First-Year Seminars 110DM - The Mathematics of Perspective Drawing

How do we calculate the optimal viewing distance of a painting? If we are drawing a building, how do we decide which lines are parallel and which intersect? Renaissance artists answered both questions using the idea of linear perspective. We will use the mathematics of perspective drawing to solve visual puzzles, create drawings, and analyze works from the collection of the Mount Holyoke College Art Museum. Readings and writings will invite students to think about the nature of perception and how we describe the world around us.

Mount Holyoke first-year students only, by placement.