Prior to attending UCLA and taking this course, I had always thought about the connection between mathematics and science. Throughout my years of taking art classes, I had noticed the detailed measurements taken by Renaissance artists, such as Da Vinci and Michelangelo, to make incredibly lifelike works of art, and the intricate ratios and measurements used by more contemporary architects such as Le Corbusier.
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| A portrait of Ibn Al-Haytham, the pioneer in the discovery of optics and perspective |
However, I was not aware of how these scientific discoveries influenced art, as I did not realize that the discoveries of Al-Haytham on vision and perspectives actually influenced the way artwork was created in the West during the Renaissance era. For example, the iconic artworks of Michelangelo, Leonardo Da Vinci, and many others during the Renaissance incorporated Al-Haytham’s discoveries on optics and how vision and the mind are subjective. I was also not aware of the golden ratio that also influenced how art was created in the West during the Renaissance era, as I was not aware of a mathematical expression of the ratio of two sums whereby the ratio of both quantities combined to the larger quantity is the same as the ratio of the larger quantity to the smaller quantity. Both of these eye-opening discoveries into the connection between math and art can be seen in one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s most famous works, “The Last Supper.” We can see how Da Vinci uses both perspective and the golden ratio in this piece to create a very detailed and symmetrical depiction of Jesus Christ and his disciples.
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| The Last Supper, a great example of how mathematics is used in art |
Before this week, I only had a brief overview between the relationship between mathematics and art, and how artists use this relationship in their work. However, this week’s lecture videos and readings gave me a much more detailed explanation about the incredible lengths artists go to in order to create their work, as they incorporate mathematical expressions and scientific theories to create more lifelike artworks. Discoveries in mathematics can lead to breakthroughs in both art and science, as they can influence artists to adopt new techniques to creating art, and can also lead to the discovery and explanation of previously unexplained natural phenomena.
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| Linear perspective |
Sources:
Chelsea. “Golden Ratio in Art Composition & Design: The Definitive Guide.” Art Ignition, 26 Aug. 2018, artignition.com/golden-ratio-in-art/.
“Ibn Al-Haytham and the Legacy of Arabic Optics.” International Year of Light - Ibn Al-Haytham and the Legacy of Arabic Optics, www.light2015.org/Home/ScienceStories/1000-Years-of-Arabic-Optics.html.
Math Intro. By Victoria Vesna. YouTube. Uconlineprogram, 26 Mar. 2012. Web. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHiL9iskUWM&feature=player_embedded>.
“Op Art History Part I: A History of Perspective in Art.” Op-Art.co.uk, www.op-art.co.uk/history/perspective/.
Palmer, Lauren. “History of the Golden Ratio in Art.” Artnet News, 2 Oct. 2015, news.artnet.com/art-world/golden-ratio-in-art-328435.
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