Article ID: CBB850200823

Appearance and Truth: the Function of Pyramidal Powers in Leonardo's Research during the last Decade of the XV Century (2015)

unapi

I shall show first , through the examination of texts dating from 1490-1492, that when Leonardo begins to ‘make science’ he adopts an explanatory model of a mechanical-percussive kind that he will substitute in a few years’ time with another of an optical-perspective kind. The result of this substitution is a peculiar mixture, based on a metaphysical conception of the «point» as a very real «spiritual power» similar to the soul, invisible and incorporeal because infinitely small, that by moving brings about space and the visible world and all natural effects and that can be worked out mathematically with the tools of perspective. The adoption of this model causes the level of appearances to lose its original and stable character and become derivative and uncertain. I shall then show the tension that arises when the model of «pyramidal power» as «spiritual power» is concretely extended to the explanation of appearances. On the one hand, Leonardo tends to think of the «pyramid» as a real expansion of the metaphysical «point» and thus as an entity really existing in nature; on the other hand, the difficulties he encounters push him to consider it, in line with the perspective tradition, as a mere proportion between two measures (for example, weight and speed, or volume and distance), and thus as an abstract measure.

...More
Citation URI
https://data.isiscb.org/isis/citation/CBB850200823/

Similar Citations

Article Bell, Janis C.; (1992)
Filippo Gagliardi on Leonardo's perspective (/isis/citation/CBB000038098/)

Book Margherita Quaglino; (2014)
Glossario Leonardiano: Nomenclatura dell'ottica e della prospettiva nei codici di Francia (/isis/citation/CBB290920244/)

Article Bell, Janis C.; (1997)
Acuity: A third type of perspective (/isis/citation/CBB000081214/)

Article Federici Vescovini, Graziella; (2007)
De la métaphysique de la lumière à la physique de la lumière dans la perspective des XIIIe et XIVe siècles (/isis/citation/CBB000954355/)

Article Belmonte, Juan Antonio; Shaltout, Mosalam; (2005)
On the Orientation of Ancient Egyptian Temples: (1) Upper Egypt and Lower Nubia (/isis/citation/CBB000773467/)

Book Alejandro Ricart Cabús; (2008)
Pirámides y obeliscos: transporte y construcción: una hipótesis (/isis/citation/CBB466926593/)

Article Barany, Michael J.; (2010)
Great Pyramid Metrology and the Material Politics of Basalt (/isis/citation/CBB001023790/)

Article Haan, H. J. de; (2014)
More Insight from Physics into the Construction of the Egyptian Pyramids (/isis/citation/CBB001320848/)

Article Wall, John J.; (2007)
The Star Alignment Hypothesis for the Great Pyramid Shafts (/isis/citation/CBB000771292/)

Book Belmonte Avilés, Juan Antonio; (2012)
Pirámides, templos y estrellas: astronomía y cultura en el Egipto antiguo (/isis/citation/CBB001251260/)

Article Colia, Elliot; (2004)
The Measure of Egypt (/isis/citation/CBB001030075/)

Book Herz-Fischler, Roger; (2000)
The Shape of the Great Pyramid (/isis/citation/CBB000111266/)

Article Demortier, Guy; (2004)
La construction de la pyramide de Khéops (/isis/citation/CBB000551121/)

Article Belmonte, Juan Antonio; (2001)
On the Orientation of Old Kingdom Egyptian Pyramids (/isis/citation/CBB000102587/)

Article James Frederick Edwards; (October 2016)
The Concave Faces of the Great Pyramid: An Explanation (/isis/citation/CBB208089274/)

Chapter Bernadette Brady; (2015)
Star Phases: The Naked-Eye Astronomy of the Old Kingdom Pyramid Texts (/isis/citation/CBB957361726/)

Authors & Contributors
Belmonte, Juan Antonio
Bell, Janis C.
Quaglino, Margherita
Edwards, James Frederick
Wall, John J.
Veltman, Kim H.
Concepts
Pyramids
Perspective
Projective geometry
Building construction
Mathematics
Astronomy
Time Periods
Ancient
Renaissance
19th century
15th century
Medieval
18th century
Places
Egypt
Middle and Near East
Italy
France
Great Britain
Comments

Be the first to comment!

{{ comment.created_by.username }} on {{ comment.created_on | date:'medium' }}

Log in or register to comment