Art

From the origins to the 1000 a.C.

Golden RatioThe golden ratio is a special number approximately equal to 1.618. If you divide a line into two parts so that: the longer part divided by the smaller part is

also equal to the whole length divided by the longer part then you will have the golden ratio. The golden

section is also a term that describes a unique measurement phenomenon in nature wherein the

off-centered proportional finite value of about 5 to 8 represents a measurement with infinite values.

Many artists, architects and mathematicians believed (and still believing) this proportion is aesthetically pleasing. Mathematicians have

studied the golden ratio because of its unique and interesting properties.

Unfortunately , we have very little information about ancient painting as regards the golden section ; the only ones we have are related to

architecture.

The Great Pyramid of Giza

Mathematics in art was firstly used by the ancient Egyptians. It is almost certain that they used golden section to design their

great Pyramids.If we take a cross section of the Great Pyramid, we get a right triangle, the so-called Egyptian Triangle. The ratio of the slant

height of the pyramid (hypotenuse of the triangle) to the distance from ground center (half the base dimension) is

1.61804 ... which differs from phi by only one unit in the fifth decimal place. If we let the base dimension be 2 units, then the sides of the right triangle are in the proportion 1:sqrt(phi):phi

and the pyramid has a height of sqrt(phi). 

The Great Pyramid of Giza

The Parthenon

The Parthenon is a temple which is dedicated to the Greek goddess Athena and it is located in Acropolis, Athens. Goddess Athena was considered to be protector of the

town. Although it was constructed in 438 B.C, its decoration continued until 432 B.C.

Once its ruined triangular pediment is restored, ...

the ancient temple fits almost precisely into a

golden rectangle.

Further classic subdivisions of the rectangle align perfectly with major

architectural features of the structure.

Parthenon is the most important building of those which have survived of Classical Ages. It is considered to be

built at the peak of the development of the Doric order. Its decorative sculptures are considered some of the high

points of Greek art. The Parthenon is regarded as an enduring symbol of Ancient Greece and of Athenian democracy and one of the world's greatest cultural

monuments. The Greek Ministry of Culture is currently carrying out a programme of selective restoration and reconstruction to ensure the stability of the partially

ruined structure.

The Greek sculptor Phidias sculpted many things including the bands of sculpture that run above the

columns of the Parthenon. Even from the time of the Greeks, a rectangle whose sides are in the "golden

proportion" has been known since it occurs naturally in some of the proportions of the Five Platonic. This rectangle is supposed to appear in many of the

proportions of that famous ancient Greek temple in the Acropolis in Athens, Greece.

The ratio phi took its name from the Greek sculptor

Phidias because he used it frequently in his sculptures.

Porch of Maidens

Phidias

Great Mosque of Kairouan

It was the first mosque existed in North Africa and it is the most famous. It was built by Uqba ibn Nafi in 670 A.D. in Tunisia. The researches have shown that the golden ratio is applicated in the design of the Mosque.

Students:Koumaditi KleopatraMpakogianni ChristinaNikolaou EiriniLaura Marolleau