The Theory and Practice of Perspective

The Theory and Practice of Perspective, by

George Adolphus Storey
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Title: The Theory and Practice of Perspective
Author: George Adolphus Storey

Release Date: December 22, 2006 [eBook #20165]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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Transcriber's Note:
The html version (see above) is strongly recommended to the reader because of its explanatory illustrations. In chapters LXII and later, the numerals in V1, V2, M1, M2 were printed as superscripts. Other letter-number pairs represent lines.
Points and lines were printed either as lower-case italicized letters, or as small uppercase letters. Most will be shown here with lines representing italics.
Words and phrases in bold face have been enclosed between + signs (+this is bold face+)

Henry Frowde, M.A. Publisher to the University of Oxford London, Edinburgh, New York Toronto and Melbourne
THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF PERSPECTIVE
by
G. A. STOREY, A.R.A.
Teacher of Perspective at the Royal Academy

[Illustration: 'QU? FIT?']
Oxford At the Clarendon Press 1910
Oxford Printed at the Clarendon Press by Horace Hart, M.A. Printer to the University

DEDICATED to
SIR EDWARD J. POYNTER Baronet
President of the Royal Academy
in Token of Friendship and Regard

PREFACE
It is much easier to understand and remember a thing when a reason is given for it, than when we are merely shown how to do it without being told why it is so done; for in the latter case, instead of being assisted by reason, our real help in all study, we have to rely upon memory or our power of imitation, and to do simply as we are told without thinking about it. The consequence is that at the very first difficulty we are left to flounder about in the dark, or to remain inactive till the master comes to our assistance.
Now in this book it is proposed to enlist the reasoning faculty from the very first: to let one problem grow out of another and to be dependent on the foregoing, as in geometry, and so to explain each thing we do that there shall be no doubt in the mind as to the correctness of the proceeding. The student will thus gain the power of finding out any new problem for himself, and will therefore acquire a true knowledge of perspective.

CONTENTS
BOOK I Page THE NECESSITY OF THE STUDY OF PERSPECTIVE TO PAINTERS, SCULPTORS, AND ARCHITECTS 1 WHAT IS PERSPECTIVE? 6 THE THEORY OF PERSPECTIVE: I. Definitions 13 II. The Point of Sight, the Horizon, and the Point of Distance. 15 III. Point of Distance 16 IV. Perspective of a Point, Visual Rays, &c. 20 V. Trace and Projection 21 VI. Scientific Definition of Perspective 22 RULES: VII. The Rules and Conditions of Perspective 24 VIII. A Table or Index of the Rules of Perspective 40
BOOK II
THE PRACTICE OF PERSPECTIVE: IX. The Square in Parallel Perspective 42 X. The Diagonal 43 XI. The Square 43 XII. Geometrical and Perspective Figures Contrasted 46 XIII. Of Certain Terms made use of in Perspective 48 XIV. How to Measure Vanishing or Receding Lines 49 XV. How to Place Squares in Given Positions 50 XVI. How to Draw Pavements, &c. 51 XVII. Of Squares placed Vertically and at Different Heights, or the Cube in Parallel Perspective 53 XVIII. The Transposed Distance 53 XIX. The Front View of the Square and of the Proportions of Figures at Different Heights 54 XX. Of Pictures that are Painted according to the Position they are to Occupy 59 XXI. Interiors 62 XXII. The Square at an Angle of 45�� 64 XXIII. The Cube at an Angle of 45�� 65 XXIV. Pavements Drawn by Means of Squares at 45�� 66 XXV. The Perspective Vanishing Scale 68 XXVI. The Vanishing Scale can be Drawn to any Point on the Horizon 69 XXVII. Application of Vanishing Scales to Drawing Figures 71 XXVIII. How to Determine the Heights of Figures on a Level Plane 71 XXIX. The Horizon above the Figures 72 XXX. Landscape Perspective 74 XXXI. Figures of Different Heights. The Chessboard 74 XXXII. Application of the Vanishing Scale to Drawing Figures at an Angle when their Vanishing Points are Inaccessible or Outside the Picture 77 XXXIII. The Reduced Distance. How to Proceed when the Point of Distance is Inaccessible 77 XXXIV. How to Draw a Long Passage or Cloister by Means of the Reduced Distance 78 XXXV. How to Form a Vanishing Scale that shall give the Height, Depth, and Distance of any Object in the Picture 79 XXXVI. Measuring Scale on Ground 81 XXXVII. Application of the Reduced Distance and