GAURICO Pomponio De Sculptura, ubi agitur De Symetriis, De Lineamentis, de Physiognomonia, De perspectiva.

BM Italian 292; Adams, I, 292; Schlosser Magnino, 235-239; M. Kemp, The science of art, 1990 ; Vagnetti, EIIb1 : “importante documento informativo circa l’esistenza di procedimenti prospettici differenti dalla costruzione legittima brunelleschiana et dalla costruzione abbreviata albertiana, basati invece sul probabile impiego del punto della distanza”; Adams, I, 292. 

Rare first edition of this extremely important book considered as the earliest treatise on art, sculpture, physiognomy, classical literature, and aesthetics. It is the first printed book describing the principles of perspective. It inaugurated a new conception of art historical criticism.

The De Sculptura is a text with a complex structure and touches on a variety of themes: sculpture is articulated in a first phase, the ductoria, in which the idea is mentally elaborated, and the model is prepared. This phase includes, in turn, the designatio (which includes symmetry, perspective and physiognomy) and animatio, which refers to expression. This is followed by a second, more technical phase, linked to the actual realisation of the work through bronze casting or other systems. The text concludes with a review of famous artists. In this sense, then, one can give credit to Gaurico when he states that no one has so far dealt with this subject. As a humanist and sculptor, Gaurico wanted to give his art-loving friends what had been lacking until then: a treatise on the excellent sculptor, laws, means and the history of ancient and modern sculpture. 

“Pomponius Gauricus, a humanist from Padua where Donatello had worked for some ten years, wrote a treatise on the art of sculpture that was published in 1504. He narrated a ‘well known’ story about a distinguished young visitor who wished to catch a glimpse of Donatello’s abacus; that is to say he hoped to see the device with which Donatello controlled the mathematics in his works.” (Kemp).

Lower white margin of b8 restored.

A fine copy.