Trinity

(1427 CE)

Masaccio is considered the first painter in the Renaissance to incorporate Brunelleschi’s technique. The Holy Trinity (1427 CE) is found in the Santa Maria Novella cathedral in Florence, Italy.

The Vanishing Point is defined as the center of the arc.
The Horizon Line is defined as the altar. The figures in the painting sit on the horizon line on top of the altar.
The Orthogonal lines are from the ceiling coffers to the vanishing point, creating three-dimensional depth (PA6) (Zucker).

Leonardo DiVinci -

The Last Supper

(1495-1498 CE)

DaVinci's The Last Supper is located at the Santa Maria delle Grazie, in Milan, Italy. In the painting, the following characteristics support linear perspective:

Jesus' face is considered the Vanishing Point.
All other individuals in the painting fall onto the Horizon Line.
The Orthogonal lines from the ceiling, walls, and wall panels all converge to the vanishing point (PA7) (Cenacolo Vinciano) (Chatterjee).

Art Innovations in the Italian Renaissance

The focus on individualism and realism embodied the humanism movement. Portraits’ became widespread during the Renaissance with three-quarter, three-dimensional, front-facing views to produce perspective into personal characters. Experimentation occurred with bold palletes to create realism and enhance depth, especially true of Venetian artists. Innovations’ included oil paint medium, techniques as the use of gesso, and bold pigments.

Oil painting became a dominant medium because of its slow-drying, transparent quality which allowed artists to create greater realism, depth, and subtle color effects through layering and blending. The use of gesso, a white primer such as calcium sulfate dihydrate prepared with parchment glue, provided a smooth surface for painting and layering. Pigments used included arsenical sulfides, realgar for brilliant golds and oranges; lapis lazuli for blues and greens; copper acetate for bold greens; and Venetian red for warm earth tone (O’Hanlon).

Leonardo Da Vinci - Ginevra De’ Benci

(1478 CE)

Da Vinci's Ginevra De' Benci is the only Da Vinci painting on display in the United States (Washington, D.C. National Gallery of Art) and is an example of portrait realism using newly discovered painting techniques. In the portrait, Da Vinci used gesso techniques with slow drying oil paints to create depth. He positioned De'Benci facing forward, compared to side portrait profiles from the early Renaissance, in three-quarter format to add to the realism. Da Vinci experimented with light reflections off De’ Benci’s skin, adding a natural effect to the subject. He even used finger painting to create delicate features throughout the artwork (PA8) (Ginevra De’ Benci [Obverse]) (10 Surprising Facts about Leonardo Da Vinci’s “Ginevra De’ Benci”).

Giovanni Bellini and Titian’s - Feast of the Gods

(1514-1529 CE)

Giovanni Bellini and Titian’s Feast of the Gods (1514-1529 CE) can also be found at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. The painting represents a mythological image, with gods realistically represented in human form. Bold colors of the Venetian paint pallete were used to create depth and realism. These included indigo, the arsenic pigments of orpiment and realgar, and the copious use of the deep green copper acetate. It is notably one of the few paintings to use orpiment and realgar to create the vibrant oranges and yellows, both substances being extremely poisonous (PA9) (O’Hanlon) (The Feast of The Gods).

Other Resources

Linear Perspective: Brunelleschi’s Experiment - Smarthistory

In this video, art experts Beth Harris and Steven Zucker describe the history of linear perspective and Brunelleschi's contributions to its rediscovery during the Italian Renaissance. The video provides a clear description with visuals of his experiment and the key concepts of linear perspective.

National Gallery of Art - Washington, DC - Italian Renaissance Collection - National Gallery of Art

The National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC contains one of the largest and most comprehensive collections of Italian Renaissance Art in the world. It is free to visit and guided tours are available of the Italian Renaissance galleries. The galleries contain: Leonardo Da Vinci - "Ginevra De’ Benci:" The only Da Vinci work on display in the United States; and Bellini and Titian’s - "Feast of the Gods:" One of the best known examples of the Venetian paint pallete.

In 1967, the Most Expensive Art Ever Purchased Arrived at DC's National Gallery of Art in a Suitcase - PBS

This PBS video tells the history of how the National Gallery of Art obtained the only DaVinci painting on display in the United States, Ginevra De’ Benci [Obverse]. The painting was purchased using $5 million dollars in private funds. Today, the artwork is considered priceless.

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