Cennino d'Andrea Cennini (c. 1360 – before 1427) was an Italian painter influenced by Giotto . He was a student of Agnolo Gaddi in Florence . Gaddi trained under his father, called Taddeo Gaddi, who trained with Giotto.
22-587: De pictura (English: "On Painting") is a treatise or commentarii written by the Italian humanist and artist Leon Battista Alberti . The first version, composed in Latin in 1435, was not published until 1450. It is one of his three treatises on art; the other two are De statua and De re aedificatoria , that would form the Renaissance concept for the fine arts: painting, sculpture, and architecture. Alberti
44-431: A compelling theory of art. Book I: a simple introduction for young boys, in preparation for studying painting Book II: a survey of types of painting for teenage trainees in a workshop Book III: advice to the adult painter on how to perfect his skill De pictura aimed to describe systematically the figurative arts through "geometry". Alberti divided painting into three parts: The treatise contained an analysis of all
66-761: A later period records called ephemerides were kept by order of the emperor; these were much used by the collection of biographies known as Scriptores Historiae Augustae (see Augustan History ). The Commentarii Senatus , only once mentioned (Tacitus, Annals, xv. 74) are probably identical with the Acta Senatus . There were also Commentarii of the priestly colleges: (a) Pontificum , collections of their decrees and responses for future reference, to be distinguished from their Annales, which were historical records, and from their Acta, minutes of their meetings; (b) Augurum , similar collections of augural decrees and responses; (c) Decemvirorum ; (d) Fratrum Arvalium . Like
88-399: A register of their official acts. The Commentarii Principis were the register of the official acts of the emperor. They contained the decisions, favourable or unfavourable, in regard to certain citizens; accusations brought before him or ordered by him; and lists of persons in receipt of special privileges. These must be distinguished from the commentarii diurni , a daily court-journal. At
110-517: A work of art theory , as opposed to works about the function of religious art or art techniques, and reflected the developing Italian Renaissance art of his day. As an artist, architect, poet and philosopher, he revolutionized the history of art with his theories of perspective in On Painting (1435). Inspired by the order and beauty inherent in nature, his groundbreaking work sets out the principles of distance, dimension and proportion; instructs
132-419: Is the case then the document makes it clear that Cennini was dead by this time. The techniques Cennini describes range from ones which were already in use in the 13th century to ones which were innovative in the late fourteenth century. However, there is no evidence in his writing of the exciting developments in oil painting taking place in the early 15th century, suggesting that his book was written not long after
154-449: Is to say, eating and drinking moderately, at least twice a day, electing digestible and wholesome dishes, and light wines; saving and sparing your hand, preserving it from such strains as heaving stones, crowbars, and many other things which are bad for your hand, from giving them a chance to weary it. There is another cause which, if you indulge it, can make your hand so unsteady that it will waver more, and flutter far more, than leaves do in
176-549: The Commentaries of Caesar : Commentarii de Bello Gallico on the Gallic Wars and Commentarii de Bello Civili on the civil wars ; another example is that of Cicero on his consulship. Different departments of the imperial administration and certain high functionaries kept records, which were under the charge of an official known as a commentariis (cf. a secretis, ab epistulis ). Municipal authorities also kept
198-468: The effect of gold rather than using actual gold in their paintings. Gold did indeed vanish from Italian paintings of the second part of the 15th century. Artists however found their own ways to paint with restraint, rather than following Alberti's actual instructions directly. Similarly, he encouraged artists to add black when modelling shapes, rather than only adding white as Cennino Cennini had advised in his c. 1390 Il Libro dell'Arte . This advice had
220-428: The effect of making Italian renaissance paintings more sombre. Alberti was here perhaps following Pliny's description of the dark varnish used by Apelles. Commentarii Commentarii ( Latin , Greek : hupomnemata ) are notes to assist the memory, or memoranda . This original idea of the word gave rise to a variety of meanings: notes and abstracts of speeches for the assistance of orators ; family memorials,
242-508: The most difficult, which required mastery of all the others, because it was a visual form of history, and because it had the greatest potential to move the viewer. He placed emphasis on the ability to depict the interactions between the figures by gesture and expression. De pictura relied heavily on references to art in classical literature; in fact Giotto 's huge Navicella in mosaic at Old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome (now effectively lost)
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#1732782359229264-549: The origin of many of the legends introduced into early Roman history from a desire to glorify a particular family; and diaries of events occurring in their own circle kept by private individuals. An example of this is the day-book drawn up for Trimalchio in Petronius 's Satyricon ( Satyricon , 53) by his actuarius , a slave to whom the duty was specially assigned. Other commentarii were memoirs of events in which they had taken part drawn up by public men. Examples of these are
286-416: The painter on how to use the rules of composition, representation, light and colour to create work that is graceful and pleasing to the eye; and stipulates the moral and artistic pre-requisites of the successful painter. On Painting had an immediate and profound influence on Italian Renaissance artists including Ghiberti, Fra Angelico and Veneziano and on later figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, and remains
308-521: The priests, the magistrates also had similar notes, partly written by themselves, and partly records of which they formed the subject. But practically nothing is known of these Commentarii Magistratuum . Mention should also be made of the Commentarii Regum , containing decrees concerning the functions and privileges of the kings, and forming a record of the acts of the king in his capacity of priest. They were drawn up in historical times like
330-698: The so-called leges regiae (jus Papirianum), supposed to contain the decrees and decisions of the Roman kings. Cennino Cennini Cennini was born in Colle di Val d'Elsa , Tuscany . After training as an artist with Agnolo Gaddi in Florence he worked at the court of Francesco Novello da Carrara in Padua for some years before apparently returning to Colle di Val d'Elsa. He is remembered mainly for having authored Il libro dell'arte . Thought to have been written around
352-417: The techniques and painting theories known at the time, in this surpassing medieval works such as The book of Art by Cennino Cennini (1390). De pictura also includes the first description of linear geometric perspective around 1416; Alberti credited the discovery to Brunelleschi , and dedicated the 1435 edition to him. Alberti argued that multi-figure history painting was the noblest form of art, as being
374-435: The turn of the 15th century, the book is a "how to" on late Medieval and early Renaissance painting. It contains information on pigments , brushes , drawing, panel painting , the art of fresco , painting on fabrics and casting, amongst other techniques and tricks. Cennini also mentions oil painting in passing, which was important for dispelling the myth, propagated by Giorgio Vasari and Karel Van Mander , that oil painting
396-457: The turn of the century. The extent to which Cennini intended to provide a practical handbook for the apprentice painter is disputed. Some scholars believe that his book was a presentation book or a guild book instead. Along with technical methods, Cennini offered advice on the sort of lifestyle to which a young painter should subscribe. Your life should be arranged just as if you were studying theology , or philosophy , or other disciplines, that
418-592: The wind, and this is indulging too much in the company of women. According to Victoria Finlay , in her book Colour: Travels Through The Paintbox , the infamous UK forger, Eric Hebborn was greatly influenced by Cennino Cennini. The last book Hebborn wrote before he was brutally murdered was The Art Forger's Handbook . Finlay writes that he "used and adapted Cennino's advice extensively - preparing panels, tinting papers different colours, and making brand new works look as if they had been varnished some time before (by beating egg-white, left overnight and then applying it with
440-528: Was a member of Florentine family exiled in the 14th century, who was able to return in Florence only from 1434, in the following of the Papal court during the Council of Florence . Here he knew contemporary art innovators such as Filippo Brunelleschi , Donatello and Masaccio , with whom he shared an interest for Renaissance humanism and classical art. Alberti was the first post-classical writer to produce
462-481: Was invented by Jan van Eyck (although Theophilus (Roger of Helmerhausen) clearly gives instructions for oil-based painting in his treatise, On Divers Arts, written in 1125). The dates of Cennini's life are highly speculative. It is often falsely assumed that he was alive in 1437 because that date appears on the earliest of the four extant copies of his manuscript. However, an administrative document from Colle di Val d'Elsa dated 1427 probably refers to his son; if this
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#1732782359229484-641: Was the only modern (post-classical) work described in it. De pictura influenced the work of artists including Donatello , Ghiberti , Botticelli , and Ghirlandaio . His treatment of perspective was the most influential of his recommendations, being powerfully implemented by Leonardo da Vinci , and through him to the whole Italian Renaissance. Alberti made at least 29 uses of Pliny the Elder 's Natural History , deriving his key themes of simplicity and seriousness directly from Pliny. For example, Alberti advised artists to use colour with restraint, and to paint in
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