A Man Between the Four Corners of the Earth

Abstract

The study A Man Between the Four Corners of the Earth outlines, firstly, the role and position of the beholder as a central unit in a spatial area and, secondly, the relevance of the concept of the flat surface of an image in the current practice of image-making. The latter aspect seems important for discussion because of its discrepancy with general knowledge on the spherical character of the surface of celestial objects. As long as there is an attempt to perceive the image as a substitute for real scenery, the conflict between incontestable knowledge and the rational features of an artificial space will trigger substantial arguments on both sides.

The development of the concept of depicted space in Early Renaissance art shows both true scholarly discipline and pragmatism, the validity of which is still undoubted. Accordingly, the flat surface concept of linear perspective should be understood as a rational and conscious decision which was implemented by researchers of the 15th century and recognized by the broadest community of professionals in the centuries that followed. This study offers a classification of the kinds of spatial conceptions as well as the formation of an image based on natural coordinates and the basic principles of observation. The conformity between the subjective origins of perspectival viewing and the rational application of the principles of linear perspective is a phenomenon that substantiates the sovereign existence of an artificial space of an image.