IMSS - VI.4. Aerial Perspective

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	VI.4.a Aerial perspective in Leonardo's paintings Video animation of the landscapes in the Annunciation, the Virgin of the Rocks (Louvre), the Saint Anne (Louvre) and the Mona Lisa IMSS multimedia laboratory In the landscapes appearing in the background of Leonardo's paintings, the rules of aerial perspective create the illusion of an infinite distance, into which the scene gradually fades and blurs.

[VI.4 Aerial Perspective]

In addition to linear perspective, Leonardo introduces two more kinds of perspective: that of colors and of "notizia", or the definition of the contours of bodies. Together, they constitute "aerial" perspective, a phenomenon generated by the air interposed between the eye and the object. The interposition of a greater amount of air (that is, a greater distance) makes objects appear not only smaller but also lighter in color with a bluish tinge, and with more blurred contours.