Mathematics and Art

The Parthenon and its Golden Ratio

I always knew that mathematics had influence on the mechanics of art and its execution, but I never thought about the ways in which mathematics influenced art’s development. In 1316 Duccio created the first painting that gave the viewer depth perception, and in 1413 Brunelleschi came up with the concept of the vanishing point. He used mathematical principal to create the first correct version of perspective and to control how the viewer perceived his art.

Egyptian Pyramids

Even before Duccio and Brunelleschi, the Greeks were incorporating math into their art and architecture. The golden ratio of 1:1.618 creates an aesthetically pleasing structure in buildings and can be seen in many ancient structures like the Parthenon, which was built in Athens in 440 BC. The golden ratio is the ultimate connection between math and art and was first seen in the Egyptian pyramids.

In his paper “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art”,

Time Noble and Susan Webster's Four Dimensional Art

Henderson discusses the development and metamorphosis of the fourth dimension in the context of science and art. He says that a belief in a fourth dimension is necessary for good abstract art. This fourth dimension can be represented by motion, shadow, mirror, virtual images, or even the lapse of time. Charles Sirato wrote a manifesto about pushing art to the next dimension that really resonated with me. He said he wanted “literature to depart from the line and move into the plane…Painting to leave the plane and occupy space…[and] sculpture to abandon closed immobile and dead space… in order to conquer for artistic expression the four-dimensional space”. As art takes on new dimensions, mathematics continually fuses more and more with art.

“Flatland” by Edwin Abbott is a unique conception of our society and the inability to conceive of further dimensions. The flatland Abbott is writing about is a two dimensional world where a third dimension cannot be imagined. As the screenplay goes on, the reader can see its parallels with our own world. The character’s lack of desire to explore a further dimension nearly parallels the lack of communication between artists and scientists that I explored in our topic of two cultures. With his artistic description of the mathematical concept of dimensions, Abbott nicely represents an overlap of art and math, yet still emphasizes their disjunct and our society’s reluctance to let art and science fuse into one.

Abbott, Edwin. “Flatland: A Romance of Many Dimensions.” N.p., n.d. Web. 10 April 2015. <https://cole.uconline.edu/content>.

Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. “The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion.” Leonardo. 17.3 (1984): 205-210. Print.

History.com Staff. "Egyptian Pyramids." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2009. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history/the-egyptian-pyramids>.

Math Intro. By Victoria Vesna. YouTube. Uconlineprogram, 10 April 2015. Web. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHiL9iskUWM&feature=player_embedded>.

Noble, Tim, and Sue Webster. "Shadow Art Created Using Garbage." I Like To Waste My Time. ILTWMT, 17 Oct. 2012. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http://iliketowastemytime.com/2012/10/17/shadow-art-created-using-garbage-8-pics>.

Wing, Jim. "The Mathematics of the Fibonacci Sequence and Golden Spiral." Wing's Daily News. Word Press, 05 Apr. 2015. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. <http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wingsdailynews.com%2Ftag%2Fgolden-ratio%2F>.