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Albrecht Durer's Treatise on Mensuration

Author(s): 
Frank Swetz, Victor Katz

This is the page illustrating the construction of an ellipse, from the Latin translation (1538) of the Treatise on Mensuration of Albrecht Dürer (1471-1528).  This book was originally written in German and published in 1525 and was designed to teach German artists the geometrical ideas on which perspective in painting was based. 

From the Rare Book and Manuscript Collection at Columbia University.

Part of the Mathematical Treasures section of Loci: Convergence.

 

 

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Frank Swetz, Victor Katz, "Albrecht Durer's Treatise on Mensuration," Convergence (November 2008)