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Release date: 2008

Dimensions: 24,5 x 34 x 10 cm

Pages: 225

Copertina: Coperta in mezza pelle di montone con assi lignee di faggio stagionato, dorso incollato con nervi in evidenza, fermagli in ottone.

Confezione: Cucitura a mano a punto pieno con filo di cotone su nervi doppi in pelle allumata. Capitello a mano in filo di cotone su anima in canapa e pelle.

Languages: vernacular

Essay languages: italian and vernacular

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The rigourous path to beauty: De Prospectiva Pingendi. An extremely rare codex with notes and drawings by Piero della Francesca.

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The work of an absolute artist, a fundamental contribution to the development of painting in the recent centuries, a work that can be attributed a major work on Renaissance perspective.

Aboca Edizioni presents the reproduction from the collection of the De prospectiva pingendi. Taken from the celebrated manuscript Ms. Regg. a 41/2, conserved at Biblioteca Panizzi in Reggio Emilia, the volume presents studies by Piero della Francesca dedicated to the rules of perspective, with a series of notes and amazing drawings by the artist.

According to the notes by Luigi Grasselli: "Among the three works on mathematics produced by Piero della Francesca, the De prospectiva pingendi is without doubt the one most strictly related to his artistic activities, as it is primarily aimed at teaching the fundamental geometric tools for painting, with particular reference to perspective techniques. [...] The figures, around 80 of them, are absolutely instrumental and necessary for understanding the written text and, in parallel with this, they become gradually more complex: they form the De prospectiva pingendi the first fully illustrated mathematical treatise on perspective."

The commentary contains a critical analysis on the innovative theories introduced in the De prospectiva pingendi, observing its application in paintings by Piero and analysing the drawings in the Emilian manuscript from a geometric point of view.

The facsimiles from the Aboca Edizioni collection are worthy publications, created with precious materials and avant-garde printing techniques. The De prospectiva pingendi is bound grandly in a monastic style, in sheep skin on seasoned beech axes and closed with brass clasps. The pages are hand stitched with double, cotton yarn on hide treated with alum, while the headbands, also made by hand, are cotton yarn on hemp and hide core.

Limited run of 999 numbered and certified specimens.

Notes

Introduction by Valentino Mercati, Maurizio Festanti. Contributions by Massimo Mussini, Luigi Grasselli.

Other information

The manuscript De prospectiva pingendi belonged to Giambattista Venturi (1756-1822), capable diplomat and great bibliophile. On his death, the extraordinary library that he had established over the years was sold and its works separated into other collections. The codex with the notes by Piero were saved from separation by being conserved among the booklets collected in preparation for a volume on the history of optics. It was passed on to the Biblioteca Municipale (now Panizzi), Reggio Emilia in 1921 together with the papers of the archive acquired from the beneficiaries.