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Volume  Volume1\Linear Perspective

Entry#  55. ELEMENTS OF PERSPECTIVE.

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All objects transmit their image to the eye in pyramids, and the

nearer to the eye these pyramids are intersected the smaller will

the image appear of the objects which cause them. Therefore, you may

intersect the pyramid with a vertical plane Footnote 4: _Pariete_.

Compare the definitions in 85, 2-5, 6-27. These lines refer

exclusively to the third diagram. For the better understanding of

this it should be observed that _c s_ must be regarded as

representing the section or profile of a square plane, placed

horizontally (comp. lines 11, 14, 17) for which the word _pianura_

is subsequently employed (20, 22). Lines 6-13 contain certain

preliminary observations to guide the reader in understanding the

diagram; the last three seem to have been added as a supplement.

Leonardo's mistake in writing _t denota_ (line 6) for _f denota_ has

been rectified.  which reaches the base of the pyramid as is shown

in the plane _a n_.

The eye _f_ and the eye _t_ are one and the same thing; but the eye

_f_ marks the distance, that is to say how far you are standing from

the object; and the eye _t_ shows you the direction of it; that is

whether you are opposite, or on one side, or at an angle to the

object you are looking at. And remember that the eye _f_ and the eye

_t_ must always be kept on the same level. For example if you raise

or lower the eye from the distance point _f_ you must do the same

with the direction point _t_. And if the point _f_ shows how far the

eye is distant from the square plane but does not show on which side

it is placed--and, if in the same way, the point _t_ show _s_ the

direction and not the distance, in order to ascertain both you must

use both points and they will be one and the same thing. If the eye

_f_ could see a perfect square of which all the sides were equal to

the distance between _s_ and _c_, and if at the nearest end of the

side towards the eye a pole were placed, or some other straight

object, set up by a perpendicular line as shown at _r s_--then, I

say, that if you were to look at the side of the square that is

nearest to you it will appear at the bottom of the vertical plane _r

s_, and then look at the farther side and it would appear to you at

the height of the point _n_ on the vertical plane. Thus, by this

example, you can understand that if the eye is above a number of

objects all placed on the same level, one beyond another, the more

remote they are the higher they will seem, up to the level of the

eye, but no higher; because objects placed upon the level on which

your feet stand, so long as it is flat--even if it be extended into

infinity--would never be seen above the eye; since the eye has in

itself the point towards which all the cones tend and converge which

convey the images of the objects to the eye. And this point always

coincides with the point of diminution which is the extreme of all

we can see. And from the base line of the first pyramid as far as

the diminishing point

Footnote: The two diagrams above the chapter are explained by the

first five lines. They have, however, more letters than are referred

to in the text, a circumstance we frequently find occasion to

remark.

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