Witelonis perspectivae liber quartus Book IV of Witelo's Perspectiva : a critical edition and English translation with introduction, notes and commentary

This work is a critical Latin edition-with an accompanying English translation, commentary and introduction-of Book IV of the Polish philosopher Witelo’s Perspectiva. It is part of a series of critical editions of all ten books of the treatise (four have already been completed). Written in the mid-1270’s by the Polish scholar Witelo, the Perspectiva was a valued university textbook throughout the later Middle Ages in the study of "liberal arts." It is both a compilation and culmination of ancient and medieval optical theories, such as those of Euclid, Ptolemy, Avicenna and Alhacen. In fact, Witelo’s chief sources in Book IV are Alhacen’s De aspectibus as well as Euclid’s Elements and Optics (Liber de visu). Unfortunately though, this brings up a basic problem with Book IV. As the introduction of this work will show, Witelo adds little to his sources in terms of original thought and thus brings into question his intellectual contribution to the Perspectivist tradition. For example, Book IV, at times, seems nothing more than a copy of portions of Alhacen’s De aspectibus. However, like the previously-edited books of the Perspectiva (i.e., Books 1-3 and 5), this one snows Witelo to be, if not a brilliant innovator, at least a gifted organizer of thought and more than a mere imitator. Book IV poses several intriguing ancillary problems as well. Take, for example, the opinion of such art historians as Erwin Panofsky and David Summers that Perspectivist thought and even Witelo’s own optical account-particularly his treatment of the twenty-two visible intentions in Book IV-was instrumental in the development of Renaissance aesthetics among the likes of Lorenzo Ghiberti and Leonardo da Vinci. After examining Ghiberti’s Commentario Terzo and Leonardo’s Treatise on Painting in the introduction of this work, it is clear that Book IV’s role was more inspirational than specific in the aesthetic writings of Ghiberti and Leonardo. For example, Leonardo cites Witelo by name several times, but the Perspectivist principles used by Leonardo (e.g., light and shadow in the technique of chiaroscuro) are often paraphrased and difficult to attribute to him or, for that matter, to other Perspectivist scholars. These are among the cardinal issues that provide the critical framework as well as the historical context for this edition. However, the text at issue has much broader significance and potential for greater applications. Because of its numerous theoretical and psychological implications, Book IV of Witelo’s Perspectiva crosses over several disciplines besides the history of science, including philosophy, psychology and art history (i.e., aesthetics). For this reason, among others, this critical edition should prove to be valuable to the humanities as a whole.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph. D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Doctoral

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

History (MU)

Grantor dc:publisher

University of Missouri--Columbia

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Kelso, Carl J., Jr.

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Smith, A. Mark

Statement dc:rights

• OpenAccess.

Language dc:language.iso

eng, lat, English, Latin

DOI

https://doi.org/10.32469/10355/110414

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:mospace.umsystem.edu:10355/110414