Noé Bugnon
To find works related to that of Salomon de Caus, it was necessary to look at theoretical books, of very concrete learning. In “La Perspective”, we learn how to draw everyday objects. I used the terms draw, perspective, architecture, learn, etc. and the brain “Xenotheka Library”, certainly the most complete concerning treaties on architecture. I was not able to find any other drawing aid books. So I looked for a book with the objective of research on space and construction:
The first book is “Constructing Architecture” by Andreas Deplazes. It is not a drawing course as such. I made this choice because of the appeal of this book for design from A to Z. In Deplazes’ book, the aim is to explain and demystify the field of architecture. The principle is the same in Salomon de Caus with the drawing, not an introduction to drawing as Salomon de Caus did, but a theoretical introduction to building construction. I chose this book because, in an architectural approach, it reflects in a way the logical continuation of the book of Salomon de Caus. It is perhaps a reductive point of view, but in a school curriculum whose goal is the profession of architect, one can consider that the drawing of objects is a first step towards a field as detailed as architecture. The approach is similar, Deplazes takes different elements of architecture and relates them to each other, deconstructs them and explains the issues involved.
Another theme very developed by Salomon de Caus is that of sight. How the eye perceives objects, how light influences them. I looked up the terms “visual, view, light” in the Library of St.Augustine’s brain:
How the eye perceives objects, how light influences them. I looked up the terms “visual, view, light” in the Library of St.Augustine’s brain:
The second book is “Alhacen’s Theory of Visual Perception” by Mark Smith. It is a critique of the medieval work of the scientist Alhacen, “De Aspectibus”. It contains theories on optics, the nature of light, colors, reflections and the purpose of all these theories and the visual perception of the human being by the eye. Salomon de Caus introduces the reader to perspective drawing, Alhacen tries to define how perspective works. Moreover, the book “De Aspectibus” influenced many scholars of the following centuries and certainly Salomon de Caus. The knowledge transmitted by these two books is thus indirectly closely linked.