MATH 121
(Day 6)
Piero della Francesca’s Diagonal Construction
Richard Hammack:
www.people.vcu.edu/∼rhammack/Math121/
Two Types of Perspective
Two Types of Perspective
One-point perspective
horizon
line
(Viewer faces object(s) straight-on)
Two Types of Perspective
One-point perspective Two-point perspective
horizon horizon line
line
(Viewer faces object(s) straight-on) (Viewer faces object(s) at an angle)
Two Types of Perspective
One-point perspective Two-point perspective
horizon horizon line
line
(Viewer faces object(s) straight-on) (Viewer faces object(s) at an angle)
Problems of two-point perspective:
Two Types of Perspective
One-point perspective Two-point perspective
horizon horizon line
line
(Viewer faces object(s) straight-on) (Viewer faces object(s) at an angle)
Problems of two-point perspective:
I How do you locate multiple vanishing points?
Two Types of Perspective
One-point perspective Two-point perspective
horizon horizon line
line
(Viewer faces object(s) straight-on) (Viewer faces object(s) at an angle)
Problems of two-point perspective:
I How do you locate multiple vanishing points?
I What if one or more vanishing points lie off your paper?
Two Types of Perspective
One-point perspective Two-point perspective
horizon horizon line
line
(Viewer faces object(s) straight-on) (Viewer faces object(s) at an angle)
Problems of two-point perspective:
I How do you locate multiple vanishing points?
I What if one or more vanishing points lie off your paper?
Today’s Goal: Examine the art and mathematics of Piero della
Francesca; Learn how he overcame these problems.
Piero della Francesca
1415–1492
Piero della Francesca, Madonna di Sengallia, c. 1473
Piero della Francesca, Legend of the True Cross: Annunciation, c. 1453
Piero della Francesca, St. Anthony Polyptych; Annunciation, c. 1465
From Peiro’s book On Perspective for Painting, c. 1475
From Peiro’s book On Perspective for Painting, c. 1475
From Peiro’s book On Perspective for Painting, c. 1475
From Peiro’s book On Perspective for Painting, c. 1475
Piero della Francesca’s Diagonal Construction
Piero della Francesca’s Diagonal Construction
B
picture plane
G S
viewer R
T
“stage”
Piero’s floorplan and its perspective view
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
A “stage” on which to create a scene
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
P D
S T
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
P D
S T
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
P D
S T
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
D0
G R
P D
S T
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
D0
G R
P D
S T
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
D0
G R
P D
S T
How to locate the perspective image P 0 of a point P
B C
V
S0 T0
P0 D0
G R
P D
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
S0 T0
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
B C
V
G R
S T
Drawing a box in perspective
Drawing a box in perspective
Drawing a box in perspective
Drawing a box in perspective
Drawing a box in perspective
Drawing a box in perspective
Richard Hammack:
www.people.vcu.edu/∼rhammack/Math121/
