linear perspective

American  

noun

1. a mathematical system for representing three-dimensional objects and space on a two-dimensional surface by means of intersecting lines that are drawn vertically and horizontally and that radiate from one point one-point perspective, two points two-point perspective, or several points on a horizon line as perceived by a viewer imagined in an arbitrarily fixed position.

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linear perspective British  

noun

1. the branch of perspective in which the apparent size and shape of objects and their position with respect to foreground and background are established by actual or suggested lines converging on the horizon

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Etymology

Origin of linear perspective

First recorded in 1835–45

Example Sentences

The use of linear perspective had been a “secret” known to the ancient Greeks and Romans but lost and then “rediscovered” by the Florentine architect Filippo Brunelleschi, whose drawings inspired Masaccio.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

He based his naturalistic art on the mathematically calculated theory of linear perspective.

From New York Times • Mar. 23, 2023

The artist, Lorenzo Monaco, painted during the Renaissance period, but the work was created before linear perspective had replaced the “two-dimensional” style of Gothic painting.

From Textbooks • Jan. 1, 2020

An explosion of artistic genius during the Florentine Renaissance began when Brunelleschi figured out the geometry of linear perspective.

From Scientific American • Aug. 17, 2011

The diminution of size is linear perspective and the change of color due to distance and atmospheric conditions is commonly called aerial perspective.

From Journeys Through Bookland, Vol. 10 The Guide by Sylvester, Charles Herbert