Week 2: Math + Art

Last year, I took two calculus classes at UCLA, both with the same professor (Michael Andrews). He is brilliant. Watching him work with numbers and see the fruition of equations in his mind is was something that I admire greatly.

What was most memorable though, was him staring at a series problem towards the end of the quarter, and exclaiming that he could produce a wild musical score from the problem. He then further explained to us that he often used math to create music.

Series Problem: http://tutorial.math.lamar.edu

I see a lot of Da Vinci in my math professor. As Vesna informs us in her lecture, Da Vinci was constantly thinking about the cohesive units that create a visual experience. He studied the “geometry of perspective and optical principles of the eye” in order to better understand how the eye makes sense of reality.

The Golden Ratio: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia

According to an article produced by the Mona Lisa Foundation, Leonardo, while intrigued by all types of math, he was particularly consumed by geometry. He employed geometry to create harmony in his pieces. Math propelled him forward.

In Da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, the central figure is drawn according to the golden ratio, which means the rectangles found in her face and body are drawn with the ratio of 1 to 0.618. According to an article produced by Math Central, it is this - the math of the picture - that is most pleasing to the eye.

Da Vinci continually capitalizes on the aesthetically satisfying aspects of math, as seen in The Last Supper. When viewers looks at the painting, they encounter natural perspective. A natural perspective, as stated by Vesna, “reproduces faithfully the relative size of objects depending on their distance.” We like what we see because it is familiar, and grounded in the realness of optical geometry.

The Last Supper: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia

I knew it fairly common for geometry to be present in pieces of artwork. However, I did not realize the extent of the revolutionary effect math had on art once it entered the world of art. It’s pleasing to know that these two seemingly very different fields are in fact perfect complements and work to enhance each other - whether that be a painting or a score of music. And thanks to them, the human life is portrayed much more realistically, making works of art not just distant objects, but instead pieces that we can understand and sympathize with.

Sources:

"Leonardo and Mathematics." The Mona Lisa Foundation. N.p., 30 June 2016. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.

Glydon, Natasha. "The Mathematics of Art ." Leonardo DaVinci and the Golden Section - Math Central. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.

Henderson, Linda Dalrymple. "The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art: Conclusion." Leonardo17.3 (1984): 205. Web.

Michael Andrews, UCLA. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.

American Mathematical Society. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2017.