Week 2: Mathematics

 Week 2: Mathematics

This week in the lecture, Professor discussed the juxtaposition of mathematics, art, and science such that mathematics bridges the gap between art and science. This concept was new to me as, in school, I was told that I was terrible at numbers; therefore, I believed that I could only be good at art. R. Buckminster Fuller, in "Education Automation," explains this as he believes that the education system "de-geniuses" us, preventing us from moving through both cultures even though we are all born to do so. 

Mathematics is a system of symbols, rules, and calculations that organize numbers. Mathematics is HIGHLY important in art as it allows artists to draw, paint, and sculpt irregular shapes and 3-dimensional spaces on flat surfaces. With mathematical formulas, artists can create proportionate and realistic art. For example, in the painting below, Duccio attempted to develop impressions of depth without using mathematics but instead relied on his intuition. Something is a little off. 


On the other hand, Brunelleschi employed mathematic principles in his paintings. He was the first to define linear perspective and its relation to art by understanding and explaining the relation between the object length and picture length depending on the length of the picture behind the canvas. As you can see, his painting looks just like the actual church.

Leon Battista Alberti furthered the notion that mathematics is needed in painting, stating, "I will take first from the mathematics those things which my subject is concerned." In his book, he discussed how the principles of geometry and the science of optics influence painting. In this brief, Alberti sets up a system of triangles (using mathematics) "between the eye and the object view" that help define the visual pyramid. One example of how this system of triangles defines a visual pyramid is in Alberti's "floor covered in tiles" example. 



This perspective of the floor is very important as it uses linear perspective or, according to Webster's Dictionary, "a mathematical system for representing 3-dimensional space on a flat surface". Because this title floor employs these mathematical principles, it can be used as a coordinate system that "helps to obtain the correct shape of a circle," providing a direct example of how mathematics bridges the gap between art and science, allowing art to be used to teach and create a dialogue between the two cultures (math and science). 

Works Cited


Alberti, L. B. On Painting. Penguin, 1991. 

Buoninsegna, Duccio di. “Christ and the Samaritan Woman.” Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, https://www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/duccio-di-buoninsegna/christ-and-samaritan-woman. 

“Filippo Brunelleschi, Life and Works of the Father of the Renaissance in Architecture.” Finestre Sull'Arte, https://www.finestresullarte.info/en/ab-art-base/filippo-brunelleschi-life-and-works-of-the-father-of-the-renaissance-in-architecture. 

Fuller, Richard Buckminster. Education Automation. Lerici, 1968. 

“Linear Perspective Definition & Meaning.” Merriam-Webster, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/linear%20perspective. 

Vesna, Victoria, director. Mathematics | Perspective | Time | Space . YouTube, YouTube, 9 Apr. 2012, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg&embeds_euri=https%3A%2F%2Fbruinlearn.ucla.edu%2F&source_ve_path=MjM4NTE&feature=emb_title. Accessed 11 Apr. 2023.

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