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. .

LECTURER

Dr Nick Gordon is a cultural historian and holds a PhD in history from the University of Sydney. His research into medieval and Renaissance Europe has won numerous academic awards and scholarships, including the University Medal in history from the University of Sydney, and has been published in prestigious peer-reviewed journals. Nick has over 15 years’ experience as a lecturer to university and public audiences.

COURSE STRUCTURE

2 x 1.5 hour sessions, separated by a coffee break. Each session includes an interactive lecture and time for questions and discussion.