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For more than half a century, Erwin Panofsky's Perspective as Symbolic Form has dominated studies of visual representation. Despite the hegemony of central projection, or perspective, other equally important methods of representation have much to tell us. Parallel projection can be found on classical Greek vases, in Pompeiian frescoes, in Byzantine mosaics; it returned in works of the historical avant-garde, and remains the dominant form of representation in China. In Oblique Drawing , Massimo Scolari investigates "anti-perspective" visual representation over two thousand years, finding in the course of his investigation that visual and conceptual representations are manifestations of the ideological and philosophical orientations of different cultures. Images prove to be not just a form of art but a form of thought, a projection of a way of life. Scolari's generously illustrated studies show that illusionistic perspective is not the only, or even the best, representation of objects in history; parallel projection, for example, preserves in scale the actual measurements of objects it represents, avoiding the distortions of one-point perspective. Scolari analyzes the use of nonperspectival representations in pre-Renaissance images of machines and military hardware, architectural models and drawings, and illustrations of geometrical solids. He challenges Panofsky's theory of Pompeiian perspective and explains the difficulties encountered by the Chinese when they viewed Jesuit missionaries' perspectival religious images. Scolari vividly demonstrates the diversity of representational forms devised through the centuries, and shows how each one reveals something that is lacking in the others.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Introduction(p. vii)
• 1 Elements for a History of Axonometry(p. 1)
• 2 Spatial Illusionism in Pompeian Wall Paintings(p. 25)
• 3 Oblique Drawing(p. 47)
• 4 The Idea of Model(p. 137)
• 5 Brunelleschi's Model for the Dome of Santa Maria Del Fiore and the Gherardi Drawing(p. 185)
• 6 Demonstration Figures(p. 215)
• 7 Machinations(p. 247)
• 8 Soldierly Perspective(p. 287)
• 9 Drawing in Parallel! Modo(p. 325)
• 10 The Jesuit Perspective in China(p. 341)
• 11 The Tower of Babel: Form and Representation(p. 359)
• Index(p. 375)

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Publishers Weekly Review

In this enthusiastically erudite collection of essays, Scolari brings together his experiences as an academic, designer, and architect to examine the role of "anti-perspective" in the history and philosophy of art. While German art critic Erwin Panofsky's Perspective as Symbolic Form (1927) has largely defined conversations regarding visual perception and representation, Scolari offers an alternative take, more in conversation with Panofsky's classic text than in disagreement with working theories. Tracking instances of parallel projection (an alternative to perspectival representation) across cultures and millennia, Scolari is keenly interested in the philosophical and theological components of representational drawing. The essays draw from abstract geometry, art history, military customs, engineering, and myriad other topics, resulting in a rush of information that will occasionally leave behind anyone who is not a devoted specialist. However, Scolari's own passion for the subject makes the essays surprisingly engaging, and his devotion to complex answers (as opposed to sweeping generalities) results in generous insight for those with a few reference books nearby and the patience to follow his carefully constructed arguments. For the right reader, this offers an invaluable re-thinking of the ways that "thought and image part company and contradict each other, giving rise to. the unpredictable paths of ideas." Photos and illus. (Sept.) © Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved.

CHOICE Review

Although this study by Scolari (Yale School of Architecture) is not intended for the novice, it is as wide-ranging chronologically as a beginner's survey, and adheres to a new brand of art history not divided into stylistic periods. The issue here is whether "a culture decides to portray in a painting that which appears to a person's sight" or "what is there in reality," an inquiry of enticingly wide ramifications, extending to China. The writing is as clear as the complex material permits; the author's erudition gracefully permeates the text, which has many intriguing illustrations. Perspective and architectural design developed hand in hand. A strength of this treatment is that architectural models are included. The author even broaches the problem of visualizing the Tower of Babel. In general, the study has the flavor of exploration rather than the rigidity of marking out a territory for conquest; this makes it appealing to intrepid readers. This is a thinking book about how visualizing and reasoning interact, and a learned book rather than merely a scholarly one. The index includes only proper names. Summing Up: Recommended. Upper-division undergraduates through researchers/faculty. P. Emison University of New Hampshire

Notas de autor provistas por Syndetics

Massimo Scolari is a prominent architectural historian. He is also an editor, designer, artist, and pilot. He has taught at the Istituto Universitario di Architettura di Venezia (IUAV), Cornell University, Cooper Union, Institute for Architecture and Urban Studies (IAUS), Technische Universität Vienna, Harvard University, and Yale University.