Commissioned by Duke Ludovico Sforza: teaching the golden ratio in a wonderfully illustrated edition by the mathematician Luca Pacioli
Divina proportione: Opera a tutti glingegni perspicaci e curiosi necessaria que ciascun studioso… (About the divine proportions)
Venice (Italy) — 1509

Divina proportione: Opera a tutti glingegni perspicaci e curiosi necessaria que ciascun studioso… (About the divine proportions)
Venice (Italy) — 1509
This scholarly treatise on architecture was composed at the behest of Duke Ludovico Sforza of Milan (1452–1508)
It was composed by Luca Pacioli (ca. 1447–1517), a professor of mathematics, and printed by Paganino de Paganini (ca. 1450–1538)
For the modern reader, this work represents an informative historical source of immeasurable worth
Divina proportione: Opera a tutti glingegni perspicaci e curiosi necessaria que ciascun studioso… (About the divine proportions)
- Über den Goldenen Schnitt
Short Description
The textbook On the Divine Proportion is a scholarly treatise on architecture, which was composed ca. 1498 at the court of Ludovico Sforza in Milan. The text was printed in the famous workshop of Paganino de Paganini. Unbelievably valuable, the printed graphics and colored initials adorn the informative text concerning the art and architecture of 15th century Italy.
Divina proportione: Opera a tutti glingegni perspicaci e curiosi necessaria que ciascun studioso… (On the Divine Proportion)
The textbook On the Divine Proportion is a scholarly treatise on architecture, which has not lost its significance over the centuries. The work was composed by the Italian mathematics professor Luca Pacioli and printed in the workshop of the famous Paganino de Paganini. Together, they published a series of important algebraic and geometric formulas for practical use in the 15th century. On the Divine Proportion was the high point of their scientific work. For the modern reader, this work represents a historical source of information of immeasurable worth.
Geometry for the Duke
On the Divine Proportion was composed ca. 1498 in Milan, at the court of Duke Ludovico Sforza. It was he who commissioned the splendidly designed work. The writing contains numerous high-quality, printed graphics. The illustrations serve as visual support for the mathematic text. This very same text is ennobled through the application of various fonts, finally designed initials, and luminous colors. The last page of the masterpiece is particularly impressive, showing an illustration with the title Arbor proportio et porportionalitas. The elaborately designed, realistic, and three-dimensional-seeming image before a dotted background is one of the most beautiful miniatures to come out of medieval Italian illumination.
The Principle of Beauty
The architectural treatise consists of three parts. In the first, mathematical terms are explained and with the help of these terms, providing access to perspective, architecture, and the science of cosmography. With the help of the Euclid’s theorem, information is given about the correct understanding of proportions. The second part deals with solid chemical materials and their influence on the divine proportion. In the third part, architecture according to the divine proportion is finally addressed. Collectively, this principle is described in the following way: “architecture (like any other form of art) must reflect the mathematical structure of the universe. The mathematical proportion, the universal principle, and the beauty of the object should be a reference point for every art form”. This principle is found on page 25 of the informative masterpiece.
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Über den Goldenen Schnitt
- Size / Format
- 282 pages / 29.0 x 20.5 cm
- Origin
- Venice (Italy)
- Date
- 1509
- Epochs
- Style
- Language
- Illustrations
- Woodcuts of Leonardo da Vinci's three dimensional geometrical figure and engraved initials
- Artist / School
- Leonardo da Vinci
Author: Luca Pacioli (1445–1514)
Printers: Paganino and Alessandro de Paganini
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Divina proportione: Opera a tutti glingegni perspicaci e curiosi necessaria que ciascun studioso… (About the divine proportions)“
Divina proportione: Opera a tutti glingegni perspicaci e curiosi necessaria que ciascun studioso… (About the divine proportions)
- Publisher
- Vicent Garcia Editores – Valencia, 2013
- Limited Edition
- 3000 copies
- Binding
- Parchment on wooden board. Presentation dust jacket cloth lined with gold engraved leather spine containing facsimile.
- Commentary
-
1 volume
Language: Spanish - More Information
- Numbered by notary and signed by the printer-publisher. Specially made laid paper. Original: Only known copy in the world.
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