Art Term

Vanishing point

The point at which receding parallel lines viewed in perspective appear to converge

Joseph Mallord William Turner
Tracing of a Perspective Construction of a House (c.1810)
Tate

The vanishing point is used as part of the system of perspective, which enables the creation the illusion of the three-dimensional world on a two-dimensional picture surface.

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Related terms and concepts

  • Perspective

    The term perspective refers to the representation of objects in three-dimensional space (i.e. for representing the visible world) on the two-dimensional surface of a picture

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