Codex Urbinas

( Known German Treatise on Painting, also known as Codex or Codex Urbinas Urbinus Latinus 1270) The Trattato della pittura is a collection of writings by Leonardo da Vinci ( 1452-1519 ), in which he deals with fundamental and technical problems of painting.

The manuscript

In addition to instructions for painting and drawing, he deals in the treatise on philosophical and epistemological questions. For Leonardo 's painting is the first and greatest of the arts since they have more sophisticated means of expression than for example the sculpture.

After Leonardo's death turned his heir Francesco Melzi (around 1491/92 - 1570 ), a collection of writings together that circulated under the name Trattato della pittura in several copies in academic circles in Italy. Used as a source Melzi eighteen Notebooks of Leonardo. Ten of these are now lost. One of these copies belonged to the painter and Theatinermönch Matteo Zaccolini (1574-1630), whose own writings on painting refer to Leonardo's texts and apparently resulting in knowledge of a lost Leonardo's writing about light and shadow. The specimen Zaccolinis Cassiano dal Pozzo was purchased from (1588-1657), a Roman patron and secretary to Cardinal Francesco Barberini (1597-1679), for its library.

The printed edition

Leonardo had provided the lyrics with a few brief, explanatory drawings. Presented for the printed edition of the painter Nicolas Poussin (1594-1665) on behalf dal Pozzo's nineteen washed pen drawings forth. Dal Pozzo pasted these original drawings into his own copy and could be prepared for printing copies. However, the book was not published until 1651, and in parallel in an Italian and a French version. The Italian version contains a biography of Leonardo and the text of De statua by Leon Battista Alberti ( 1404-1472 ). These two texts are missing in the Charles du Fresne (1610-1688) edited the French edition, which is however expanded to include a bibliography. The Poussin drawings were engraved by Charles Errard (before 1607-1689 ) adjusted in a slightly different, the contemporary taste narrative form.

Quotes

"Il bono pittore ha since dipingere due cose to principal, cioè l' homo e il concetto della sua elements. Il primo è facile, il secondo difficile perché s'ha a figurare con gesti e delle movimente membra. "