Dürer: the Mathematical Artist

I have long considered the artist and the mathematician to be incompatible specimens; geeks and creatives; oil and water. But artists such as Dürer, accomplished in both art and mathematics, certainly make a good case against my point of view.

German Renaissance printmaker Albrecht Dürer made significant contributions to mathematics in literature, publishing works about the principles of mathematics, perspective and ideal proportions. He succeeded at a time when other great thinkers, including polymaths Leonardo da Vinci and Piero della Francesca were thinking in new ways, combining art with mathematics as a way of expressing an ‘ultimate truth’. Nothing conveys Dürer’s capacity for combining the two like his famous engraving Melancholia I (1514):



Scholars have spent centuries analysing the truncated ‘rhombohedron’ (a kind of leaning cube shape) on the left of the image, as the exact geometry of the solid depicted is a subject of some academic debate (all of which involve ratio and angle calculations – not the typical ponderings of an arty type). ‘Dürer’s Solid’, as it is now known, is now part of a larger mathematical theory called the ‘Dürer Graph’ – his mathematical influence remains rife today.

Whatever inspired the creation this scientific art (or artistic science)? It seems the general feeling amongst the artist/mathematician hybrids is that mathematics makes art more beautiful.  The ‘Golden Ratio’ for example, applied by the Ancient Egyptians for the building of the pyramids, was regarded as being ‘aesthetically pleasing’.

Does mathematics really enhance art? The jury is still out.

Get to know Dürer and a wealth of other European artists in Dürer and Beyond: Central European Drawings 1400-1700 at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, exhibiting until the 3^rd September 2012. Alternatively, treat yourself to Dürer's most influential works with this beautifully illustrated high-quality art book.

Immortality Inspired Art

Immortality: the notion that one lives on past this life, thus helping us mere mortals digest the fear and grief brought on by death. Heavy investments of inestimable wealth into the unwavering belief that the afterlife exists has produced hugely lavish art, including majestic sculptures, tombs and precious artifacts.

The Han Dynasty, China’s second imperial family as of 206 BCE, was one such group of believers. The enormous wealth that awaited family members upon their passing would surely make one relish the chance to expire. Intricate burial chambers, kitchens, concubines and rooms crammed with the most precious of gems were just the tip of the iceberg, with reports of sacrificing the servants of certain VIPs to ensure they weren’t left alone in the afterlife. (Let’s hope you read the small-print of that employment contract).

Practices such as coating the body in jade was a technique used for the prevention of ‘demon’ attacks (i.e. the natural decomposition) and has left us with some stunning art.  This jade suit, from 2^nd century BCE, is from the tomb at Xuzhou and consists of 4000 jade pieces:



In today’s society, as I remain caged within the confines of what is arguably new-age greed, insolence and skepticism, my initial thought was “what a waste”. Those jade pieces (as well as the rest of the gold, silver, bronze, elephant tusks and ceramics accompanying the corpse) would surely better serve someone still living.  Considering belief in the afterlife was a spiritual matter, did it really concern the physical body to this expensive extent?

Of course, it’s easy to mock the conventional sentiments of the past from our perch at the peak of scientific knowledge, but, on second thought, perhaps we aren’t so different.  Would we be comfortable burying our relatives without a funeral?  Maybe, like us, the ‘no expense spared’ mantra we apply to the newly deceased is really more for the comfort of the living, who can revel in the knowledge that their loved one is enjoying the lap of luxury somewhere.

Preparing for immortality: superstitious mumbo-jumbo or money well spent?

If you want to learn more the ancient Chinese tombs, visit The Search for Immortality: Tomb Treasures of Han China exhibition at the Fitzwilliam Museum, London.  Entry is free.  Alternatively, pick up our Chinese Porcelain ebook, for some further insight into Chinese artist heritage.