![]() ![]() ![]() In laying the groundwork for neoplasticism, Mondrian also used mathematical concepts to arrive at the conclusion: Piet Mondrian, Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow, 1930, Private Collection. Around 1930, the artist Piet Mondrian produced some compositions that gave rise to Neoplasticism, the avant-garde movement that sought to present a new image of art. However, Kandinsky was not the only artist interested in the artistic possibilities of geometric abstraction. Therefore Kandinsky’s interest in mathematical elements makes total sense. ![]() This was not surprising considering that the Bauhaus sought precisely to be a school of art and architecture that broadened the idea of art and showed its many possibilities. Geometry, in particular, was an element of interest to the artist. In his most abstract works, Kandinsky used many mathematical forms including concentric circles, open and closed lines, and triangles. Wassily Kandinsky, Composition 8, 1923, Guggenheim Museum, New York, NY, USA. For example, Wassily Kandinsky, best known for his abstract artworks and for being a Bauhaus teacher, was one of the painters who used mathematics in his creations. Modern Art was a fertile field for artworks that were in some way linked to calculations. The relations between art and math were not only evident in the Renaissance. This is due to da Vinci’s interest not only in anatomy but also in mathematics. Mona Lisa, another masterpiece of da Vinci, presents the golden proportion in the face and also between the neck-head ratio, which means that the ratio between these parts is 1.618. That is why it is so fascinating and celebrated by many Renaissance artists who wanted to revive the ideals of Antiquity but at the same time, they also wanted to ground their art in the scientific evidence. The golden ratio is a pattern that repeats itself in nature. Fibonacci Sequence in Leonardo da Vinci’s, Mona Lisa, 1503, Louvre Museum, Paris, France. It is a tribute to an artist, the sculptor Phidias, who used this proportion to design one of the most well-known architectural projects of Antiquity: The Parthenon. This constant (as the name implies, something fixed, an opposition to the concept of variable) is represented by the Greek letter φ. Have you heard of the Golden Ratio? Also known as Divine Proportion, this is a real irrational algebra constant that has an approximate value of 1.618. According to his calculations, the measure of the length of the open arms of a man is equal to his height, for example.ĭa Vinci carefully drew the man, known to us as Vitruvian Man, and placed him within two well-known geometric shapes, a circle and a square, a composition that is noteworthy, considering the structure of the drawing. In this sketch, which is one of the most celebrated works by da Vinci, the artist used mathematics to elaborate the ideal proportions of the human body. In 1490, Leonardo da Vinci put on paper the concept of proportion conceived by Vitruvius, a Roman architect of the first century CE. One of the most significant works in this sense is actually a study. Leonardo da Vinci, Vitruvian Man, 1490, Gallerie dell’Accademia, Venice, Italy. However, this connection became more apparent during the Renaissance, when artists realized that basic notions of mathematics such as perspective and symmetry would make artworks more realistic. In pre-Columbian cultures, for example, there are many artworks (actually, aesthetic artifacts) that demonstrate knowledge of geometric patterns. The relationship between art and math is older than we think. (Okay, it was not a very creative name, I know.) Just as I felt when I began studying art history, the kids were also surprised to learn that many artworks they knew had fundamental mathematical references. In order to help them, together with the math teacher, I offer an elective course called “The Art of Mathematics”. Do you doubt it? If so, stay with me and I’ll show you a little of this fascinating relationship.Īs a teacher at a high school, I see how much teenagers struggle when studying calculus. So when I went to study art history I was surprised to see how closely art and math are linked. Do you like math? Well, many of us might have had some problems with it when we were in school (I, for one, had many!) and got fed up with it. ![]()
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