Sequence viewing > Aesthetics Index - Resource - © Lloyd Godman

 

A means to visually divide the space of the frame - The Renaissance

 

In the Renaissance period artists gave considerable attention to the design of their images. During this period artists began using vanishing points and single point perspective - this came about through the use of the camera obscura - If you want to know more, track down a copy of David Hockney's - Secret Knowledge - DVD which explains this very well.

Gallerie dell'Accademia, Venice
The Vitruvian Man, ca. 1492
Leonardo da Vinci (Italian, 1452–1519)
Pen and ink; 13 1/2 x 9 5/8 in. (34.3 x 24.5 cm)

 

 

Mouse over this De Vries image, look how the image is based on thirds and the vanishing point is where the dominant figures head is .

 

Italian Renaissance architects based their theories and practices on Classical Roman examples. The Renaissance revival of Classical Rome was as important in architecture as it was in literature. A pilgrimage to Rome to study the ancient buildings and ruins, especially the Colosseum and Pantheon, was considered essential to an architect's training. Classical orders and architectural elements such as columns, pilasters, pediments, entablatures, arches, and domes form the vocabulary of Renaissance buildings. Vitruvius's writings on architecture also influenced the Renaissance definition of beauty in architecture. As in the Classical world, Renaissance architecture is characterized by harmonious form, mathematical proportion, and a unit of measurement based on the human scale.

During the Renaissance, architects trained as humanists helped raise the status of their profession from skilled laborer to artist. They hoped to create structures that would appeal to both emotion and reason.

Understanding such issues allows us to use them as visual strategies in our image making.

 

 

 

 

Want to learn more? - do a workshop or one on one with Lloyd Godman