1.1. Perspective according to Ervin Panofsky represents a "symbolic form" which was born with the new conception of the world in the renaissanceera. It works in asimilar way as language, myth, or art, that is, as a constitutive element within the representation of the "world of objects." For Panofsky, linear perspective is the manifestation or metaphor of a partcular culture.
Hubert Damish, however, sees linear perspective as a demonstration of a particular plan into which an image is inscribed; perspective realizes itself in a discourse. It becomes an abstrac dialogue, a conceptual construction - "thinking in painting."
Apart from linear perspective, its variations exist (anamorphosis, deformed perspecitves).
Perspective is not only used for objectve depiction, but also for contrary reasons - the depiction of hidden images, anamorphic images etc.