De pictura (English: "On Painting") is a treatise orcommentarii written by the Italian humanist and artistLeon Battista Alberti. The first version, composed in Latin in 1435, was not published until 1450. It is one of his three treatises on art; the other two areDe statua andDe re aedificatoria, that would form the Renaissance concept for the fine arts: painting, sculpture, and architecture.
Alberti was a member ofFlorentine family exiled in the 14th century, who was able to return in Florence only from 1434, in the following of the Papal court during theCouncil of Florence. Here he knew contemporary art innovators such asFilippo Brunelleschi,Donatello andMasaccio, with whom he shared an interest forRenaissance humanism and classical art.
Alberti was the first post-classical writer to produce a work ofart theory, as opposed to works about the function of religious art or art techniques, and reflected the developingItalian Renaissance art of his day. As an artist, architect, poet and philosopher, he revolutionized the history of art with his theories of perspective inOn Painting (1435). Inspired by the order and beauty inherent in nature, his groundbreaking work sets out the principles of distance, dimension and proportion; instructs the painter on how to use the rules of composition, representation, light and colour to create work that is graceful and pleasing to the eye; and stipulates the moral and artistic pre-requisites of the successful painter.
On Painting had an immediate and profound influence on Italian Renaissance artists including Ghiberti, Fra Angelico and Veneziano and on later figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, and remains a compelling theory of art.
Book I: a simple introduction for young boys, in preparation for studying painting[1]
Book II: a survey of types of painting for teenage trainees in a workshop[1]
Book III: advice to the adult painter on how to perfect his skill[1]
De pictura aimed to describe systematically the figurative arts through "geometry". Alberti divided painting into three parts:
The treatise contained an analysis of all the techniques and painting theories known at the time, in this surpassing medieval works such asThe book of Art byCennino Cennini (1390).De pictura also includes the first description of linear geometric perspective around 1416; Alberti credited the discovery toBrunelleschi, and dedicated the 1435 edition to him.[2]
Alberti argued that multi-figure history painting was the noblest form of art, as being the most difficult, which required mastery of all the others, because it was a visual form of history, and because it had the greatest potential to move the viewer. He placed emphasis on the ability to depict the interactions between the figures by gesture and expression.[3][4]
De pictura relied heavily on references to art in classical literature; in factGiotto's hugeNavicella in mosaic atOld St. Peter's Basilica in Rome (now effectively lost) was the only[citation needed] modern (post-classical) work described in it.[5]
De pictura influenced the work of artists includingDonatello,Ghiberti,Botticelli, andGhirlandaio.[6] His treatment ofperspective was the most influential of his recommendations, being powerfully implemented byLeonardo da Vinci, and through him to the whole Italian Renaissance.[7]
Alberti made at least 29 uses ofPliny the Elder'sNatural History, deriving his key themes of simplicity and seriousness directly from Pliny. For example, Alberti advised artists to use colour with restraint, and to paint in the effect of gold rather than using actual gold in their paintings. Gold did indeed vanish from Italian paintings of the second part of the 15th century. Artists however found their own ways to paint with restraint, rather than following Alberti's actual instructions directly. Similarly, he encouraged artists to add black when modelling shapes, rather than only adding white asCennino Cennini had advised in his c. 1390Il Libro dell'Arte. This advice had the effect of making Italian renaissance paintings more sombre. Alberti was here perhaps following Pliny's description of the dark varnish used by Apelles.[7][8]
No particular precept in the first part of De pictura had as pervasive an impact as the following section on perspective construction; the specific recommendations on color and shadow were ineffectual.. But the incalculable change that Leonardo wrought was directly dependent on Alberti's vision of art as a branch .. of optics
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