Alberti, De pictura libri tres, Basel, 1540, later binding reusing a vellum manuscript leaf

ALBERTI, LEON BATTISTA. De pictura praestantissimae artis et nunquam satis laudatae, libri tres absolutissimi, Leonis Baptistae de Albertis viri in omni genere scientiarum praecipuè Mathematices doctissimi. Iam primum in lucem editi. Basel: [Bartholomaeus Westheimer], August 1540

FIRST EDITION of Alberti’s treatise on painting and a significant early work on perspective. The text was written in 1435-1436, with both Latin and Italian versions composed by Alberti himself; this is the first printing of either version. Alberti's treatise is written in a classical style and deals almost exclusively with classical painting; the only later artist to be mentioned is Giotto. While the technique of perspective is described, there are no explanatory diagrams which implies that the treatise was aiming to be more humanist and theoretical than practical.

The 1540 text was edited by Thomas Venatorius from a manuscript which is considered to be Alberti's final version. It has been conjectured that the manuscript left Rome in 1468 with Regiomontanus, whose library went to his friend Bernhard Walther, a friend of Albrecht Dürer's parents; subsequently Pirckheimer acquired Regiomontanus's library. There are two Basel editions dated August 1540, both containing Westheimer’s device (h8v), differentiated by their title-pages and by variant readings, though no priority has been established. Some copies contain a two-leaf preface by the editor to Jakob Milichius, which is not here present. For a copy of the other 1540 Basel issue, with the preface, and in a binding for Jacques-Auguste de Thou, see Bibliotheca Brookeriana I, 11 October 2023, lot 2.

8vo (144 x 95 mm). Roman and italic type, 25 lines plus headline. Collation: a-h8: 64 leaves. Woodcut initials, woodcut printer's device on final verso. Last two pages of index transposed (in all copies). (Title leaf slightly worn in gutter.)

Binding: Later binding (150 x 104 mm) reusing a vellum manuscript leaf (from a thirteenth-century French Missal, containing the vestal prayers) with text in two columns, placed with the gap between the columns across the spine, the second half of the volume filled out with paper (retaining some manuscript notes in Latin and German). (Binding slightly rubbed at edges.)

Acquisition: Purchased in 1997 from Marlborough Rare Books, London. References: VD16 ZV 296