The Human Eye: Pupil Size, Mirrors, and Two-Eyed Vision
Why apparent size changes with the pupil and why a mirror swaps left and right
Leonardo argues that because the pupil grows and shrinks with the brightness set before it, every object must appear larger or smaller according to the pupil's size, illustrated by an eyeball diagram with labelled rays at the top right. He then proves geometrically why a mirror exchanges an object's right side for its left: the connecting lines cross, and their crossing follows the diagonal of a square rather than its shorter side, an effect like printed letters or wax stamped in a carnelian seal. A marginal diagram shows both eyes viewing a small sphere and concludes that the sphere is seen beyond its own diameter and appears smaller than it is.
On this page
Pupil size changes the apparent size of objects
If the eye's pupil grows and shrinks with the excess or lack of splendour before it, every object must show itself larger or smaller to that pupil. With the large pupil n m the object q u is seen upon the convex of the light between r and 9; with the diminished pupil a it shows itself reduced in the space p S.
Why the mirror swaps left and right
The simulacrum of every object is exchanged in the mirror, its right facing the left of the object. Leonardo proves it by necessity: for a face a b sent into mirror c d, the connecting lines a d and c b are seen to intersect, and the crossing follows the diagonal a d of the square a b c d, which is longer than its side a c, so Nature's shortest action produces the swap, like printed letters or wax stamped in a carnelian.
Both eyes viewing a small sphere
When the two eyes together see a spherical object whose diameter is smaller than the space between the pupils, they see the sphere beyond its diameter, and the more so the nearer it is. Consequently the sphere appears smaller than it is to the central lines of the eyes' visual power.
