The Ellipse - A circle seen in Perspective...

So what has an ellipse got to do with art? First off we need to understand what an ellipse is. The word ellipse comes from the ancient Greek word elleipsis and means ‘falling short’ and the concept is also tied to mathematics. Let us look at how this concept is tied to art. Let’s think about a circle, this is a basic shape yes, but in art we don’t just paint a circle, that shape is usually a part of something else, like the top of a bottle, the bottom of a glass, the top of a teacup, edge of a saucer etc.
How we describe this circle when we paint it will tell the viewer something about the perspective or where the artist was standing when they created the painting. This theory ties in with the concept of depth perception or creating dimension within a painting. The canvas or picture plane is a flat surface; if we want to create the illusion of three dimensions or depth we must understand these basic principals of art.

The Ellipse is actually the circle seen from an angle and that angle has everything to do with the height of our eye level and where we (the viewer) are positioned. If we stand and look out at the horizon, we see it as a straight line ‘before’ our eyes. That is eye level – everything viewed this way, including a circle will look different than if we view the same object below eye level or above eye level. Imagine you were the height of a small cat. You would walk around the house looking up at almost everything - it would all be above your eye level.  If you were a giraffe you would be looking down at many things, all of which would be below your eye level.

Let us look at the examples of the images below:

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  Here we see a photograph of a teacup and saucer sitting on a round cheese box. These circles (we know they are circles) are seen from an angle, as they are below eye level, and we are positioned away from the objects at an angle, the circles we observe on the rim of the cup, saucer and cheese box are now seen as an ellipse. This is why we refer to an ellipse as a ‘circle seen in perspective’ or from an angle. See how the shape of the circle now looks more like an oval instead of the perfect round shape.
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  Look at this change in perspective or lower eye level. We can now see into the cup, the circle that creates the shape of the teacup rim has now become a narrow ellipse, a direct result of lowering the objects and the change in perspective.
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  Look at this change in perspective or lower eye level. We can now see into the cup, the circle that creates the shape of the teacup rim has now become a narrow ellipse, a direct result of lowering the objects and the change in perspective.
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Thumbnail panels:

The Ellipse

So what has an ellipse got to do with art? Now that we understand what an ellipse is, let's look for them in a still life painting from an Old Dutch Master, Willem Claesz.

Willem Claesz Heda, Fruhstuckstisch,1631, Holland

Look closely to see the ellipses in this still life painting above. These are all circles seen in perspective. When we view the circle from certain angles, such as this one, we see the circle as an ellipse.

Where are the ellipses? - look closely, they are in the dishes, top of the drinking glasses and the metal cup. An ellipse can also be seen in the level of the liquid in the glass containers.

The Ellipse is a circle seen in perspective

Ellipses in a still life The circle that the artist sees at the top of a container is a foreshortened version because of our point of view (Perspective - look at the examples from bottom to the top) How we describe these circles (ellipses) when we paint them will tell the viewer something about the perspective or where the artist was standing when they created the painting. Observe how the width or diamater of the circle never changes, what changes is the tilt or distance between the front edge and the rear edge. This theory ties in with the concept of depth perception or creating dimension within a painting. The canvas or picture plane is a flat surface; if we want to create the illusion of three dimensions or depth we must understand these basic principles of art.

The vanishing point and perspective...

Perspective is a method we employ to describe depth. In all three dimensional compositions, the artist will utilize different effects and techniques to help them create a realistic rendition of depth. When first learning about perspective we hear the term - the vanishing point. This is a term that describes the point at which parallel lines called orthogonal lines converge and meet within a scene.

In the photographic examples below, look at the lines of perspective and how they all converge at the same central point. Where they converge or meet is called the vanishing point. When we drive down an open highway and the highway seems to disappear into the distance on the horizon, the point at which it vanishes is called the 'vanishing point' and they meet on the horizon.

The Vanishing Point - VP

During the Renaissance period, one of the first artists to use and explain this mathematical concept was Leon Battista Alberti. Alberti referred to the vanishing point as the centric and he wrote many documents which explained that the laws of perspective were tied to the laws of mathematics.

Imagine that you are standing on the sidewalk of this town's street. Here you can see the sidewalk diminish in width as it disappears into the distance. Your eyes can follow along the edge of the buildings and see that particular imaginary line also vanish at the point of the figures (people) at the end of the street. There is the vanishing point once again. Parallel lines converge at the vanishing point.

The 'Orthogonal' Lines converge at the vanishing point.

Vanishing points are all around us, we see them when we are driving down the highway, around our neighborhood streets, on a tree lined road, etc. Here is another example below. Perspective is a complex and large subject and the artist must have an understanding of the concept in order to help create depth and dimension within the painting. The parallel lines referred to (which converge at the vanishing point) are called orthogonal lines.

Perspective

If the artist were to describe the perspective of the image above, they would say that they can see the vanishing point at the end of the street. They can also see many imaginary orthogonal lines as they run parallel to the sidewalk, along the edge of the balconies, along the roof lines of the buildings and all converge at the same vanishing point. They would also say this photograph shows mostly One Point Perspective. One Vanishing Point.

Where is the vanishing point in this image? Is it off the picture plane to the right or left? At times artists will create paintings where the vanishing point is off the canvas surface.

One Point Perspective and one Vanishing Point...

Carl Theodor Reiffenstein, Frankfurt am Main, Zwinger am Eschenheimer,1875,

Germany, Media - Watercolor

	One point perspective is once again demonstrated in this photograph of a typical farm scene. This is a common point of view when a scene is viewed from straight ahead. You can see exactly where the photographer was standing to take the photograph.
	The two sides of this serving tray seem to be closer together at the back of the tray. Yet we understand that this tray is a rectangle and the sides parallel each other. It is the perspective from which it is viewed that creates this illusion.
	The artist looks at the object to see how it relates to the horizon. What basic form does this building have? It is a cube. In this image, the building (cube) is viewed from straight on. The perspective is from one point of view and there is only one vanishing point. Can you see it? Read the clue below...
Clue - look at the brick pathway leading to the front entrance of the house. Would the parallel lines at the edge of the walkway connect at some point in the distance IF you could see through the house? - Answer - Yes

Coming soon...

Carl Theodor Reiffenstein, Frankfurt am Main, Neue Krame 15, Grobe Sandgrasse ,1875,

Germany, Media - Watercolor

Ansicht von Pirna, Der Marketplace von Pirna, 1753-1754