A selective guide to important publications on visual, optical, graphical and technical perspective.
Perspective is a vast interdisciplinary subject with a history extending from antiquity to contemporary digital imaging. Its literature encompasses art, geometry, optics, visual perception, architecture, photography, cinema, engineering drawing, computer graphics, virtual reality and many other fields.
This study guide provides a structured introduction to influential books, articles, theses, treatises, reference works and conference publications. It is intended for students, artists, designers, architects, researchers and others seeking a route through the extensive literature of perspective.
The guide is selective rather than exhaustive. For a much larger research resource, consult the Bibliography of Perspective, which contains approximately 15,000 titles derived from the work of Luigi Vagnetti and Professor Kim Veltman.
Suggested Reading Routes
Readers new to perspective may begin with the introductory publications by Alison Cole, Lawrence Wright, Martin Kemp, Fred Dubery and John Willats, E. H. Gombrich and Craig Attebery.
Those primarily interested in drawing and graphical construction may proceed to Rex Vicat Cole, Robert W. Gill, Willy A. Bärtschi, G. J. ten Doesschate, Albert Flocon and André Barre, and the historical perspective treatises listed later on this page.
Readers studying the history and cultural significance of perspective should consult John White, William M. Ivins, Martin Kemp, James Elkins, Kirsti Andersen and Kim Veltman.
For vision, optics and pictorial perception, useful starting points include R. L. Gregory, J. J. Gibson, M. D. Vernon, Ian P. Howard and Brian J. Rogers, and George Smith and David A. Atchison.
Advanced researchers should also consult the PRC’s published books, the Bibliography of Perspective, the Encyclopaedia of Perspective, specialist conference proceedings and the original historical sources.
PRC Publications
Alan Stuart Radley — The Past, Present and Future of Visual and Optical Perspective
Second edition, 2026
A wide-ranging introduction to the history, theory, applications and future possibilities of visual and optical perspective. The book examines perspective across art, optics, geometry, architecture, photography, cinema, computer graphics, virtual reality and artificial intelligence.
Alan Stuart Radley — Dictionary of Perspective
Second edition, 2026
A comprehensive dictionary, encyclopaedic reference and taxonomy devoted to visual, optical and technical perspective. It contains more than 4,000 terms and identifies approximately 1,200 types and forms of perspective.
Alan Stuart Radley — Natural and Visual Perspective
Forthcoming
A detailed study of Natural Perspective and Visual Perspective Type 2, including natural appearance, monocular and binocular vision, retinal image formation, stereopsis, natural scaling, visual distortion, the Sphere of Vision, and optical and geometrical vanishing structures.
Kim H. Veltman — Studies on Leonardo da Vinci I: Linear Perspective and the Visual Dimensions of Science and Art
1986
An extensive historical study of Leonardo da Vinci, linear perspective and the relationships between visual knowledge, art and science.
General Introductions to Perspective
Alison Cole — Perspective: A Visual Guide to the Theory and Techniques
1992
An accessible visual introduction to the history and methods of perspective. Particularly suitable for beginners, younger readers and students encountering the subject for the first time.
B. A. R. Carter — “Perspective”
1970
An introductory article in The Oxford Companion to Art, edited by Harold Osborne. Carter, who was Professor of Perspective at the Royal Academy, provides a clear introduction to graphical and linear perspective.
Lawrence Wright — Perspective in Perspective
1983
One of the best general introductions to the history and methods of perspective. Wright explains the subject through the relationships between the object or scene, the observer, the picture plane and the perspective image. The book also discusses applications in art, topography, architecture, landscape, optics, photography and cinema.
Leonard Goldstein — The Social and Cultural Roots of Linear Perspective
1988
An examination of the cultural, social and intellectual conditions surrounding the development of linear perspective and its wider role in art, science and technology.
Martin Kemp — The Science of Art: Optical Themes in Western Art from Brunelleschi to Seurat
1992
A major study of the relationships between art, optics, geometry and scientific knowledge. It provides a broad account of perspective and related optical techniques in Western art.
Fred Dubery and John Willats — Drawing Systems
1972
A concise introduction to the principal graphical and geometrical systems used to represent three-dimensional space.
Fred Dubery and John Willats — Perspective and Other Drawing Systems
1983
An expanded treatment of perspective and alternative drawing systems, including their geometrical principles and representational functions.
Craig Attebery — The Complete Guide to Perspective Drawing
2018
A detailed illustrated guide ranging from fundamental construction to one-, two-, three-, four-, five- and six-point perspective. Suitable for beginners and advanced practitioners.
E. H. Gombrich — Art and Illusion: A Study in the Psychology of Pictorial Representation
1960
A major study of representation, visual interpretation, pictorial convention and illusion. It provides an important introduction to the relationship between natural appearance, human vision and graphical representation.
Ernest R. Norling — Perspective Made Easy
A widely used practical introduction to linear-perspective drawing and the construction of spatial depth.
John Raynes — A Complete Guide to Perspective
2005
An illustrated guide to graphical and geometrical perspective for artists and designers.
Michael E. Helms — Perspective Drawing: A Step-by-Step Handbook
1990
A practical introduction to perspective construction and spatial drawing.
Robert W. Gill — Perspective: From Basic to Creative
2006
A useful practical guide covering both elementary construction and more creative applications of graphical perspective. Some explanations should be compared with more technical sources.
Ernest W. Watson — How to Use Creative Perspective
1955
A visually effective guide to the practical and creative use of perspective in drawing and illustration.
Nigel V. Walters and John Bromham — Principles of Perspective
1970
A technical introduction to the principles of graphical and geometrical perspective.
P. J. Booker — A History of Engineering Drawing
1979
A valuable study of the development of engineering drawing, descriptive geometry and technical systems of spatial representation.
Graphical and Technical Perspective
Rex Vicat Cole — Perspective: The Practice and Theory of Perspective as Applied to Pictures, with a Section Dealing with Its Application to Architecture
1941
A substantial and detailed treatment of graphical perspective, geometrical construction and architectural application.
Rex Vicat Cole — Perspective for Artists
1976
A later edition of Cole’s practical and theoretical study of perspective for artists and architects.
Willy A. Bärtschi — Linear Perspective: Its History, Directions for Construction, and Aspects in the Environment and the Fine Arts
A major visual and technical study of graphical, geometrical and linear perspective. Its “circle of view” approach provides a particularly clear explanation of the problems involved in representing spatial appearance.
Willy A. Bärtschi — Perspektive: Geschichte, Konstruktionsanleitung und Erscheinungsformen in Umwelt und bildender Kunst
1976
The original German edition of Bärtschi’s study.
G. J. ten Doesschate — Perspective: Fundamentals, Controversials, History
1964
A classic technical study sometimes described as a foundational reference or “Bible” of technical perspective.
Albert Flocon and André Barre — Curvilinear Perspective: From Visual Space to the Constructed Image
1987
The standard modern study of curvilinear perspective and the relationship between visual space and graphical construction.
David Chelsea — Extreme Perspective! For Artists
2011
An illustrated guide to curvilinear, cylindrical, fisheye, isometric and other wide-field or highly spatial drawing systems.
William Herdman — A Treatise on the Curvilinear Perspective of Nature and Its Applicability to Art
1853
An important nineteenth-century study of curvilinear appearance and its graphical representation.
Robert W. Gill — Basic Perspective
1975
A practical introduction distinguished by clear diagrams.
Robert W. Gill — Creative Perspective
1975
A companion volume examining more inventive and expressive uses of graphical perspective.
Gwen White — Book of Pictorial Perspective
1954
A clear illustrated account of pictorial perspective.
Gwen White — Perspective: A Guide for Artists, Architects and Designers
1982
A strong practical introduction to perspective construction for visual and design professions.
Douglas Cooper — Drawing and Perceiving
1983
A visually rich examination of drawing, observation and spatial perception.
John M. Holmes — Applied Perspective
1948
A practical guide containing particularly effective visual explanations.
J. M. Parramón — Perspective
1982
An illustrated introduction to geometrical perspective.
Claudius Coulin — Step-by-Step Perspective Drawing
1983
A practical guide to artistic perspective construction.
Kazimierz Bartel — Perspektywa Malarska
1958
A detailed Polish study of painting perspective, containing extensive diagrams and theoretical material.
Eckhart Dietz — Das Schiefe und das Rechte, Books 1 and 2
Date not stated
A specialist investigation of parallel perspective, supported by extensive perspective diagrams.
G. A. Storey — Theory and Practice of Perspective
1910
A classic technical work on the theory and application of perspective.
W. Abbott — Perspective
1950
A traditional technical introduction to perspective.
Otto Patzelt — Faszination des Scheins: 500 Jahre Geschichte der Perspektive
1991
A highly illustrated account of five centuries of perspective history and construction.
Filippo Camerota — Nel segno di Masaccio: L’invenzione della prospettiva
2001
A large-format, richly illustrated study of Masaccio and the invention of Renaissance perspective.
History of Perspective
John White — The Birth and Rebirth of Pictorial Space
1967
A foundational study of the development of pictorial space from medieval art to the Renaissance.
Lewis B. Andrews — A Space of Time: Continuous Narrative and Linear Perspective in Quattrocento Tuscan Art
1988
An advanced doctoral study of continuous narrative, time and linear perspective in fifteenth-century Tuscan art.
Gisela M. A. Richter — Perspective in Greek and Roman Art
1970
A study of spatial and three-dimensional representation in Greek and Roman art.
Martin Kemp — “Geometrical Perspective from Brunelleschi to Desargues”
1984
A historical account of geometrical perspective from the early Renaissance to the seventeenth century.
Rudolf Arnheim — “Brunelleschi’s Peepshow”
1978
A classic discussion of Brunelleschi’s perspective experiment and its interpretation.
Michael Kubovy — The Psychology of Perspective and Renaissance Art
1986
An examination of the invention of linear perspective and its psychological and pictorial implications.
Miriam Schild Bunim — Space in Medieval Painting and the Forerunners of Perspective
1970
A study of medieval systems of spatial representation and their relationship to Renaissance perspective.
John North — “The Astrolabe”
1974
An article examining the astrolabe, geometrical projection and systems of representation in the late Middle Ages.
Rocco Sinisgalli — Perspective in the Visual Culture of Classical Antiquity
2012
An investigation of optics and perspective in ancient visual culture.
James Elkins — The Poetics of Perspective
1994
A critical and interpretative history of perspective and its theoretical assumptions.
William M. Ivins Jr — Art and Geometry
1946
A classic study of geometry, visual representation and the intellectual significance of perspective.
William M. Ivins Jr — On the Rationalization of Sight
1988 edition
An influential discussion of perspective, image reproduction and the rational organisation of visual experience.
Kim H. Veltman — “Ptolemy and the Origins of Perspective”
1980
A study of Ptolemy, optics, projection and the historical origins of perspective.
Thomas DaCosta Kaufmann — “The Perspective of Shadows: The History of the Theory of Shadow Projection”
1975
A historical study of shadow construction and the perspective projection of outlines.
Leonardo da Vinci — A Treatise on Painting
First published 1651
A foundational compilation of Leonardo’s writings on painting, vision, light, form and perspective.
H. H. Arnason — A History of Modern Art
1969
A general history of modern art containing useful material on changing systems of pictorial space and representation.
Kirsti Andersen — The Geometry of an Art: The History of the Mathematical Theory of Perspective from Alberti to Monge
2007
A major historical study of the mathematical theory and construction of perspective.
Kirsti Andersen — “The History of Linear Perspective from 1435 to the End of the Eighteenth Century, Seen in a Mathematical Perspective”
1988
A specialist study of the mathematical development of linear perspective.
William V. Dunning — Changing Images of Pictorial Space: A History of Spatial Illusion in Painting
1991
A history of spatial representation and pictorial illusion.
Massimo Scolari — Oblique Drawing: A History of Anti-Perspective
2012
A major history of oblique representation and systems that depart from central linear perspective.
Kenneth R. Adams and others — “Inverted Perspective in Art”
1972
A study of inverted or reverse perspective in pictorial representation.
Vision, Optics and Pictorial Perception
M. D. Vernon — The Psychology of Perception
1973
A classic introduction to perception and physiological optics.
M. D. Vernon — Experiments in Visual Perception
1966
An experimental study of visual perception.
R. L. Gregory — Eye and Brain
1998 edition
A widely read introduction to vision, perception and the interpretation of visual information.
R. L. Gregory — The Intelligent Eye
1971
A study of human vision as an active interpretative process.
Sir Stewart Duke-Elder — System of Ophthalmology, Volume I: The Eye in Evolution
1958
A major ophthalmological study of the evolution and functioning of human and animal eyes.
R. A. Weale — The Vertebrate Eye
1978
A scientific account of the anatomy, optics and operating principles of the vertebrate eye.
James P. C. Southall — Helmholtz’s Treatise on Physiological Optics
1962 edition
A major English edition of Hermann von Helmholtz’s classic work on physiological optics and visual perception.
George Smith and David A. Atchison — The Eye and Visual Optical Instruments / Optics of the Human Eye
2000
An important technical study of the optical characteristics of the human eye.
David D. Michaels — Visual Optics and Refraction
1980
A specialist introduction to visual optics, refraction and image formation in the eye.
M. H. Freeman — Optics
1990
A general study of optics containing material relevant to vision and the human eye.
Ian P. Howard and Brian J. Rogers — Binocular Vision and Stereopsis
1995
A major reference work on binocular vision, retinal disparity, depth perception and stereopsis.
J. J. Gibson — The Perception of the Visual World
1950
A foundational statement of Gibson’s ecological approach to visual perception.
J. J. Gibson — “The Information Available in Pictures”
1971
An influential paper concerning the visual information contained in pictures.
Margaret Hagen, editor — The Perception of Pictures, Volumes 1 and 2
1980
An important interdisciplinary collection of papers on pictorial perception.
Calvin F. Nodine and Dennis F. Fisher, editors — Perception and Pictorial Representation
1979
A collection examining perception, image interpretation and pictorial representation.
Arthur H. Sedgwick — “The Visible Horizon: A Potential Source of Visual Information for the Perception of Size and Distance”
1973
An important paper on the horizon as a source of visual information for judging size and distance.
J. L. Ward — “The Perception of Pictorial Space in Pictures”
1976
A study of perceived depth and spatial organisation in pictures.
W. A. Adams — “Problems of Pictorial Perception”
1977
A discussion of theoretical problems involved in viewing and interpreting pictures.
Rudolf Arnheim — “Perception of Perspective Pictorial Space from Different Viewing Points”
1977
A study of how the viewing position affects perceived pictorial space.
Julian Hochberg — “The Psychophysics of Pictorial Perception”
1962
A study of the psychological and perceptual processes involved in viewing pictures.
S. Rogers and Alan Costall — “On the Horizon: Picture Perception and Gibson’s Concept of Information”
1983
A theoretical discussion of horizon information and Gibson’s ecological account of perception.
Perspective Theory
G. J. ten Doesschate — Perspective: Fundamentals, Controversials, History
1964
A major theoretical and technical study of the foundations, controversies and history of perspective.
M. H. Pirenne — Optics, Painting and Photography
1970
A classic study of the relationships between optical image formation, painting, photography and visual perception.
Erwin Panofsky — Perspective as Symbolic Form
English edition, 1991
An influential interpretation of perspective as a historically and culturally conditioned symbolic system.
Albert Flocon and André Barre — Curvilinear Perspective
1987
A primary theoretical and practical study of curvilinear projection.
Robert Hansen — “This Curving World: Hyperbolic Linear Perspective”
1973
A study of alternative curvilinear and hyperbolic systems of graphical perspective.
Kenneth R. Adams — “Perspective and Viewpoint”
1972
A theoretical discussion of perspective and the position of the observer.
E. H. Gombrich — “The Visual Image”
1972
An examination of images, visual communication and pictorial interpretation.
David Carrier — “Perspective as a Convention: On the Views of Nelson Goodman and Ernst Gombrich”
1980
A philosophical discussion of whether perspective should be understood as a convention.
James Elkins — “Renaissance Perspectives”
1992
A theoretical reconsideration of Renaissance perspective.
Christopher Wood — “The Perspective Treatise in Ruins”
2003
A critical study of the history, authority and fragmentation of the perspective treatise.
Richard Greene — “Determining the Preferred Viewpoint in Linear Perspective”
1983
A study of the viewing position from which a perspective image appears geometrically correct.
G. Coppel — “Old Perspective and New Vision”
1982
A comparison of historical perspective systems with modern theories of vision.
Rudolf Arnheim — “Hansen’s Curvilinear Perspective”
1974
A critical discussion of Robert Hansen’s system of curvilinear perspective.
Stanley Brampton Parker — “The Vertical Vanishing Point”
1947
A technical paper on vertical convergence and vanishing-point construction.
E. H. Gombrich — “Mirror and Map”
1975
A theoretical discussion of different modes of visual representation.
E. H. Gombrich — “Standards of Truth: The Arrested Image and the Moving Eye”
1980
An examination of visual truth, fixed images and active observation.
E. H. Gombrich — “Topos and Topicality in Renaissance Art”
1975
A study of visual conventions and recurring themes in Renaissance representation.
E. H. Gombrich — “Nature and Art as Needs of the Mind”
1981
A discussion of representation, cognition and the relationship between nature and art.
Nicoletta Misler, editor — Pavel Florensky: Beyond Vision
2002
A collection presenting Florensky’s writings on art, vision, space and reverse perspective.
Stephen R. Ellis, editor — Spatial Displays and Spatial Instruments
1987
Proceedings of a NASA conference containing multiple papers on spatial displays, instruments and visual information.
Paul Ernest Debevec — Modelling and Rendering Architecture from Photographs
Date recorded on the original PRC list: 1992
An influential doctoral study of image-based modelling and the reconstruction of architecture from photographs.
Robert Markley, editor — Virtual Realities and Their Discontents
1995
A collection examining the theory and cultural implications of virtual reality.
Michael Heim — The Metaphysics of Virtual Reality
1993
A philosophical examination of virtual environments, digital representation and experience.
Illusion, Anamorphosis and Representation
M. L. d’Otrange Mastai — Illusion in Art: Trompe l’Oeil—A History of Pictorial Illusionism
1975
A history of illusionistic representation and trompe-l’œil.
Fred Leeman — Hidden Images: Games of Perception, Anamorphic Art, Illusion from the Renaissance to the Present
1977
A classic illustrated study of anamorphosis, hidden images and perceptual illusion.
R. L. Gregory — Illusion in Nature and Art
1998 edition
A broad study of visual illusion in natural perception and artistic representation.
J. O. Robinson — The Psychology of Visual Illusion
1972
A psychological account of visual illusions and their causes.
Célestine Dars — Images of Deception: The Art of Trompe-l’Oeil
1979
An illustrated history of trompe-l’œil and pictorial deception.
J. B. Deregowski — Distortion in Art: The Eye and Mind
1984
A study of visual distortion, pictorial convention and perception.
Jurgis Baltrušaitis — Aberrations
1957
A historical and cultural study of unusual, distorted and marginal forms of visual representation.
Jurgis Baltrušaitis — Anamorphoses
1969
A major historical study of anamorphic images and transformed perspective.
Photography, Cinema and Optical Media
Helmut Gernsheim — The Origins of Photography
1982
A classic history of the photographic process and its early development.
Abelardo Morell — Camera Obscura
2004
A collection of photographs created through large-scale camera-obscura installations.
John H. Hammond — The Camera Obscura: A Chronicle
1981
A historical account of the camera obscura and its applications.
John H. Hammond — The Camera Lucida in Art and Science
1987
A history of the camera lucida as an instrument for drawing, observation and scientific recording.
Jacques Remise and others — Magie lumineuse: Du théâtre d’ombres à la lanterne magique
1979
A history of shadow theatre, magic lanterns and projected optical entertainment.
Ralph Hyde — Panorama! The Art and Entertainment of the “All-Embracing” View
1988
A richly illustrated history of panoramic painting and immersive visual entertainment.
Stephan Oettermann — The Panorama: History of a Mass Medium
1997
A major history of the panorama as a visual and cultural medium.
Albert Hoffmann — Das Stereoskop
1990
A history of stereoscopic instruments and imagery.
Martin Quigley — Magic Shadows: The Story of the Origin of Motion Pictures
1948
A history of the optical and technological origins of moving images.
R. M. Hayes — 3-D Movies: A History and Filmography of Stereoscopic Cinema
1989
A history and filmography of three-dimensional cinema.
R. M. Hayes — Wide Screen Movies: A History and Filmography of Wide-Screen Filmmaking
1988
A history of wide-screen motion-picture formats.
Françoise Reynaud, Françoise Tambrun and Kim Timby — Paris in 3D: From Stereoscopy to Virtual Reality, 1850–2000
2000
A history of stereoscopic imagery and immersive representation in Paris.
Geometry, Architecture and Technical Representation
Jean Nicod — Foundations of Geometry and Induction
1930
A classic philosophical study of geometry and the foundations of spatial reasoning.
Gaspard Monge — An Elementary Treatise on Descriptive Geometry
Modern reprint, 2020
A foundational work on descriptive geometry and the graphical representation of three-dimensional forms.
Ernest R. Weidhaas — Architectural Drafting and Design
1974
A broad account of architectural drawing and the application of perspective to architectural design.
Gary Bertoline and others — Technical Graphics Communication
2008 edition
A major reference work on technical graphics, engineering drawing and visual communication.
J. W. Gordon — Generalised Linear Perspective Treated with Special Reference to Photographic Land Surveying and Military Reconnaissance
1922
A specialist work connecting perspective, photography, surveying and reconnaissance.
Alberto Pérez-Gómez and Louise Pelletier — Architectural Representation and the Perspective Hinge
2000
A major study of architectural representation, projection, perspective and the cultural assumptions embodied in drawing systems. It includes an extensive bibliography.
Patrick Maynard — Drawing Distinctions: The Varieties of Graphic Expression
2005
A philosophical examination of drawing and the different functions of graphic representation.
Linda Dalrymple Henderson — The Fourth Dimension and Non-Euclidean Geometry in Modern Art
2013 edition
A major study of higher-dimensional and non-Euclidean ideas in modern art.
Marianne Marcussen — Rumkonstruktioner
1984
A study of linear spatial constructions from ancient Egypt to the twentieth century in relation to mathematics, optics and psychology.
Brigitte Bøggild — Rumgengivelse i vesteuropæisk naturvidenskab og kunst
1978
A study of spatial representation in Western European science and art, including an extensive perspective bibliography.
Leonardo da Vinci and Perspective
Kim H. Veltman — Studies on Leonardo da Vinci I: Linear Perspective and the Visual Dimensions of Science and Art
1986
A detailed historical examination of Leonardo’s studies of perspective and the wider visual dimensions of science and art.
Francesca Fiorani, editor — Leonardo da Vinci and Optics
2013
A collection of studies examining Leonardo’s work on optics, light, vision and image formation.
Erwin Panofsky — The Codex Huygens and Leonardo da Vinci’s Art Theory
1976
A study of the Codex Huygens and its relationship to Leonardo’s theories of art, proportion and perspective.
Enrico Bellone and Paolo Rossi, editors — Leonardo e l’età della ragione
1982
A collection of papers from a conference on Leonardo da Vinci and the Age of Reason held at the University of Milan.
Comune di Vinci — La raccolta leonardesca della Contessa de Béhague
1980
An illustrated publication documenting the Leonardo collection of the Comtesse de Béhague.
Major Bibliographies and Reference Works
Kim H. Veltman — Literature on Perspective: A Select Bibliography, 1971–1984
1984
A selective bibliography of publications on perspective.
Kim H. Veltman and the Perspective Research Centre — Bibliography of Perspective
2020–present
A major bibliography containing approximately 15,000 titles drawn from primary and secondary literature on perspective and related subjects. It incorporates and extends earlier bibliographical work by Luigi Vagnetti and others.
Kim H. Veltman and the Perspective Research Centre — The Encyclopaedia of Perspective
2020
A multi-volume research resource incorporating The Sources and Literature of Perspective and the Bibliography of Perspective.
Herman Schüling — Geschichte der Linear-Perspektive im Lichte der Forschung von ca. 1870–1970
1975
A history of linear-perspective research accompanied by an extensive bibliography of secondary literature.
Luigi Vagnetti — De naturali et artificiali perspectiva
1979
An annotated bibliography of theoretical sources and historical research on perspective from Euclid to Gaspard Monge. Much of its material was later incorporated into Veltman’s bibliography.
Le Goff, Jean-Pierre, and contributors — Les Cahiers de la Perspective: Points de vue
1981–1987
A substantial multi-volume French collection of lectures and articles on visual, optical and technical perspective, assembled by IREM de Basse-Normandie.
Conference Proceedings and Collected Papers
Marisa Dalai Emiliani, editor — La prospettiva rinascimentale: Codificazioni e trasgressioni
1980
A collection of papers from the first major international conference devoted to Renaissance perspective.
Marisa Dalai Emiliani, editor — Piero della Francesca tra arte e scienza
1992
A collection examining Piero della Francesca’s work in relation to art, mathematics and science.
University of Barcelona — D’Art: Perspectiva i espai figuratiu
1994
A collection of conference studies on perspective and figurative space.
Rocco Sinisgalli — L’arte della matematica nella prospettiva
2006
A collection concerning mathematics and the art of perspective.
University at Albany — Art and Mathematics Conference: Proceedings
1992
A large-format collection containing papers on analytical, descriptive, projective and fractal geometry and their relationships with art.
Historical Perspective Treatises and Manuals
The following publications are important primary or early secondary sources for the history and practice of perspective. Some are available in modern facsimile or reprint editions.
Jean Cousin — Livre de perspective
1560; later reprints
An early French treatise on graphical perspective.
Daniele Barbaro — La pratica della perspettiva
1569; later reprints
A major Renaissance treatise on practical perspective.
Guidobaldo del Monte — Perspectivae libri sex
1600
A major mathematical treatise on perspective. A modern Italian translation and commentary by Rocco Sinisgalli was published in the twentieth century.
Pietro Accolti — Lo inganno de gl’occhi
1625; later reprints
A seventeenth-century treatise on perspective and the deception of sight.
Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola — Le due regole della prospettiva pratica
Historical and later editions
An influential practical treatise on perspective completed and published with commentary by Egnazio Danti.
Ferdinando Galli Bibiena — L’architettura civile
Historical and later editions
A major source on architectural, theatrical and stage perspective.
Thomas Malton — A Compleat Treatise on Perspective, in Theory and Practice
1775
A substantial eighteenth-century treatise based on the principles of Brook Taylor and illustrated with movable diagrams and plates.
James Ferguson — The Art of Drawing in Perspective Made Easy for Those Who Have No Previous Knowledge of Mathematics
1775
An accessible eighteenth-century manual intended to simplify perspective construction.
A. Chambers — The Practice of Perspective
1781
A practical British manual on perspective.
James Malton — The Young Painter’s Maulstick
1800
A practical treatise on perspective based on the methods of Vignola and Sirigatti, illustrated with engraved and aquatint plates.
Richard Brown — The Principles of Practical Perspective; or, Scenographic Projection
1815
A detailed treatise covering perspective construction, views from nature, shadows and elements of painting.
Charles Hayter — An Introduction to Perspective, Drawing and Painting
1825 edition
An instructional manual combining perspective, drawing and painting.
George Dollond — The Camera Lucida: An Instrument for Drawing in True Perspective
1830
A description of the camera lucida and its use in copying, reducing and enlarging drawings.
A. D. Vergnaud — Manuel de perspective, du dessinateur et du peintre
1835 edition
A French manual of perspective for draughtsmen and painters.
Butler Williams — A Manual for Teaching Model-Drawing from Solid Forms
1843
A teaching manual combining model drawing with a popular introduction to perspective.
Aaron Penley — The Elements of Perspective
1851 edition
An instructional work illustrated with numerous examples and diagrams.
Felix Duffin — Perspective: A Treatise Intended, with or without Models, as a Complete Guide for Self-Instruction
1852
A self-instruction manual accompanied by lithographic plates.
William Gawin Herdman — A Treatise on the Curvilinear Perspective of Nature and Its Applicability to Art
1853
An early and important investigation of curvilinear perspective.
R. Burchett — Linear Perspective for the Use of Schools of Art
1856
A teaching manual produced for art education.
Thomas Bradley — Elements of Geometrical Drawing
1885
A two-volume work covering practical geometry, orthographic drawing and perspective projection.
Joseph Vaughan — Moffatt’s Perspective for Second-Grade Art Students
1890
A nineteenth-century instructional manual for art students.
Meir Stein — Det italienske renæssanceteater og perspektivscenens oprindelse
1969
A study of Italian Renaissance theatre and the origins of the perspective stage.
Joshua Reynolds — Theory and Practice of Perspective
Historical text; later reprint
A practical treatise on perspective.
Cosimo Bartoli — Del modo di misurare
Historical text; modern reprint edited by Theodore Besterman
A Renaissance work on measurement containing significant visual and geometrical material.
Birgit Seidenfuß — Das wird also die geometrische Perspektiv genannt
2006
A modern study of geometrical perspective supported by historical diagrams.
Laura Iamurri — Study of Edme-Sébastien Jeaurat’s Traité de perspective à l’usage des artistes
1993
A modern examination of Jeaurat’s treatise on perspective for artists.
About This Guide
This page provides a selective route through the literature of perspective. It does not attempt to list every relevant publication, nor does it imply that the included works agree with the terminology, classifications or conclusions developed by the Perspective Research Centre.
Some publications approach perspective primarily as a drawing method. Others examine optics, visual perception, geometry, representation, instruments, photography, cinema, architecture or digital imaging. Together, they demonstrate the scale and interdisciplinary character of the field.
Bibliographical records on this page have been compiled from the PRC’s research collections and earlier study notes. Historical titles, dates, translated titles and edition details should be checked against the Bibliography of Perspective or the original publication before being used in formal scholarly citations.
Suggestions of important publications not yet represented in this guide are welcome through the Contact page.