Perspective by Alison Cole

Since the principles of perspective were first demonstrated in Renaissance Italy, the interpretation of depth and space has held a central place in Western art. From the 15th century onwards, artists have endeavoured to present three-dimensional images that are as close as possible to what we actually see. When the Italian artist Alberti published his geometrical method for re-creating accurate perspectives, he transformed the art world, and led artists such as Leonardo da Vinci to produce ever more life-like illusions of space and distance. In the 20th century, artists such as Picasso often rejected classical principles in favour of distorted viewpoints.