The passage describes how to draw a descending staircase from nature, focusing on how objects appear according to perspective rather than their actual form. It explains that even though a staircase descends, its steps appear at varying heights depending on the viewer's perspective. There's also mention of using prepared glass for tracing to confirm this perspective.
Drawing from Nature a Descending Staircase
Let's use as a reference a descending staircase like the one whose first step is represented by line JK (plate 6, figure 2).
It's important to observe that, in reality, this staircase is descending, but when drawing from nature, we represent objects not as they actually are, but as they appear to us, as we truly see them and according to perspective. In this case, for example, the steps immediately following the first step JK descend and are lower than JK, but because they move away from our eye, they actually appear to our eye above JK. Thus, line 1. a, which is that of the last step of the staircase and consequently, in reality, the lowest of all, appears to our eye the highest of all. This can be easily confirmed by tracing on the prepared glass, employing the technique of drawing from nature, a descending staircase, with the observer positioned at the top of the staircase.
The drawing of this staircase is connected to the drawing of previous staircases, here we have the lar-
Translation Notes
- The term 'd'après nature' can be translated as 'from nature' or 'drawn from observation,' referring to a method of drawing from real life rather than abstraction.
- 'Prepared glass' refers to a drawing technique where glass is used possibly as a tool for tracing or perspective correction.