Luca Pacioli and his art

Abstract

Much has been written about Luca Pacioli, the ‘father of accounting’, and his contributions in many fields; and much has been written about his involvement and portrayal in art, but never has what we know of his involvement in art been articulated to bring all these various facets together. This paper addresses this gap in the literature and reveals a greater impact arising from his work than has previously been recognised. In doing so, it provides insights into the mind of one of the leading Renaissance men, insights that reveal a more ‘human’ side than might be expected of someone considered to have been a master of all that he did; and it reveals him as an artist in his own right, not an artist who painted pictures, but an artist whose talent lay in creating new opportunities for others.