Perspectograph by Wentzel Jamnitzer
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Inventor
Wentzel Jamnitzer (1508-1585)
Historic Period
1568
Description
Instrument for perspective drawing invented by the Nuremberg goldsmith Weltzel Jamnitzer. The true novelty of this invention is that it allows on object to be depicted from life even in the absence of the real object. Any geometric body is constructed, in fact, starting from its plan and elevation. Here the viewing point is represented by the top of the stand behind the painter’s back. From it slides a plumb line that extends as far as the object, materially representing the visual ray, as in Dürer’s “window”. The end of this thread is tied to a cursor sliding on a vertical rod whose base is held by a weight at any point on the object’s plan. The height of that point is established by moving the cursor to the height indicated by the perspective drawing placed near the window. When the cursor has been fixed, it is as if an artificial eye behind the painter’s back were looking at a point suspended in space. The perspective image of that point is fixed on the second vertical rod by another cursor that goes to touch the “visual” thread. Presumably, to transfer this point onto the drawing paper, apparently placed below the plan view of the object, the first rod was shifted, the drawing with the plan removed, and the second rod overturned forward to trace the cursor’s position on the sheet of paper. Variants of this instrument were designed by Peter Halt (1590), Hands Hayden (1590), Paul Pfintzing (1599) and others.
Bibliographical Resources
Jamnitzer, Wentzel. Perspectiva corporum regularium: das ist, ein fleyssige Furweysung, wie die fünff regulirten Cörper, darvon Plato inn Timaco, unnd Euclides inn sein Elementis schreibt, etc. durch einen sonderlichen, newen ... Weg ... inn die Perspectiva gebracht, und darzu ein schöne Anleytung, wie auss denselbigen fünff Cörpern one Endt gar viel andere Cörper mancherley Art und gestalt, gemacht ... werden mügen. Nürnberg, 1568.
Pfintzing, Paul. Ein schöner kurtzer Extract der Geometriae und Perspective, Nürnberg, 1599
Faulhaber, Johann. Mathematici tractatus duo nuper Germanice editi Joannis Faulhaberi, Ulmae arithmetici ingeniosissimi, continentes, Prior, Novas Geometricas et opticas aliquot singularium instrumentorum inventiones, Posterior, Usum instrumenti cuiusdam bellicae de novo excogitatum, dimetiendis et describendis rebus aptum, et nostratum et exterorum magnatum et Ducum..., Francoforte 1610, 37.
Brunn, Lucas. Praxis perspectivae, Lipsia 1615.
Halt, Peter. Perspectivische Reisskunst, Augsburg 1625.
Hartnack, Daniel. Perspectiva mechanica, Marin Vogel, Lüneburg 1683, fig. 1
Schubler, Johann Jacob. Perspectiva, Norimberga 1719.
Bedini, Silvio. The Perspective Machine of Wenzel Jamnitzer, in "Technology and Culture", 1968, pp. 197-202.
Images
 Jost Amman (Zurigo 1539 – Norimberga 1591), Ritratto di Wentzel Jamnitzer con il suo strumento prospettico, incisione su rame, 1568, Monaco, Staatliche Graphische Sammlung, Inv. 16995. |
 Ludovico Cigoli, copia dell'incisione di Jost Amman raffigurante Wentzel Jamnitzer con il suo strumento prospettico. |
Author of the entry: Filippo Camerota
