The Science of Beauty: as Developed in Nature and Applied in Art

The Science Of Beauty: As Developed In Nature And Applied In Art by David Ramsay Hay. This book presents a systematic theory of aesthetics, arguing that beauty in nature and art is governed by harmonic laws of nature derived from Pythagorean numbers. Hay discusses how symmetrical beauty emerges from the balance between uniformity and variety, and he divides beauty into two orders: symmetrical (form and color) and picturesque. The work surveys beauty in sound (music) and form (sculpture, architecture, and ornament), develops four scales of harmonic parts, and shows how ancient Greek art, classical architecture (Parthenon, Theseus temple, Lincoln Cathedral), and Greek vases illustrate these principles. The book further applies the science to the human head, face, and figure, as well as to color, illustrating methods for constructing proportion and contour via ellipses and harmonic angles. It also includes an appendix examining the historical context of the Greek proportion doctrine and the influence of Pythagoras.