Theory

Perspective as symbolic form

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Drawing on Cassirer's neo-Kantian theory of symbolic forms, costruzione legittima is read not as the natural geometry of vision but as a culturally specific schema linking the cognitive, religious and technical practices of the early modern West. Each historical culture's spatial system is unique and gives rise to a different but equally full vision of the world.

Representation Sign Knowledge

Details

Introduced
1927

Referenced by

Sources

  1. Erwin Panofsky. Perspective as Symbolic Form. Zone Books, 1991.

Cite this entry

First published May 2026Last revised Jul 2026

CLAD. "Perspective as symbolic form." Atlas of Architectural Thought. CLAD, 2026. https://www.cl-ad.com.au/research/atlas/theory/perspective-as-symbolic-form/. Accessed July 17, 2026.