Description
Book SynopsisProviding a fresh evaluation of Albertiâs text On Painting (1435), along with comparisons to various works of Nicholas Cusanus - particularly his Vision of God (1450) - this study reveals a shared epistemology of vision. And, the author argues, it is one that reflects a more deeply Christian Neoplatonic ideal than is typically accorded Alberti. Whether regarding his purpose in teaching the use of a geometric single point perspective system, or more broadly in rendering forms naturalistically, the emphasis leans toward the ideal of Renaissance art as highly rational. There remains the impression that the principle aim of the painter is to create objective, even illusionistic images. A close reading of Albertiâs text, however, including some adjustments in translation, points rather towards an emphasis on discerning the spiritual in the material. Albertiâs use of the tropes Minerva and Narcissus, for example, indicates the opposing characteristics of wisdom and sense certainty that func
Trade Review'... casts new light on familiar material ...' Renaissance Quarterly
'The main strength of this book lies in Carman’s aptitude for close reading, and his keen analyses provide a fresh and nuanced encounter with Alberti’s On Painting. Carman also performs thorough inquiries into the meaning of key terms in Alberti’s work, such as istoria and nature. ...his sophisticated readings of Alberti’s work buttress the view that Renaissance culture was not only interested in that which can be observed in nature, but it also continued the medieval search for the ideal and fixed ontology of reality.' CAA Reviews
Table of ContentsList of Illustrations, Preface: Perspectiva ut Poesis, Acknowledgements, 1. Alberti and Cusanus: An Overview, 2. On Painting: Setting the Stage and “Tutta la Storia”, 3. The Eye of the Mind: Where it Goes, What it Sees, 4. Divine and Human Vision: Perspective and the Coincidence of Opposites, 5. Disclosing Metaphors 1: Ways into Perspective, 6. Disclosing Metaphors 2: The Window, The Flower, and The Map, Conclusion, Bibliography, Index
