Atmospheric perspective is the creation of the illusion of depth through
techniques such as brightness gradient, texture gradient, and color saturation.
In The Tribute Money, Masaccio has used atmospheric perspective together
with linear perspective to create a convincing illusion of the biblical story.
Atmospheric perspective is based on the hazy effect produced by the intervention
of the atmosphere on distant objects. To create the illusion in visual art,
objects closer to the viewer should be more brighter and have more color than objects
in the background. Objects in the foreground have more detail, while objects
further from the viewer lack clarity.
Atmospheric perspective can best be understood by imagining the way mountains
in the distance appear bluish-purple, when in actuality, mountains are covered with
green foliage. The intervention of the earth's atmosphere distorts the color and
clarity of geography, giving us visual clues to the expanse of faraway objects.
| Historical Overview | Early Renaissance | Masaccio | High Renaissance | Leonardo | Raphael |