Perspective

and Renaissance art

Definition:

• Perspective is the

way our eyes

perceive depth in

the world around

us.

Perspective drawing was invented during the Renaissance period.

Before that, artists weren’t very accurate in their renderings of the

world.

Italian artists like Raphael and Leonardo Da Vinci wanted to show the

world as they really saw it. So they, along with other important artists,

invented perspective drawing. These paintings illustrate 1-point

perspective:

Renaissance: 1500’s

Leonardo’s Last Supper

Raphael’s School of Athens

How it works:• Edges of objects that are parallel to each other seem to

converge at a central point. These lines are called Orthogonals

or Receding Lines.

• Orthogonals: Parallel edges of objects that seem

to converge at a central point.

• This central point is known as the vanishing point, and it appears at eye-level to the viewer.

• Vanishing Point: central point at which orthogonalsseem to converge.

• The vanishing point is located on a horizontal line, also at eye-

level. This is called the horizon line.

• Horizon Line: Imaginary line where vanishing

point can be found.

Other Examples

Leonardo’s “Adoration of the Magi”

Step-by-step 1-point perspective

• Draw a horizon

line. It should

cross the center of

your paper.

• Draw the vanishing

point about in the

middle of that line.

• Draw a square to

the left and down

from the vanishing

point.

• Starting from each

corner of the

square, draw a line

to the vanishing

point.

• Draw the “back”

of the box:

make sure these

lines are exactly

parallel to the

ones in the

original square.

• Now, erase all

the lines that you

wouldn’t be able

to see if the box

were real.

(Imagine it as a

cardboard box,

not a fish tank)

• Add three more

boxes to the scene.

• One should be

completely above the

horizon line.

• One should be

crossing the horizon

line.

• One should be

directly below or

above the vanishing

point.