Evolution of the position of the point of view (Eugène Delacroix & Assassin’s Creed)

Pirenne (1), in his book Optica, Perspectiva, Vision, describes the importance of the position and distance between the point of view and the elements of a scene in defining the contours of subjects and objects in the composition of an image. He explains, using graphics and photographs taken with a pinhole camera (2), the differences between human and monocular vision in the distortion of spherical forms (3).

In the past, to avoid the deformation of figures (or the transformation of spheres into elliptical shapes) located at the edges of images, when composing perspective drawings or photographs, efforts were made to place the point of view far from the scene. Another option was to position elements with irregular contours close to the centre of the image.

With CGI, both technology and the adaptation of viewers to shape distortions have changed. Regarding sharpness, the virtual camera does not require the minimum focusing distance of an optical camera. For example, in Delacroix’s painting (4) and in an image from Assassin’s Creed (5), a classical perspective can be observed in contrast with the way video game players perceive images. Different representations of rifles can be compared, depending on whether the point of view is distant or close to the object.