Some Important Dates in the Chronological History of Aerial ...

1490 - Leonardo da
Vinci was intrigued by
the atmosphere and
by its effects on the
colors and distinctness
of distant objects.
Though other artists
had already begun to
mimic the influences of
the atmosphere, he
was the first to make
careful measurements
and suggest rules for
applying them
realistically. He called
this subject aerial
perspective.
In painting the Virgin of the
Rocks, Leonardo applied his
understanding of aerial
perspective to create the
sense of mountains a great
distance away