Leonardo da Vinci on his art: perhaps the most significant work on art theory of all time
Treatise on Painting
16th century

Treatise on Painting
— 16th century
Leonardo da Vinci's (1452–1519) 658-page theoretical work may be the most important in all of art history
Francesco Melzi (ca. 1491–1568/70), Leonardo’s student and heir, recorded the text according to his instructions
Numerous drawings of now-lost originals round out Leonardo's comprehensive discourse
Treatise on Painting
- Il Libro di Pittura
- Buch der Malerei
Short Description
Probably the most direct access one can get to the art of one of the greatest geniuses of the Italian Renaissance: the Libro di pittura by Leonardo da Vinci. Here, Leonardo da Vinci laid the foundations of his artistic creation open, describing the theories and considerations that lay behind his masterpieces. Francesco Melzi, Leonardo’s student and heir, recorded the text according to Leonardo’s instructions and in doing so made a spectacular treatise on painting.
Treatise on Painting
For Leonardo da Vinci (1452–1519), painting was the highest of all arts. He himself can probably be identified as one of the greatest masters in this field, as the creator of such famous works of art such as the Louvre’s Mona Lisa, the Uffizi’s Annunciation, or the Last Supper in the Santa Maria delle Grazie in Milan. These fascinating masterpieces are clearly marked by Leonardo’s extensive engagement with art theory and profound deliberations on the painting process. Also, the essence of these studies, which Leonardo pursued throughout his life, is brought together in the famous Libro di pittura, his Treatise on Painting.
An Unbelievable Compendium
One of the greatest treasures of art history is stored in the Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana under the shelf mark Urb. Lat. 1270: the original of the famous Libro di pittura by Leonardo da Vinci. This significant treatise on painting by the great universal genius of the Italian Renaissance consists of numerous texts, which Leonardo composed in the years 1480–1516. The Libro di pittura was collected according to Leonardo’s instructions by Francesco Melzi, a student of Leonardo’s, who acquired Leonardo’s written and graphic inheritance after the death of the master.
A Masterful Guide to Painting
The 658 pages of the treatise are divided into eight chapters. They contain a wealth of texts concerning art-theoretical considerations and instructions, e.g. on color theory, on the composition of a painting, and above all – an especially important theme for Leonardo – on the outstanding position of painting in the context of the visual arts. Rounding out the comprehensive discourse on the art of painting are numerous drawings, which were made according to the originals – most of which are lost today.
An Influential Work
The Libro di pittura was first published in the year 1651: a French edition in Paris accompanied by wonderful illustrations by Poussin. The work was subsequently printed in numerous publications, shaped generations of painters, and is also known by the title Trattato della pittura, was nevertheless originally conceived as the Libro di pittura. As such, Leonardo’s Treatise on Painting is considered to be the most important work of art theory in all of art history!
Codicology
- Alternative Titles
- Il Libro di Pittura
Buch der Malerei - Type
- Manuscript on paper
- Date
- 16th century
- Epochs
- Style
- Language
- Artist / School
- Leonardo da Vinci
Francesco Melzi
1 available facsimile edition(s) of „Treatise on Painting“
Il Libro di Pittura
- Publisher
- Giunti Editore – Florence, 1995
- Limited Edition
- 998 copies
- Binding
- Leather-covered box (size 250 x 360 mm) with gold tooling.
- Commentary
-
1 volume by Carlo Pedretti and Carlo Vecce
Language: Italian - More Information
- Complete facsimile edition, with the original colours, and sub-divided into eight sections for a total of 336 sheets (672 pages).
Matching Works
Siyah Qalem - The Black Pen
Religious depictions and scenes of nomadic life: a masterpiece of Mongolian culture by one of its greatest artists
Experience MoreDer Welsche Gast
The magnificently decorated founding charter of the Hospital General de Valencia
Experience MoreMatching Background Articles
Renaissance
What does the word “Renaissance” bring to mind for you? Art, science, and culture of course! It was a "rebirth" and...Experience more16th Century
When did the Middle Ages end and the Early Modern Period begin? Most agree it was sometime in the course of the 16th...Experience more
- Treatises / Secular Books
- Apocalypses / Beatus
- Astronomy / Astrology
- Bestiaries
- Bibles / Gospels
- Chronicles / History / Law
- Geography / Maps
- Saints' Lives
- Islam / Oriental
- Judaism / Hebrew
- Single Leaf Collections
- Leonardo da Vinci
- Literature / Poetry
- Liturgical Manuscripts
- Medicine / Botany / Alchemy
- Music
- Mythology / Prophecies
- Psalters
- Other Religious Books
- Games / Hunting
- Private Devotion Books
- Other Genres
- Aboca Museum
- Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt (ADEVA)
- Aldo Ausilio Editore - Bottega d’Erasmo
- Alecto Historical Editions
- Ars Magna
- ArtCodex
- AyN Ediciones
- Bärenreiter-Verlag
- Belser Verlag
- Belser Verlag / WK Wertkontor
- Bernardinum Wydawnictwo
- BiblioGemma
- Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana (Vaticanstadt, Vaticanstadt)
- Bibliotheca Palatina Faksimile Verlag
- Bibliotheca Rara
- CAPSA, Ars Scriptoria
- Circulo Cientifico
- Club Bibliófilo Versol
- CM Editores
- Collezione Apocrifa Da Vinci
- Comissão Nacional para as Comemorações dos Descobrimentos Portugueses
- Coron Verlag
- De Agostini/UTET
- DIAMM
- E. Schreiber Graphische Kunstanstalten
- Ediciones Boreal
- Ediciones Grial
- Edilan
- Editalia
- Edition Leipzig
- Edition Libri Illustri
- Editiones Reales Sitios S. L.
- Editions Medicina Rara
- Editorial Mintzoa
- Egeria, S.L.
- Extraordinary Editions
- Facsimile Editions Ltd.
- Facsimilia Art & Edition Ebert KG
- Faksimile Verlag
- Franco Cosimo Panini Editore
- Fundación Hullera Vasco-Leonesa
- Giunti Editore
- Graffiti
- Grafica European Center of Fine Arts
- Helikon
- Herder Verlag
- Hes & De Graaf Publishers
- Hugo Schmidt Verlag
- Idion Verlag
- Il Bulino, edizioni d'arte
- Imago
- Insel Verlag
- Istituto dell'Enciclopedia Italiana - Treccani
- Istituto Poligrafico e Zecca dello Stato
- Kaydeda Ediciones
- La Meta Editore
- Leo S. Olschki
- Libreria Musicale Italiana
- Lumen Artis
- M. Moleiro Editor
- Manuscriptum
- Millennium Liber
- Nova Charta
- Orbis Mediaevalis
- Orbis Pictus
- Österreichische Staatsdruckerei
- Patrimonio Ediciones
- PIAF
- Prestel Verlag
- Priuli & Verlucca, editori
- Pro Sport Verlag
- Pytheas Books
- Quaternio Verlag Luzern
- Reales Sitios
- Reichert Verlag
- Roberto Vattori Editore
- Salerno Editrice
- Schöck ArtPrint Kft.
- Scrinium
- Scripta Maneant
- Scriptorium
- Siloé, arte y bibliofilia
- Styria Verlag
- Tempus Libri
- Testimonio Compañía Editorial
- The Clear Vue Publishing Partnership Limited
- The Facsimile Codex
- The Folio Society
- Tip.Le.Co
- TouchArt
- Trident Editore
- Vallecchi
- Van Wijnen
- Vicent Garcia Editores
- Wiener Mechitharisten-Congregation (Wien, Österreich)