Hans Belting's 'Florence and Baghdad' traces Arab origins of Renaissance perspective
In "Florence and Baghdad: A History of the Gaze Between East and West," art historian Hans Belting posits that the linear perspective, often regarded as a hallmark of the European Renaissance, was actually pioneered by the Arab mathematician Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) during the 11th century. Belting explores Alhazen's 'Kitab al-Manazir' (Book of Optics), which was published in Cairo in 1028 and later circulated in Latin as 'Perspectiva' from the 13th century. Alhazen's findings revealed that light rays enter the eye, challenging the theories of Ptolemy and Euclid. The book, consisting of six chapters, has faced criticism for its broad generalizations about Islamic aniconism and for neglecting the contributions of Al-Kindi.
Key facts
- Hans Belting's 'Florence and Baghdad' was first published in Germany in 2008.
- The French translation is by Naïma Ghermani and Audrey Rieber.
- Belting argues that linear perspective originated with Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen) in 1028 Cairo.
- Alhazen's 'Kitab al-Manazir' was translated into Latin as 'Perspectiva' in the 13th century.
- The book critiques the Eurocentric narrative of perspective as a Renaissance invention.
- Belting contrasts European 'window' with Middle Eastern 'screen' in visual culture.
- The work engages with Cassirer and Panofsky's theories of symbolic forms.
- Critics note Belting overstates Islamic aniconism and ignores Al-Kindi's rival optical theory.
Entities
Artists
- Hans Belting
- Ibn al-Haytham (Alhazen)
- Leon Battista Alberti
- Filippo Brunelleschi
- Lorenzo Ghiberti
- Ernst Cassirer
- Erwin Panofsky
- Jacques Lacan
- Al-Kindi
- Orhan Pamuk
- Robert Irwin
- Richard Ettinghausen
- Duncan Haldane
- David James
- Naïma Ghermani
- Audrey Rieber
- Nicolas Schaub
Institutions
- Heidelberg University
- University of Munich
- Karlsruhe University of Arts and Design (HfG)
- Collège de France
- Gallimard
Locations
- Florence
- Baghdad
- Cairo
- Egypt
- Basra
- Iraq
- Bâle
- Switzerland
- Germany
- France
- United States
- Europe
- Middle East
Sources
- artpress —