The Development of Linear Perspective in Renaissance Art

Linear perspective, developed during the Renaissance, is a geometric method for creating the illusion of space on a flat surface. Its key feature is the vanishing point, where parallel lines appear to converge. If the lines are perpendicular to the picture plane, their vanishing point lies on the horizon. Although Filippo Brunelleschi is credited with this technique, artists have experimented with depth illusion since antiquity. For instance, atmospheric perspective was used in Pompeii to suggest depth through color, understanding that distant colors appear lighter. By systemizing perspective with mathematics, the Early Renaissance artists elevated fine arts to the level of liberal arts, as discussed in Alberti's 1435 treatise, On Painting.