Perspectiefoefening 1813

This is 'Perspectiefoefening', a drawing of unknown date by Catharina Kemper. Look at the matrix of faint brown lines that crisscross the paper. The artist maps out a system for understanding visual space through a rigorous application of geometric perspective. Kemper uses lines and numbers to illustrate how objects recede into the distance. We see rectangles diminishing in size, following lines converging towards a vanishing point. This reflects a deep engagement with the principles of representation and challenges the idea of a fixed viewpoint. It introduces a dynamic, relational understanding of space. The drawing destabilizes traditional notions of depth and perception. It invites us to consider how perspective itself is a constructed system and a convention. It is through these constructions and conventions that we interpret and order the visual world. Kemper’s work encourages us to reflect on the fundamental ways in which we perceive and represent reality.