von P.H. Valenciennes ; aud dem Französischen übersetzt, und mit Anmerkungen und Zusätzen vermehrt von Johann Heinrich Meynier., KČSN, and Mit 36 Kupfertafeln
Let us look at light used in art from the perspective of art history. Light is important in the methods used for displaying reality and the formation of different styles in painting. During the middle ages painters sought not only to display the real behaviour of light in the world but used light to view transcendental elements. Magister Theodoricus for example seemingly placed the light source inside the volume of figures of saints, and thus strengthened their spiritual presence in the area of the chapel in Karlštejn castle. The master of the Wittingau altar used a shadow to amplify the mystery of the scene, like the Dutch masters from the early 15th century in their night scenes. By using sfumato, Leonardo forced the viewer to start actively looking at indistinct contours of his characters and thus intensified their vividness. Caravaggio from before 1600 put emphasis on the contrasts of light and darkness, thus his chiaroscuro figures sharply emenate into light. The light carves objects out of the surrounding darkness and facilitates composing images. During this time, Galileo through his telescope and his art of drawing identified "spots" of the Moon as craters. Simultaneously, Annibale Carracci, and before him Jan van Eyck and after him Velásquez and many others used mirror optics for various pictorial representations of reality. Together, relations between light phenomena, optics and painting are rich in their complexity. and Ladislav Daniel.