Geometry in italian Renaissance Art

Dr Nick Gordon

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Course Description

Italian Renaissance artists’ mastery of geometry enabled them to dazzle their contemporaries: the orderly spaces of linear perspective, ceilings with figures crashing down from an apparently limitless heaven, and harmonious compositions that continue to delight art-lovers to this day. This course helps you understand how Renaissance artists actually used geometry. Understanding it from the artists’ perspective enables you to see more in their masterpieces, from Masaccio and Piero della Francesca to Titian and beyond.

Course Content

Session 1: We begin with why there was renewed interest in the use of geometry in the 15th century - what inspired it, what sources were available to artists, and what they did with it. We then turn to the single most important use of geometry in art in the early Renaissance: single point linear perspective. We look at how it works as a system, how to recreate it and some of the subtle ways artists such as Piero della Francesca and Paolo Uccello used it.

Session 2: In the early 16th century, artists had become adept at manipulating linear perspective as part of their basic training. In this session we look at some of the new ways geometry was being used by artists, with a special focus on the use of geometry in composition in the works of great masters such as Titian. Understanding how geometry was used in compositions helps you to see more in paintings for yourself.

Course Structure

2 x 1.5 hour sessions

Each session includes an interactive lecture and time for group discussion and analysis.

Dates

To find out when this course will run next, please join the waitlist using the form below.

REquirements

This course does not require any assumed knowledge, only a willingness to learn and an interest in art.

Sessions require access to ZOOM (which is free), a device with a camera (such as a tablet or computer with a webcam), and an internet connection.

 
 

Waiting List

Join the waiting list for this course to find out when it will next run