Quick Facts
- Latin:
- Vitello
- Born:
- 1220, Silesia
- Died:
- after 1278
- Notable Works:
- “Perspectiva”
- Subjects Of Study:
- perspective
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies.
Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Witelo
Polish natural scientist and philosopher
Also known as: Vitello
Witelo (born 1220, Silesia—died after 1278) was a Polish natural scientist and philosopher, best known for his Perspectiva (c. 1274). He studied arts at Paris and canon law at Padua and spent some time at the papal court in Viterbo.
One of the first analyses of space perception, the Perspectiva was incorporated into Opticae thesaurus (1572; “Thesaurus of Optics”), the principal textbook on this subject in the West until the 17th century. Witelo also did original work in the physics of light refraction. In philosophy he upheld the Neoplatonic metaphysics of light that viewed material reality as reflections of a primordial form radiating light identical with God.
This article was most recently revised and updated by Encyclopaedia Britannica.
Discover the fascinating events that shaped the world, straight from our editors.
By clicking “Sign Up”, you consent to the Britannica
Privacy Policy
and
Terms of Use.