Week 2 | Math + Art

In this week’s lectures and readings, I’ve learned that math has influenced art in many ways. For example, perspective and proportions are utilized in art to make the subjects and background appear more realistic. Examples of this are Filippo Brunelleschi's and Leon Batiste Alberti’s respective development and usage of the vanishing point in their work. The vanishing point has continued to be studied in modern society, as shown by Marc Frantz’s article that explains the vanishing point to readers.



Left: Brunelleschi's famous The Dome of Brunelleschi. Right: Alberti's book On Painting

Another interesting way mathematics has influenced art is through Edwin Abbott Abbott’s novel Flatland. The novel uses polygons and the first, second, and third dimensions to satirize Abbott’s view of modern society.


Perspective, proportions, and vanishing points can be seen in one of my favorite paintings — Nighthawks by Edward Hopper. 


Above: Edward Hopper's Nighthawks (1942)

The two vanishing points for this painting are very far outside of the canvas, which is representative of the idea that we are observers looking in on a scene rather than active participants in the scene (Science by degrees par. 5). 


Objects in the foreground are larger than the objects in the background, as shown by the diner’s long window appearing larger than the door across the street.



I learned that artists and scientists work in conjunction with mathematics to create realistic representations of the real world. With math, artists can create more realistic scenes that depict humans and scientists can create models that better reflect the world around them. 


Although math, art, and science are both worthy of their own field of study, they are interconnected. They both use each other to create and convey a better understanding of the real world. 


A cool example of an intersection between math, art, and science is The Martian, a novel by Andy Weir. In this novel, the protagonist and his team back on Earth work together to get him back to earth by using real-world science and technology.


Above: A clip from The Martian, a movie adaptation of the novel


Works Cited

Abbott, Edwin A. Flatland: A Romance in Many Dimensions. Penguin, 1998.

Alberti, Leon B. On Painting. Picture, Penguin Group, 1435.

Designed to Travel. The Dome of Brunelleschi on the Santa Maria del Fiore Cathedral. 2018. designedtotravel.ro/brunelleschi-dome/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.

Frantz, Marc. "Lesson 3: Vanishing Points and Looking at Art." 2000, cs.appstate.edu/~sjg/class/1010/wc/geom/perspective/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.

Hopper, Edward. Nighthawks. Painting. 1942. artic.edu, www.artic.edu/artworks/111628/nighthawks. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.

JoBlo Movie Clips. "THE MARTIAN Clip - Creating Water (2015) Matt Damon." YouTube, 3 Dec. 2019, www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH-UmA5Lt3g. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.

Passy, Charles. "Edward Hopper’s ‘Nighthawks’ Gets 21st Century Makeover." Wall Street Journal, 5 Dec. 2020, www.wsj.com/articles/edward-hoppers-nighthawks-gets-21st-century-makeover-11607184000. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.

Science by degrees. "A Matter of Perspective, Part 2." Science by Degrees, 20 May 2019, sciencebydegrees.com/2019/05/20/perspective-2/. Accessed 8 Apr. 2022.

UC Online. "Mathematics-pt1-ZeroPerspectiveGoldenMean.mov." YouTube, 9 Apr. 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMmq5B1LKDg. Accessed 4 Apr. 2022.






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