During the Renaissance in Italy, architects and artists investigated the question of how to draw three dimensional objects on flat surfaces. They began to think of a painting as an "open window" through which the viewer sees the painted world. They also developed a system of mathematical rules known as linear perspective to help painters achieve their goal of realism.


Exploring Linear Perspective

Leonardo learned the rules of perspective and practiced using the window as a device for drawing perspective correctly while he was an apprentice in Verrochio's studio.



Classroom Activity: Using Leonardo's Window