Abstract

The poorly documented periods of the late Duecento and Trecento pose a major problem for the history of perspective. Unable to rely on treatises or annotations, the historian is often reduced to conjecture. On the one hand, we know almost nothing about the artists' opticoperspective knowledge; on the other, it is undeniable that painters of this period succeeded in creating the illusion of depth in their works. This is why "illusionist" or "pre-perspective" painting is still of interest to historians of perspective. Here, we will focus on the a fresco paintings in the lower register of the upper basilica of Assisi.