Leonardo da Vinci was curious about "aerial perspective" [our term] — that is, how the air itself affects what we see. Da Vinci thought it was something to do with the water molecules, the vapors, that are higher up in the air. He believed the higher you go, the bluer the air gets, and the farther away something is, the bluer it appears.
Aerial Perspective: Da Vinci's Theories
After his trip, he painted "Madonna and the Rocks". I was amazed! It felt like there were no edges, everything just softened as you looked around. He even said at the time, “There are no edges in nature.” Let the value of the object become the object.
He wasn't just painting light on the edge furthest away; he made things darker as they receded. He used this for everything—eyes, rocks, figures, the whole scene! It was incredibly groundbreaking. I always believed in these principles, but now I have proof! This guy beat me to it by 900 years, but at least now I know I'm not alone.
Someone challenged me on using darker colors for things farther away, even when the sun is out. I told them I always do this—lighter closer, darker farther. It’s just how I do it.
Da Vinci was truly ahead of his time! He's target zero for understanding aerial perspective.
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