Architecture and Geometry in the Age of the Baroque

"The age of the Baroque, a time when great strides were made in science and mathematics, witnessed the construction of some of the world's most magnificent buildings. What did the work of great architects such as Bernini, Blondel, Guarini, and Wren have to do with Descartes, Galileo, Kepler, Desargues, and Newton? In Architecture and Geometry in the Age of the Baroque, George Hersey explores the ways in which Baroque architecture, with its dramatic shapes and playful experimentation with classical forms, reflects the scientific thinking of the time. He introduces us to a concept of geometry that encompassed much more than the science we know today, one that included geometrics (number and shape games) as well as the art of geomancy, or magic and prophecy using shapes and numbers."--BOOK JACKET.