Perhaps the clues to the origins of linear perspective in this time period lie in written testimonies . It is Vitruve, roman architect (about 100 B. C. ), who in his famous architectural treatise, leaves as the most concrete information about perspective. In his first book he says that the ideas of dispositions in architecture are done in three different ways:
1. ichnographie
2. orthography
3. scenography
Extract from Histoire de la perspective ancienne et moderne, by M. Poudra.
After some reflections on this passage, one understands that Vitruve means by the first two term descriptive geometry. It seems though that this knowledge dates from more ancient times. How else can one explain the impressive ruins of Babylon, Jerusalem, Thebes... The third term is more ambiguous to figure out. Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines scenography (skenographia painting of scenery, fr. skene + -graphia -graphy] (1645)) as the art of perspective representation especially as applied to the painting of stage scenery (as by the ancient Greeks). Unfortunately there are not enough existing testimonies to proof that Vitruve meant linear perspective.
Go on to next section: Part 4: First attempts in geometry
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