The Geometry of Art and Life, 1946

by Matila Ghyka

""The Geometry of Art and Life"" is a book written by Matila Ghyka in 1946. It explores the relationship between geometry, art, and life, and how geometry can be found in various aspects of our lives, from the natural world to art and architecture. The book delves into the principles of geometry and its role in creating beauty and harmony in art and design. It also discusses the significance of geometric shapes and patterns in various cultures and traditions, including ancient Greek and Islamic art. The author uses a combination of mathematical formulas, illustrations, and historical examples to explain the concepts and ideas presented in the book. Overall, ""The Geometry of Art and Life"" is a fascinating exploration of the intersection between mathematics, art, and culture.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.

Genres: Art, Mathematics, Science, Design, Architecture, Philosophy, Geometry

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1946

About the author

Prince Matila Costiesco Ghyka, K.C.V.O., M.C. (born Matila Costiescu; September 13, 1881 – July 14, 1965), was a Romanian novelist, mathematician, historian, philosopher, diplomat and Plenipotentiary Minister in the United Kingdom during the late 1930s and until 1940. His first name is sometimes written as Matyla.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matila_G...

Reviews

[Michael]

I found this little book indispensable for gaining new perspectives on Geometry and the role it played in art, life, and architecture. The modern approach to geometry tends to focus on the mathematical or numerical relationships between objects being studied - i.e. all circles can be broken down into 360 degrees, whereas the sum of all angles within a triangle will add up to 180 degrees. While this modern approach is technically "correct", it is a far cry from the approach taken by the ancient geometers who measured fields, built temples, and created classical works of art.

Ghyka takes us on a trip through through the ancient process of construction, clearly illustrating the "active" nature of geometry, and potentially creation itself. He is able to do this by synthesizing the old and the new, choosing to use numbers to illustrate constructions rather than doing away with numbers entirely as other authors have sought to do.

This work is remarkably clear and succinct, illustrating constructions that anyone can follow and participate in. Gyhka spends a fair about of time on the concepts of ratio, proportion, and symmetry — not a surprise for someone focusing on the artistic nature of proportions. For as ethereal a book as this is, the author remains incredibly grounded, punctuating his prose with phrases such as "If Architecture is petrified or frozen Music, so is Music 'Drawing in Time'".

Insights such as these made the book a joy to read, all the while remaining imminently practical. I found this work to be essential in answering some of the fundamental questions found in Philosophical Geometry, most importantly whether the square or the circle should be considered the "primary figure" from which all others are derived.

A masterpiece of philosophical writing, even though some exceptions have been found to several of Ghyka's conclusions — most notably those regarding crystalline geometry.

[Ron]

Had expected more explanation. Its a lot of quotes and not a clear structural treatise. Depth is also lacking in many places. But it's a thought starter, and you can go other places from here.

[D.R.O]

i won’t lie, i did not expect those book to be half in math.

[Geoff Cain]

One of the most artistically inspiring books on math. This is always on my shelf at work.

[Brian]

This was a pretty good book on sacred geometry. The author is an often-quoted expert on the subject.

[Dead Poet]

Dense and riveting. After reading this book I now have and endless amount of ideas for paintings....and other stuff.

[L]

very calming, read after some super intense short stories.

[Alhamdamar Mudafiq]

all about "the golden ratio" is very clear in this book with many plate showed.