Linear perspective

Linear perspective is the art of representing three-dimensional constructions on a two-dimensional surface. It presupposes a fixed viewpoint and a desire to create an "objective" recording of one's visual experience - two conditions which have been the most dominant in the Western art of the past half-millennium.

Other varieties of perspective

One-point, two-point, and three-point perspective are dependent on the structure of the scene being viewed. These only exist for strict Cartesian scenes.

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By inserting into a Cartesian scene a set of parallel lines that are not parallel to any of the three axes of the scene, a new distinct vanishing point is created.

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Therefore, it is possible to have an infinite-point perspective if the scene being viewed is not a Cartesian scene but instead consists of infinite pairs of parallel lines, where each pair is not parallel to any other pair.

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Due to the fact that vanishing points exist only when parallel lines are present in the scene, a zero-point perspective is also possible if the viewer is observing a nonlinear scene. One example is a random (ie, not aligned in a three-dimensional Cartesian coordinate system) arrangement of spherical objects. Another would be a scene composed entirely of three-dimensionally curvilinear strings. A third example would be a scene consisting of lines where no two are parallel to each other.

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