Precedent of Illusion
Parthenon – Greek Temples (columns) The optical corrections to the Doric column were first implemented by the Roman architect and writer Vitruvius. The optical corrections of the Doric column are designed to trick the human eye into perceiving that the columns were perfectly straight. The architects designed the columns to actually be thicker in the middle, so that they would appear straight to the human eye.
Klementinum Library, Prague – Opened to the public as a library in 1722 the heavenly Ornamented Baroque Library is gilded in gold with detailed carvings. The ceiling is painted in the Trompe Loeil style by artist Jan Hiebl. The expertly detailed fresco is painted as a continuation of the architecture, the columns extend pass the architecture into the ceiling towards a detailed illustration of the heavens. The curvature of the ceiling itself propels the deception infinite space further, suggesting that the architecture has no end.
Panorama – First appeared in 1787 by Robert Barker. The Panorama is an art form which encircles the spectator with an illusion of 360 degree continuous space. The panorama is interpreted as an institution devoted to the confusion of presence and representation. The architectural design and theatrical choreography are analyzed according to the mechanisms of perspective and described experientially through fictional narrative.