"Lucerniere" (Candelstick)

From Inventions

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Revision as of 08:14, 21 July 2010

Nome coined by the inventor for its resemblance to a candelabrum.

Contents 1 Inventor 2 Historic Period 3 Description 4 Bibliographical Resources 5 Images

Inventor

Ludovico Cigoli (1559-1613)

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Historic Period

ca. 1610

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Description

Instrument for stage-set design developed by Ludovico Cigoli for tracing variously inclined lines on the backdrop, stage and side-sets. It is composed of a fixed rod indicating the observation point at the centre of a circle, and a mobile rod along the circumference, supported by a weight "like a lamp-stand", that is, a candelabrum. A string tied to the end of the central rod slides in a hook on the lamp-stand rod, held taught by a weight. The string indicates the direction of the line to be drawn in perspective, and is used for all of the lines neither orthogonal nor parallel to the backdrop. The set designer first establishes the direction of the line, then sights the string and tells an assistant where to trace the points through which the line passes on the various planes of the scene. This instrument provided a practical solution to a problem solved on the theoretical level by Guidobaldo del Monte with his definition of the “points of concurrence”, that is, the vanishing points for bands of lines running in different directions.

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Bibliographical Resources

Cardi, Ludovico detto Il Cigoli. Prospettiva pratica di fra Lodovico Cardi ... dimostrata con tre regole e la descrizione di dua strumenti da tirare in prospet. e modo di adoperarli et i cinque ordini di architet. con le loro misure. Firenze, Gabinetto dei disegni e delle stampe degli Uffizi, ms. 2660 A (risorsa digitale).

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Images

Ludovico Cigoli, Prospettiva pratica, Firenze, Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe degli Uffizi, 2660 A, c. 71r.

Ludovico Cigoli, Prospettiva pratica, Firenze, Gabinetto dei Disegni e delle Stampe degli Uffizi, 2660 A, c. 72r.

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Author of the entry: Filippo Camerota