This is D. V. Thompsons definitive English translation of Il Libro dellArte; an intriguing guide to methods of painting; written in fifteenth-century Florence. Embodying the secrets and techniques of the great masters; it served as an art students introduction to the ways of his craft.Anyone who has ever looked at a medieval painting and marveled at the brilliance of color and quality of surface that have endured for 500 years should find this fascinating reading. It describes such lost arts as gilding stone; making mosaics of crushed eggshell; fashioning saints diadems; coloring parchment; making goat glue; and regulating your life in the interests of decorum mdash; which meant shunning women; the greatest cause of unsteady hands in artists. You are told how to make green drapery; black for monks robes; trees and plants; oils; beards in fresco; and the proper proportions of a mans body. ("I will not tell you about the irrational animals because you will never discover any system of proportion in them.") So practical are the details that readers might be tempted to experiment with the methods given here for their own amusement and curiosity.Today artists are no longer interested in specific directions on keeping miniver tails from becoming moth-eaten. The Craftsmans Handbook; in which these are ordinary parts of the artists work; appears quaint and naiuml;ve to us. And that is much of its charm. But when we remember the magnificent mosaics; paintings; and frescoes these methods produced; the book takes on an even greater value as a touchstone to another age."Recommended to the student of art." mdash; Craft Horizons."Obviously of great merit." mdash; Art Material Trade News."Delightful flavor." mdash; New York Herald Tribune.Recommended in Harvard List of Great Books on Art; Shaws List of Books for College Libraries.
#938182 in eBooks 2012-04-30 2012-04-02File Name: B00A3M1FJ0
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A good book for beginnersBy JWBennettIf your a pure beginner; or even thinking about getting into sports and action photography this is a must read! It would be a 5 star book.If you have even a moderate amount of experience then it will probably not be worth much. One or maybe two stars at best.So this is an average 3 star book!0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Great value for great informationBy BCozI knew very little about photography but I wanted to get better at taking photos. I thought the book was concise and clear. I was able to pick up a lot of pointers and my photos improved tremendously. I would recommend this to anyone wanting to learn the basics.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Its OKBy Paul CharlesworthI did not learn ad much as I had hoped. It has a number of good tips; but most are available elsewhere.