1. Numbers and music

Pythagoras argued that everything originated from numbers. Everything exists because it is orderly, because it is orderly for the realization of mathematical laws. Mathematical law is the condition of existence and beauty. Pythagoras was also the first to study the mathematical proportion of music sound.

2. Building proportion

The proportion between the pillars, the proportion between the front parts and the proportion between the spaces of Greek temples echo each other. In fact, the concept of number in arithmetic to the concept of the proportion between points in space geometry also comes from Pythagoras.

3. Human body

By the 4th century BC, Polly Cretors had completed a statue, and the front block embodied the rules of the proportion of all parts, which was called canon: all parts of the body must take care of each other according to geometric proportions.

4. The universe and nature

The universe we live in and the whole universe are bound by a rule, which is both a mathematical rule and an aesthetic rule. The music of the sphere is the embodiment of this law: Pythagoras said that this is a syllable produced by the planet. When a planet revolves around a stationary world, it produces sound. The pitch of this sound depends on the distance between the planet and the earth, so it also depends on the speed of the planet. This system produces the sweetest music, but unfortunately our senses are dull and boring.

5. Other arts

Renaissance artists believe that the brilliant perspective reproduction is not only correct and realistic, but also beautiful and pleasing. The perspective theory and practice in the Renaissance had a great influence. Reproduced works of other cultures or other centuries are considered unorthodox and primitive, not enough to be called art, or even ugly.

purposeful

In the most complete stage of the development of medieval thought, Aquinas said that to exist, beauty should not only be in proper proportion, but also be complete and brilliant-something with bright colors is beautiful.

7. Historical evolution of proportion

Plato believes that art is an imperfect imitation of nature, and nature itself is an imperfect imitation of the ideal world. In any case, Renaissance artists tried to reproduce art according to Plato's idea of beauty. However, in some periods, the split between the ideal world and the real world is quite obvious.

In the last years of the Renaissance, an important concept gradually gained momentum: beauty comes from a reversed rather than balanced proportion, that is, constant efforts to surpass the mathematical rules that dominate the physical world.

In addition, at the end of 16, giordano bruno began to imagine that the universe was infinite and there were many worlds. At this time, the concept of harmony in the whole universe must obviously be changed.

Chapter Four: Light and Color in the Middle Ages.

1. Light and color

In the late Middle Ages, Aquinas reiterated the concept that had been widely popular before him, and thought that three things were not needed: proportion, completeness and clarity, that is, lightness and brightness.

2. God is light

Plotinus thinks, why do we think color, sunlight or starlight are beautiful? Color, sunlight or starlight are simple, and its beauty does not come from the symmetry of its components. The answer he got was: "The pure beauty of a color comes from the dark form and shapeless light that dominate matter, that is, reason and concept." The beauty of fire is the same, and the light of fire is like an idea.

3. Light, wealth and poverty

In order to show their power, medieval nobles decorated themselves with gold and jewels, and their clothes were dyed in the most precious colors, such as purple. The richness of colors and the brilliance of jewels are symbols of power, and they are also something that people yearn for and marvel at.

decorate

Etymology written by isidore in Seville: Some parts of the human body aim at their functions, while others aim at their decus, that is, decoration, beauty and pleasure.

5. Color and Mysticism in Poetry

The figurative technique used by medieval people can best express the vividness of simple colors, and also show how light makes colors transparent: this is the stained glass of Gothic churches.

6. Color and daily life

Color and taste also refer to areas other than art, that is, daily life and habits, clothing, decoration and weapons.

7. Symbolic meaning of color

People in the Middle Ages believed that everything in the universe had supernatural significance and that the world was written by God. Ordinary people give colors positive or negative meanings.

8. Theologians and philosophers

Bonaventura of Barnoregio put forward a metaphysics of light through Aristotle. According to him, light is the physical form of an object. In its sense, light is the principle of all beauty. Light is the most pleasing to the eye, because through this medium, the sky and the earth have such a range and various colors and brightness.