Clue to Da Vinci’s artistic edge

London – A common eye disorder may help explain Leonardo Da Vinci’s talent for three-dimensional representation and the sense of perspective in his mountain landscapes, according to research published in JAMA Opthalmology journal this month.

The study looked at two sculptures, two paintings and two drawings by the Renaissance master which it said showed “a consistent exotropic strabismus angle of -10.3 degrees”.

Exotropic strabismus is a form of eye misalignment. People with strabismus often use their eyes separately, thereby increasing the field of view and depth perception. “Exotropia may have contributed to Da Vinci’s exceptional ability to capture space on the flat canvas,” the study found. –