The Geometry of Art and Life [Paperback]

Matila Ghyka (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0486235424 | ISBN-13: 978-0486235424 | Publication Date: June 1, 1977

This classic study probes the geometric interrelationships between art and life in discussions ranging from dissertations by Plato, Pythagoras, and Archimedes to examples of modern architecture and art. Other topics include the Golden Section, geometrical shapes on the plane, geometrical shapes in space, crystal lattices, and other fascinating subjects. 80 plates and 64 figures.

Product Details

• Paperback: 174 pages
• Publisher: Dover Publications (June 1, 1977)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0486235424
• ISBN-13: 978-0486235424
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #57,824 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #4 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Arts & Photography > Art > Art History > Criticism
  • #18 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Science > Mathematics > General
  • #28 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Arts & Photography > Art > Art History > General

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

95 of 96 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Accessible and Fascinating, December 28, 2001

By 

Kenneth James Michael MacLean (Ann Arbor, MI USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Geometry of Art and Life (Paperback)

This excellent book, written in 1946, still remains in print, and for good reason. Ghyka shows mathematically that objects in nature are not randomly formed, but all have regularity and harmony.
Beginning with the concepts of ratio and proportion in the plane, the Golden Section, and then to regular polygons and geometric shapes in 3 dimensions, Ghyka demonstrates these patterns with simple algebra and geometry, and plenty of diagrams.
He explains the logarithmic spiral and its role in harmonious growth in nature, with photographs and diagrams. He shows how ancient builders used the Golden Section in their architecture and in their art. This book is a wonderful weaving of philosophy, mathematics and science, covering a lot of ground, and is very well-written. It is nothing like trying to wade through H.M.S. Coxeter! This book would be a fine companion to Cook's "The Curves of Life," fleshing out the concepts presented there.
This little book is a gem -- there is a tremendous amount of information packed into its 174 pages, yet it is understandable to the layperson. And it is aptly titled. It truly is about "The Geometry of Art and Life."
If you are one of those observant persons who is looking for a more detailed understanding of the underlying patterns in nature, art and architecture, and you don't mind spending a little time going through some simple algebra and geometry, this is the book for you.

49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Aesthetics you can sink your mind into, July 11, 2001

By A Customer

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Geometry of Art and Life (Paperback)

Why are beautiful works of art beautiful? What makes a striking piece of architecture striking? Why is it we find such pleasure in admiring a flower, or a tree? Rather than addressing these questions from a subjective standpoint, Ghyka analyzes the mathematical geometry of classical art, architecture, and biology and attempts to find a common thread to bind them all together. It's a wonderful mix of mathematics and history with a touch of philosophy to season it well. The math is simple, the sort of high-school geometry we've all had and forgotten, but it's critical for the understanding of his argument. If you hate math, you're probably not going to enjoy this book, but if you love art, and are willing to entertain an opinion as to _why_ you love it, I'd recommend suffering through it anyway - I've certainly developed a deeper appreciation of art and aesthetics in reading this book, and think it could be very valuable to serious (or not so serious) art lovers and artists.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A good book focused on Phi, April 22, 2003

By 

Digital Puer "digital_puer" (Los Angeles, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Geometry of Art and Life (Paperback)

I'm not a mathematician, but I still found this book to be readable. It is largely focused on the Golden Section (Phi) and related proportions, including Fibonacci numbers, sqrt(Phi), etc. The explanation of how to derive this number is clearly explained in the first few chapters. The following chapters show how Phi is related to most things we see everyday, including architecture, 5-point animals, crystal latticies, art, and music. This book is quite old, so the illustrations seem rather antiquated. Nonetheless, the quantity and clarity of these illustrations are impressive.

The writing was clear, but the concepts were occasionally difficult to understand. The author made mention of "gnomic" growth a number of times without really giving a single clear definition. Also, I felt that a number of the tie-ins between Phi and architecture were a bit of a stretch. Most likely you could overlay any graph over a blueprint and see any proportion you'd want to see. At any rate, this book has gotten me interested in this subject, and I will be looking for more books on Phi.