On the Use of Perspective in a Drawing Attributed to Diego Siloé

Abstract

The drawing analysed in this article, conserved at the MNAC in Barcelona and attributed to the Spanish architect Diego Siloé (ca. 1490–1563), has never previously been studied in depth. It is a relatively rapidly executed sketch depicting a Renaissance urban setting, in which the authors not only demonstrate the sound use of one-point perspective, an extraordinary feat in Spain at that time, but also reconstruct it geometrically. Raking light photography provides a tool for identifying numerous incised lines, the true geometric support for the drawing, while a comparative analysis reveals a significant connection between the drawing and Siloé’s works, giving rise to new suppositions. The authors also detect a strong connection with Italy, consistent with existing hypotheses about the extent of the young Siloé’s Italian sojourn. The research conducted reinforces the attribution of the drawing to Siloé and opens up new channels for interpreting his life and work.