First edition of a very important work on the techniques and traditions of painting. It is recognised as a classic in its field and is an important main source on painting techniques and traditions of sixteenth century Italy, especially of the Mannerist period. The work is a practical treatise on design, draughtsmanship, and painting techniques. It also contains anecdotes and other information about artists and works of art.
Giovanni Battista Armenini (1530-1609) was an art historian from Faenza. He studied art at Rome, and afterwards travelled through Italy to study the art of painting, its techniques and its history. He finally laid down all his findings in the present work, his only published work. EDIT16 records what appear to be two issues of the same edition, the first dated 1586 and the present second, dated 1587. It was reprinted at Venice in 1678, Milan in 1820 and Pisa in 1823.
With the bookplate of William Horatio Crawford (1815-1888) mounted on the front pastedown, a partially cut off ownership annotation at the foot of the title page. The spine is slightly rubbed, affecting the title label, the vellum is somewhat soiled. The leaves are somewhat browned, small losses in the margins of the title page have been restored, red chalk drawings in the margins of some of the leaves, a brown stain on page 207 and in the margins of several leaves. Otherwise in good condition. Otherwise in good condition. Berlin Kat. 4613; Besterman, pp. 5-6; Cicognara 74; EDIT16 CNCE 3061; OPAC SBN PUVE001694; Panofski, Idea, pp. 55, 143-4, 147ff.; Schlosser, Kunstliteratur (1956), pp. 383-385 & 400; Thieme & Becker II, p. 116; USTC 811065; cf. Diz. biogr. degli Ital. IV, pp. 238-239.