Week 2 Math and Science
I viewed math as an art since high school, as high level math is very abstract, which makes it seem like philosophy and art questions. However, after this week, I realized how art depends heavily on math as well. I didn’t know there are so many math principles about linear space behind paintings and sculptures and buildings, without which the art works will seem unrealistic to the audience.
Among all the inspiring sources of arts, the most enlightening for me is Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci. Since I know little about Christianity, I viewed it as a great painting of significant religious importance, and that’s it. I only learned from this lecture that this is also a milestone in the history of
Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci.
realistic paintings that use precise math principles about linear space. Before da Vinci, many artists also illustrated the pivot event Last Supper through painting or sculpture, but I observed that they are very flat, and the audience cannot get a sense of space from it, so it seems merely religious without giving people a sense of reality.
Miniature Depiction from Circa 1230
Now when I look at da Vinci’s work again, I can observe that it is very precise and realistic in terms of spacial correctness. In fifteenth century, it was a great improvement in art to depict space precisely. It is indeed a masterpiece that marks the juxtaposition of art and math.
The idea of golden ratio is also a great example of the juxtaposition of math and art. I can think of pyramids and Venus de Milo, but I never think of the Vitruvian Man as the embodiment of it. Now I see it as the best example of the combination of math and art, as da Vinci is a mathematician and artist, and the golden ratios of the circle and square illustrate the tight relationship of art and math.
Vitruvian Man, Leonardo da Vinci
Since I am not an artist, in the past I only studied math and science, and I felt the art inside it. Examples include the number theory, definition of zero and infinity, shapes in geometry, etc. From this class, I got a chance to feel the usage of math inside various arts. Sculptures, paintings, and buildings largely use math in geometry and linear space. Math and art are inside each other.
"Golden Ratio." Golden Ratio -- from Wolfram MathWorld. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
"15 Facts About The Last Supper." Mental Floss. N.p., 02 Apr. 2017. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
"Full-page miniature of the Last Supper." NYPL Digital Collections. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
TEDEducation. "Da Vinci's Vitruvian Man of math - James Earle." YouTube. YouTube, 11 July 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
TEDEducation. "The infinite life of pi - Reynaldo Lopes." YouTube. YouTube, 10 July 2013. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.
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