Leonardo da Vinci's Study of Light and Optics: A Synthesis of Fields in The Last Supper
Abstract
Leonardo da Vinci's preoccupation with the natural world led him to the fields of optics and astronomy. Though he initially took the theories of his predecessors as truth, da Vinci's close observation of planetary bodies and the functioning of the human eye led him to reject the predominant, though imperfect, theories of optical and astronomical principles. This rejection allowed da Vinci, the scientist and artist, to question the inherent intricacies of light and optics, and marry the complexities of reflection with the complexities of visual perception. In what is known as his masterpiece in light and perspective, The Last Super, da Vinci applies his novel, though more complicated understanding of light and optics, translating his scientific inquiry into artistic innovation.
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