Andrea del Sarto: The Renaissance Workshop in Action. An Artist's Review

One of the best exhibitions I have seen, "Andrea del Sarto: The Renaissance Workshop in Action" is, at the moment of this writing, travelling from the Getty Museum to the Frick Collection where it opens on October 5 for the lucky viewers there.  

While star paintings are always on display in museums, drawings, no matter how beautiful, are hidden away in the vaults because of their sensitivity to light. This fact makes this show is a unique opportunity to see this rarely exhibited Renaissance master's most rarely exhibited works from world collections.  For an art historian or any educated artist these drawings are so iconic and familiar from reproductions that it is a dream-like experience to see them "live" all in front of you together with several of his magnificent paintings. It took me a bit of time before my head stopped spinning from being surrounded by such celebrities, and I could concentrate on studying in those magical rooms.

I'm very grateful for the inspiration and schooling this incredible show provided me with. Below are some of the copies and reconstructions I made at the show or inspired by it.

To learn, an artist in the "classical" representational tradition has to copy. When you copy from a colour print or a computer screen, you cannot compare the two drawings well because of size and medium differences.  But when you are standing in one room with the original drawing, and you have a piece of genuine red chalk or a substitute and some paper in your hands, it's a learning experience like no other.

Technical information:

For the copies appearing below genuine red chalk (Elba, sold by Zecchi) and genuine black chalk (France, sold by Kremer Pigments).  For some drawings I used the substitutes as noted.  For paper I used the Fabriano Ingres laid as well as Strathmore "toned tan" (which is sadly smooth but has a beautiful irregular colour), both not authentic, but then authentic paper is not to be found anywhere.

The chalk comes in chunks that I then saw into thin sticks.  Considering some of the filigree lines on del Sarto drawings he must have sharpened his chalks very well for certain passages.

Red chalk - the lighter one is from Russia the darker from Elba
and some tools to saw it into sections

What I also noticed is that del Sarto (as well as Rubens and many others from 1500-1600s used a harder red chalk than is available now.  The closest ones in hardness (though still not hard enough) are modern artificial waxy pencils such as Pitt oil base, Cretacolor oil and Koh-I-Noor Gioconda, but they don't work well because they are nearly impossible to smudge.

Original on the left, Genuine red chalk copy in the middle, Cretacolor "oil" pencil on right

Copy after del Sarto 

Pitt pastel pencil - maybe a little softer or as soft as genuine red chalk

Red chalk from Elba on Fabriano Ingres

Genuine black chalk on Strathmore toned tan

Study of the Head of a Young Woman, about 1523,
Elba sanguine on Fabriano Ingres paper

Red chalk from Russia. Beautiful colour, but too soft.
(this drawing wasn't in the show,
but I stumbled upon a very good quality image...)

"An Introduction to the General Art of Drawing" by Willem Goeree. Full text.

my related posts: 
1400s-1700s drawing treatises online 

Copying a Rubens drawing (materials, techniques)
Preparing to draw (from 1400s-1700s treatises)
Hatching and shading (from 1400s-1700s treatises)
Copying a Rubens painting (materials, techniques)
Inspired by Rubens (Getty Museum page) 
English translations of drawing treatises (Goeree, de Piles, Jombert)   

Painting materials of Rubens; bibliography

Renaissance woodcut tools

Image gallery: copies and reconstructions

In 1668 Willem Goeree (1635-1711) published an influential treatise on drawing, Inleydinge tot de Al Ghemeene Teycken-Konst.  In comparison to the treatise of Leonardo which it borrows from, it contains an unusually large amount of technical information about drawing materials and techniques.  It also deals with interesting practical matters of learning and teaching drawing, that other treatises don't touch upon.  The book in Dutch was republished and reworked several times and translated to German and English in the 1600s and later. I also find bits and pieces of its text used in numerous other drawing manuals and treatises (e.g. Salmon, de Piles, Jombert) without a mention of Goeree's authorship.

I have transcribed and posted the 1674 English translation keeping the original spelling.  There are three illustrations in the text.  I substituted them with corresponding plates from editions of Goeree publicly available on-line.  

This English translation also contains many plates at the end that I haven't included because of their copyright status.  These plates don't appear in Goeree books in Dutch or German. They represent the traditional drawing book repertoire: eyes, noses, mouths, hands, feet, faces, and whole figures, most of them rather unrefined copies of well-known drawing book prints (I could recognise Fialetti, Palma il Giovane, Reni, Cousin, maybe Bloemaert and Guercino; others I have not yet identified). 

I've done this project on my own and without feedback, so I will appreciate any comments, corrections, suggestions and any other input.   I would also be happy with a greeting from anyone who studies this subject.

Illustration from a 1678 German edition (digitized here)
________________________________________________________

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE GENERAL ART OF DRAWING 

(for full name see title page)

Title Page and Introduction

CHAPTER I
What the Art of Drawing is, and in what it doth consist 

list of side notes:
Wherein the Art of Drawing doth consist. 

The Art of Drawing necessary to all men.
Principally to Picture-drawers.
The Art of Drawing is the soul  of the art of Painting. 
The Art of Drawing needeth the whole man
The Art of Drawing ought to have his Fundamental Rules as well as other Arts.
In the instruction you must go from step to step
A Simile or Similitude.
You must begin for the first step and go not the second before you well understand the first.
The Art of Drawing, beloved of all men.
The first Mover in this desire which comes of a natural inclination
Parents ought to observe the natural inclination of their children.
How you may know whether a child be born to the Art of Drawing or not.
Drawers and Picture Drawers must be of a singular nature.
Similitude.
What a young Learner must do.
How instruction is given.
Observation of this introduction
The Learner must apply himself to a good Master
Wherefore?

CHAPTER II
The first Beginning of the Art of Drawing.
 
The first exercise.
Perspective.
The first beginnings are about some particular Members.
Faces subject to most changes.
Oval.
What the Oval doth signifie.
Reason wherefore this Cross in the Oval is not understood of the young Learner.
A great fault.
Means to understand to draw with judgment all manner of faces.
A Fore-right face.
a 3/4 face
A face looking downward
A face looking upward.
A side face 
The profit that comes by the manner of this instruction.
Good Masters not always good Teachers

CHAPTER III
Of the Order and Manner to be Observed in the Art of Drawing.
 
First step. To draw after Draughts very profitable
Second step.  To draw after Pictures. Requires greater judgement. For what reason
The third Step.
A good Figure necessary to draw after.
The reason
The fourth Step
Perswasion to much drawing.
Example to others.
Custom in Rome
This should invite us to imitation.

CHAPTER IV
Of those things which in every degree of the Art of Drawing are necessary to be observed.
 
Drawing after Draughts.
Drawing after a Picture.
How to place a picture.
Distance.
Put your Principal right before you
The beginning of a Draught.
You must assure your self of every stroke.
With patience your must overcome your passions.
The Actions must appear as first in your scetzing.
To use care, thus in drawing a Schetz neater, that you lost not the action. 
Confer your draught with your principal.
Faulss (as soon as seen) to correct.
Better is one good Draught, then 100 without observation
You must sometimes behold your work with a fresh eye.
How it comes to pass that we better discern faults. 
Reason wherefore
Example

CHAPTER V 
Of the things which in the third Step, viz. in Drawing after Plaister-Rounds, or Embossed Works, are necessary to be observed.

To chuse a good light to draw after Plaister-Rounds.
Means how to amend the light.
At what height you shall chuse your light.
Night-light.
How to use the same.
Night-light giveth hard shades.
Remedy
What distance to use in sitting.
To observe how the parties the one under the other do appear.

CHAPTER VI
Of the anatomie, or Knowledge of the inward and outward forme of the Humane body, concerning Muscles and Motions of the Arteries.
 
To know Anatomy necessary.
Profitable.
Abuse.
Means to exercise themselves herein.
Anatomy in Plaister
Divers Books of Anatomy.
From the Books go to the life.
Not to make all Muscles.
Wherefore.
In what part you must observe your Muscles most.
Wherefore
Fat bodies have small Muscles.
Fair bodies must not be muscled hard.
Wherefore.
Of Muscles, many changes.
In what parts the most changes are incident.

CHAPTER VII
Of those things, which in drawing after the life, are necessarie to be observed and understood.
 
The natural Life reacheth all things.
To chuse a College
To what purpose
Place, light.
Model of what shape.
Place, light.
Divers manners to set the Model in action.
In all actions Members must make a Compact together. 
What Principally is to be observed in the good actions.
Examples of four footed beasts.
The good Position Of a figure.
Out of the tending of the Members to see what doth the figure.
The manner how to sit to draw. You shall not look too much, or imitate anothers Draught. 
Unskilful Drawers may place themselves with them that are experienced
For what reason. 
What is to be observed commonly. 
The Model shall not stand too long in his action.
Wherefore
Observation
To learn to draw compleatly
To draw Landskips

CHAPTER VIII
Of the several sorts of Chalks and Crions for the Use of Drawing, and upon what they are to be used.
 
Charcoal.
Black lead good for to scetch withal, principally for Masters, that are sure in their drawing.
Red chalk.
Black chalk.
Faults
Use.
Charcoal dipt in Linseed-oyl.
One or two houres.
Tobaccho---Pipe-clay.
White Chalk
Coloured Crions how to make them
Whereupon to draw
White Paper.
Coloured paper.

CHAPTER IX
Of the Use and Manner of Drawing.
 
Learners are counselled to follow their Principal
Manner how to do.
How to hold your drawing Pen.
Rouseling
Rouseling alone not very graceful.
Hatching and doseling a good manner.
Doesling.
Common mishap.
Remedie.
Manner how to smooth som heightenings.
Washing.
Use.

CHAPTER X
Of the General and his Parts, and how they must be understood and observed.
 
What Parts and Generals are.
Use
How to see them.
For what reason.
Example
Distinction.
Parts also have a generality in themselvs, altho' they are Part to the general.
Example.
Likeness of things dwelleth most in the general.
Example.
2 Example.
Contrapositio.

CHAPTER XI
What light and shadows be, and how thorow the same all things come to have their being.
 
Lights and shades can express all things.
Lights and Shades can express all things.
Prove.
General shadow.
Shadows upon shadows.

CHAPTER XII
Of the Plain, smooth, sharp, and sweet drawing.
 
Learners abhorre plain drawing.

CHAPTER XIII
Of the Heightenings.

CHAPTER XIV
Of the Reflection.
 
Reflections wheron they fall most.
Reflection by what occasioned.
Use not too much of reflection.
Wherefore.
Not to make reflection without cause.

CHAPTER XV
Of the Observation of Perspective of light and dark.
 
Necessitie of observation.
Similitude.
What you shuld take heed of in your observation
Dark comes forward as well as light.

CHAPTER XVI (one illustration)
Of the Circumferent or out-stroke, and his looseness and a good Position, as also of keeping of their Parts.
 
Scetch.
Circumferent stroak.
Strokes on the side of the light to make sweet.
Draughts must be drawn without circumferent strokes,
The life is without strokes.
Example
Strokes you must not draw till necessitated.
Small things are drawn without strokes, and appear as if they were.

CHAPTER XVII
Of the Finishing of a Draught.
 
Profit of this observation.
Heightenings never to make so high as the highest wont.
Observation
In Pictures dark and light difficult to distinguish.
Wherefore.

***
An Addition


PLATES (see my introduction above)



 

Drawing treatises online

my related posts:

Copying a Rubens drawing (materials, techniques)
Preparing to draw (from 1400s-1700s treatises)
Hatching and shading (from 1400s-1700s treatises)
Copying a Rubens painting (materials, techniques)
Inspired by Rubens (Getty Museum page) 
English translations of drawing treatises (Goeree, de Piles, Jombert)   

Painting materials of Rubens; bibliography

Renaissance woodcut tools

Image gallery: copies and reconstructions

This is a directory of free downloadable 1400s-1700s drawing instruction books I arranged in two groups:
Treatises - textbooks with detailed instructions and information about materials, techniques, and theory of drawing. Many contain illustrations and examples for copying.
Drawing books, anatomies, books of proportion - richly illustrated books without detailed descriptions of technique.
Drawing books usually have no text and teach through images to be copied by the student in the order of growing complexity.  Books of proportion, anatomy, etc. contain text related to those specific topics in addition to numerous images. 

These books are a window into art education of the time, so they are fascinating to study for anyone who wants to understand old master drawings better, and for anyone trying to copy or assimilate this style.
I keep adding to the list, so if you have any corrections or suggestions for more sources, please comment below or send me an email.

de Lairesse, 1701, GRI, pdf here

Treatises:

(Italian, Dutch, Flemish, French, English, German, Spanish, each in chronological order)

Italian Treatises
(Cennini and Armenini providing most information about technique and tools):

* Cennini, Cennino 1370-1440. Il libro dell'arte. Early 1400s
            Italian, 1859 e-book; liberliber pdf; ilpalio.siena.it html
            English, (tr. Thompson 1933), html
* Alberti, Leon Battista 1404-1472. De pictura. 1435
            Latin and Italian, liberliber.it html
            Italian transl.: 1547 e-book; wikisource html
* Leonardo da Vinci 1452-1519. Trattato della pittura. 1510s, first published 1651 (info)
            English, French, Italian, books, manuscripts, images treatiseonpainting.org
            Italian, Wikisource html, liberliber.it pdf
* Vasari, Giorgio 1511-1574.  Le vite de' più eccellenti pittori, scultori e architettori. 1550
            Italian,  vasari.sns.it html
            English translation (of parts of Vite), Vasari on technique. 1907  e-book
* Lomazzo, Giovanni Paolo 1538-1600. Trattato dell'arte de la pittura.
           Italian, e-books: 1584, 1585, 1590
           English (tr. Haydock, 1598): e-book
* Armenini, Giovanni Battista 1530-1609. De veri precetti della pittura.
           Italian, e-book, 1586
* Baldinucci, Filippo 1624-1697 Vocabolario toscano dell'arte del disegno. (an arts dictionary)
           Italian, e-books 1681, 1809


Dutch / Flemish Treatises 
(Goeree and de Lairesse provide the most detailed technical instructions)

*Van Mander, Karel 1548-1606. Het schilder-boeck. 1604
            Dutch, dbnl.org html
*Rubens, Peter Paul 1577-1640 and others (after). Theorie de la figure humaine.
            French, e-book 1773
* Passe, Crispijn van de (d. 1670).  La prima-[quinta] parte della luce del dipingere et disegnare.
            Italian, Dutch, French, German, e-book, 1643

* Goeree, Willem 1635-1711
 Inleydingh tot de practijck der al-gemeene schilder-konst, waer in neffens de heerlijckheyt en nuttigheydt der selve, kortelijck wert aengewesen
            Dutch, e-book, 1670 ( Universiteitsbibliotheek Utrecht)
Anweisung zu der allgemeinen Reiß- und Zeichen-Kunst.  
            German transl., e-books: 1669, 1677(GDZ, with links to ToC headings)
Anweisung zu der Practic oder Handlung der allgemeinen Mahler-Kunst.
            German transl., e-books: 1677 (GDZ), 1678
Anweisung zu der Mahler-Kunst.
            German transl., e-book 1756, 1750 (high res.)
Natuurlyk en schilderkonstig ontwerp der menschkunde leerende niet alleen de kennis van de gestalte . tot de teykenkunde, schilderkunde . toepassen, maar ook hoe sich een...
            Dutch, e-book, 1683
Inleyding tot de praktyk der algemeene schilderkonst.
            Dutch, e-books: 1704, 1705
An Introduction to the General Art of Drawing
            English, html 1674 (my transcript) NEW

* de Lairesse, Gerard 1640-1711.  Grondlegginge ter teekenkonst : zynde een korte en zeekere weg om door middel van de geometrie of meetkunde, de teeken-konst volkomen te leeren. 
           Dutch, e-book 1701
           French translation, 1787, e-book
           English translation, 1764, e-book NEW    


French Treatises

* du Fresnoy, Charles Alphonse 1611-1668. De arte graphica. 
          French tr. by de Piles 1668
          English tr. by Dryden 1695, tr. by William Mason 1783
* Bosse, Abraham 1602-1676. Traicté des manieres de graver en taille douce sur l'airin. Par le Moyen des Eauxs Fortes, & des Vernix Durs & Mols. Ensemble de la façon d'en Imprimer les Planches, & d'en Construire la Presse, & autres choses concernans lesdits Arts. Par A. Bosse, Graveur en Taille Douce. Paris, 1645
(This is a printmaking treatise, but Jombert advised it to drawing students wanting detailed advice on hatching)
          French, e-book, 1645
* de Piles, Roger 1635-1709. Les premiers élémens de la peinture pratique.
          French, e-book 1684
          English, my own translation of pp 9-33
          French, e-book, expanded posthumous edition 1766
* Jombert, Charles-Antoine 1712-1784.
Nouvelle Methode pour apprendre a dessiner sans maitre. 
          French, e-book, 1740
Methode pour apprendre le dessein.
          French, e-book, 1755
          English, my translation of some excerpts


English Treatises

* Peacham, Henry 1578-1644?. The gentlemans exercise, or, An exquisite practise : as well for drawing all manner of...
         English, Getty e-book, 1634 NEW
* Bate, John. The Mysteryes of Nature and Art.
         English, links to pdf and jpg versions at the end of the page about this 1634 book
* Jenner, Thomas (active 1631-1656). A Book of Drawing, Limning, Washing or Colouring of Maps and Prints: and the Art of Painting, with the Names and Mixtures of Colours used by the Picture-Drawers. Or, The Young-mans Time well Spent.
         English, info and pdf of this 1652 book
* Sanderson, William 1586?-1676.  Graphice, the use of the pen and pensil, or, The most excellent art of painting : in two parts
         English, e-book, 1658
* Ratcliffe, Thomas, Daniel, Thomas (printers) Newman, Dorman, Jones, Richard (booksellers) The excellency of the pen and pencil...
         English, e-books: 1668, 1688
* Browne,  Alexander 1660-1677. (translations and borrowings from other authors) Ars pictoria: or, An academy treating of drawing, painting, limning and etching...
         English, e-book, 1669
* Salmon, William 1644-1713. Polygraphice, or, The arts of drawing, engraving, etching, limning, painting, vernishing, japaning, gilding, &c 
          English, e-books: 1685, 1701


German Treatises

* Fürst, Paul  Theoria Artis Pictoriae. A text with a compilation of prints from Italian drawing books
           German, with an informative introduction (2009), 1656, pdf (Heidelberg University)
* Preissler, Johann Daniel.  Die durch Theorie erfundene Practic, oder Gründlich-verfasste Reguln, derer man sich als einer Anleitung zu berühmter Künstlere Zeichen-Wercken bestens bedienen kan..
           German, four Volumes 1761-1663 e-books (Heidelberg University)
* Herzberg, Friedrich.  Anleitung zum gründlichen Unterricht in der Handzeichungskunst für Anfänger.
           German, e-book 1780 (Getty) NEW

Spanish Treatises

* Pacheco, Francisco. Arte de la pintura.
           Spanish, e-book, 1649

Jombert, 1740

* * *

Drawing books, Anatomies, Proportion books, etc.:

* For anatomy books see THIS great resource (Historical Anatomies)
   also see Tortebat, François. Traité d'anatomie appliquée aux beaux-arts. 1667-8 ("full view")

* Dürer, Albrecht 1471-1528.   
Vier Bücher von menschlicher Proportion. 1528 jpgs
Della simmetria dei corpi humani, Libri Quattro. e-book 1594 

* Palma il Giovane, Jacopo 1544-1628.
Regole per imparar a disegnare i corpi humani diuise in doi libri delineati dal famoso pittor Giacomo Palma, lombardiabeniculturali.it, jpgs
Principi del disegno/ Principles of drawing Harvardartmuseums.org , jpgs

* Fialetti, Odoardo 1573-1638.  

Tutte le parti del corpo hvmano diuiso in piu pezzi. e-book 1608
Il vero modo et ordine per dissegnar tutte le parti et membra del corpo humano. e-book 1608

* Cousin, Jehan le Jeune 1522-1593.   
Livre de pourtraiture jpgs 1608,
La vraye science de la pourtraicture, e-book 1671

* after Carracci (prints by Luca Ciamberlano, etc) Scvola perfetta per imparare a disegnare tutto il corpo humano / cauata dallo studio, e disegni de Caracci.  (1600-1630)
Getty Research Institute e-book  NEW
British Museum - individual jpgs

* after Guercino (prints by Olivero Gatti c 1620, Francesco Curti 1635-40) drawing book pages (parts of the face, body parts, figures, heads), British Museum - jpgs

* de Ribera, Jusepe. 1622 etchings, Harvard jpgs

* Bracelli, G. B. 1624, not a real drawing book, but does demonstrate figure construction basics in a fun way, so I imagine it could have been used by students, here

* after Rubens 1577-1640.
Drawing book sheets from 1630. British Museum, jpgs;
de Ganay manuscript jpgs 1600s (after 1640) - write "de Ganay" in image search

* della Bella, Stefano.   
I principii del disegno. 1640s. British Museum jpgs , 1824 ed. (see description), GRI, e-book  NEW
Recueil de diverses pieces Servant à l'Art de portraiture. 1645-50. British Museum jpgs 
Diverses testes et figures. 1650 British Museum jpgs
Livre pour apprendre a dessiner. 1647-52. British Museum jpgs

* Bloemaert, Abraham (after), Frederik. Het Tekenboek. 1650-56,
Getty Research Institute e-book NEW; British Museum jpgs

* Fuller, Isaak.  Un libro da designiare. Publisher Peter Stent 1654 British Museum jpgs

* Pesne, Jean, 1623-1700; Audran; Poussin.  Livre pour aprendre à désigner avec les proportions des parties qui ont esté choisie dans les ouvrages de N. Poussin. 1680 pdf

* Jabach, Everhard  1618-1695. Recueil de 283. estampes gravées à l'eau forte par les plus habiles peintres du tems, d'apres les desseins des grands maitres, que possedoit autrefois M. Jabach et qui depuis on passé au cabinet du roy.  e-book

* Testelin, Henri, 1616-1695 Sentimens des plus habiles peintres du tems, sur la pratique de la peinture et sculpture : recueillis & mis en tables de preceptes, avec six discours academiques, extraits des conferences tenuës en l'Academie Royale desdits arts ... par Henry Testelin, peintre du roi, professeur & secretaire en ladite Academie.  e-book, 1680

* Audran, Girard 1640-1703.  Les proportions du corps humain : mesurées sur les plus belles figures de l'antiquité 1683

* Le Clerc, Sébastien 1637-1714.  Pricipes de dessein / Divers habillemens des anciens grecs et romains  1700

* van Somer, Paul.  Figurae variae. 1675-1714 drawing book prints jpgs British Museum

* Le Brun, Charles 1619-1690.
Méthode pour apprendre à dessiner les passions: proposée dans une conférence sur l'expression générale et particulière. e-book 1702
(after le Brun) Caracteres des passions, sur le desseins de C. le Brun e-book 1750

* Huet, Jean-Baptiste 1745–1811. Premier[-dix-huitiéme] cahier de fragmens et de principes de desseins de tous les genres... Getty e-book 1778  NEW

Stefano della Bella, Recueil de diverses pieces Servant à l'art de portraiture.  British Museum

 ***

compiled by Lala Ragimov