LE CLERC (LECLERC), SEB. (SEBASTIEN) - AN IMPORTANT WORK ON THE PHYSIOLOGY OF VISION DISCOVERING THE "MASTER-EYE".

Discours touchant le Point de Veue, dans lequel il est prouvé que les choses qu'on voit distinctement, ne sont veuës que d'un oeil.

Paris, Thomas Jolly, 1679. Small8vo. (15x9 cm.). Contemp. full sprinckled calf., raisedbands, richly gilt spine. Top of spine a bit worn. Edges of covers gilt. (12),86,(1) pp. Last page "Extrait du Privilege du Roy". 34 fine full-page engravings (25 copper-engraved a. 9 in woodcut). A paperflw at foot of titlepage neathly repaired, no loss of paper or letters. Internally clean and fine, printed on thick, good paper.

Extremely scarce first edition of Leclerc's important work on binocular vision in which he finds that one of the eyes has a dominant status, thus announcing the discovery of the "Master-eye" - a discovery of outmost importance in the theory of shooting and elsewhere. With use of diagrams he shows that "things that can be seen clearly are seen with but one single eye.". He records and depicts a large series of experiments with binocular vision and shows geometrically the relation to the science of perspective, and points out the importance of understanding the physiology of binocular vision for perspective painting in general.

Sebastien Leclerc was originally an engraver who studied physics and geometry in relation to perspective theory, a field of which he became famous. In 1672 he was appointed to "l'Academie de Peinture" as professor in perspective. He was also engraver to Louis XIV and was appointed professor at "l'Ecole des Gobelins".

Order-nr.: 44323