Quadratura is a type of illusion-based painting, often associated with Baroque, that uses perspective techniques to create spatial effects such as depth and space where none exist. I find such work really amazing because of how often we take for granted the technology we have at our fingertips. Yet, centuries ago, artists who had no such technology created pieces that are still greater and more inspired than so much of what we see and produce today. Also good is the illustration of creativity and problem solving, something that is more important than ever. Sometimes we get distracted by the technology and lose sight of the vision, so I wanted to share some of these pieces.

Above is the Apotheosis of St. Ignatius by Andrea Pozzo. I used this for my After Effects assignment. This seems to be one of, if not the, most well-known example of this technique. The example below, by Andrea Mantegna (Andrea seems to be a popular name back then), is not as fantastical but it still aims to represent a further-reaching reality with the given space.

Honestly I think this older work offers a lot more depth than much the contemporary stuff we have floating around today. Maybe that says more about our culture than it does about our talent.

Above you can see The Triumph of Divine Providence by Pietro da Cortona. These works came from a time when individuals felt an obligation to the world, compared to now when individuals feel they are owed by the world. Perhaps this goes some way in explaining the differences in what we create then and now. Below we have a final example, also from da Cortona:

Just to recap, in IFDM we have access to great technology that makes production quite easy and versatile, but that does not determine the quality of our vision. I think that is illustrated by these magnificent works, from a time when artists were afforded no such ease yet had to illustrate a greater vision than we often find in today’s world.