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<p>The pictorial representation of deep space rendered by Masaccio in his&#xa0;<i>Holy Trinity</i>&#xa0;has been the preoccupation of scholars for more than a century. Viewing this work as the first extant presentation of costruzione legittima, art historians have proffered many hypotheses using the distant point and plan-elevation methods to demonstrate the accuracy of Masaccio’s construction. This&#xa0;paper instead approaches the mathematics of the painting from the geometrical practices that preceded it, and not costruzione legittima that followed. Through a close analysis of works by Cimabue, Duccio, Giotto, and the earlier works of Masaccio, this paper argues that Masaccio used a method of ad Triangulum that he applied following a systematic sequence of steps to arrive at his perspectival construction. From a mathematical point of view, this is not a case of rendering deep space through the principles of Renaissance perspective, but rather a mastery of the surface geometry found in Trecento painting.</p>

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Masaccio’s Holy Trinity: Deep Space or Surface Geometry?

  • 期刊论文

  • 发表日期：

    2026年7月27日

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  • Michael C. Duddy

摘要

The pictorial representation of deep space rendered by Masaccio in his Holy Trinity has been the preoccupation of scholars for more than a century. Viewing this work as the first extant presentation of costruzione legittima, art historians have proffered many hypotheses using the distant point and plan-elevation methods to demonstrate the accuracy of Masaccio’s construction. This paper instead approaches the mathematics of the painting from the geometrical practices that preceded it, and not costruzione legittima that followed. Through a close analysis of works by Cimabue, Duccio, Giotto, and the earlier works of Masaccio, this paper argues that Masaccio used a method of ad Triangulum that he applied following a systematic sequence of steps to arrive at his perspectival construction. From a mathematical point of view, this is not a case of rendering deep space through the principles of Renaissance perspective, but rather a mastery of the surface geometry found in Trecento painting.