The Invention of Infinity: Mathematics and Art in the Renaissance

Judith Veronica Field

ISBN 10: 0198523947 / ISBN 13: 9780198523949

Published by Oxford University Press, 1997

About this Item

Ohne Umschlag; Abnutzung / Risse - leicht; Gebrochener Buchrucken / Seiten oder Softcover umgeknickt. One of the chief accomplishments of the Renaissance was the development of perspective in painting, which introduced spatial perception and led to the beauty of works by Giotto, Botticelli, and da Vinci. Dr. J. V. Field, a historian of math and the arts, narrates how the "practical" mathematics used by Renaissance artists influenced the evolution of "proper" mathematics--a story of life imitating art. This account details the emergence of modern mathematics from 1300 to 1650, a period when craftsmen learned "practical mathematics" and the discipline gained intellectual significance. Field examines the impact of artistic mathematics on the development of new geometry in the 17th century, particularly Desargues' projective geometry, which significantly advanced modern mathematics. He also discusses the 14th and 15th-century "abacus" schools favored by merchants and craftsmen, highlighting the contrast between practical tools and the abstract arithmetic and geometry taught in universities. Furthermore, the application of these mathematical concepts in music theory and elementary astronomy is explored. Richly illustrated with color and black-and-white plates, and featuring extracts from original mathematical texts, this engaging narrative will captivate those interested in the intertwined histories of mathematics, art, and the social dynamics of the Renaissance.

Seller Inventory # 3eb566a2-b751-4513-a2d2-45b145cb8bd6

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Invention of Infinity: Mathematics and Art in the Renaissance
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication Date: 1997
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0198523947
• ISBN 13: 9780198523949
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Fair
• Seller catalogs:
  • Art History & Criticism

About this title

Synopsis

As any student of art will tell you, one of the chief accomplishments of the Renaissance was the development of perspective in painting--the introduction of spatial perception that led to the legendary beauty and majesty of works by Giotto, Botticelli, and da Vinci. In The Invention of Infinity, Dr. J. V. Field, a noted historian on math and the arts, tells the remarkable story of how the "practical" mathematics of Renaissance artists actually influenced the development of "proper" mathematics--a true story of life imitating art.

Here is the fascinating history of the emergence of modern mathematics during the Renaissance, and its intimate relationship with the artisan and artistic traditions of the time. The book covers the period from 1300 to 1650, when craftsmen were educated in "practical mathematics," and when the field of mathematics was gradually taking up a more significant place on the intellectual landscape. Field traces the influence of the mathematics of perspective in the arts, and shows how this led to the invention of a new kind of geometry in the 17th century--the new projective geometry of Desargues--which proved to be a highly significant contribution to the development of modern mathematics. Additionally, the author explores the 14th and 15th-century "abacus" schools popular among merchants and craftsmen, and the contrast between these practical, widely used tools and the abstract arithmetic and geometry taught in the universities of the time, and their application in the theory of music and elementary astronomy.

Extensively illustrated with superb color and black and white plates, and including selected extracts from the original mathematical texts, this clear and entertaining account will delight anyone interested in the history of mathematics and art, as well as in the multi-layered social history of the Renaissance.

About the Author

About the Author:
Dr. J.V. Field is a Research Fellow in the Department of the History of Art at Birkbeck College, University of London.