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)



 

Preparing to draw (1400s-1700s)

My related posts:

1400s-1700s drawing treatises online
Painting materials of Rubens; bibliography

Copying a Rubens drawing (materials, techniques)
Copying a Rubens painting (materials, techniques)
Inspired by Rubens (Getty Museum page) 
English translations of drawing treatises (Goeree, de Piles, Jombert) 

Renaissance woodcut tools

Image gallery: copies and reconstructions

Supplies and set-up procedures for drawing as described in drawing treatises 1400s-1700s.  
For directions on shading and hatching see this post.

1) Drawing tools 
2) Paper  
3) Body position 
4) Hand position 
5) Setting up lighting 
6) Measuring 

My sources:

Cennini  early 1400s
Leonardo 1510s
Vasari 1550
Armenini 1587
Hilliard 1598-1602
Peacham 1606
Norgate 1620s and 1648
Bates 1634
Bosse 1645
Sanderson 1658
Goeree 1668
de Piles 1684 
Salmon 1701
de Lairesse 1701
Jombert 1740 1755

1) Drawing tools

* All treatises mention charcoal (sallow, vine, etc) -- which is used for the first sketch only, to be incompletely erased and retraced with a more durable material (chalk or pen and ink).  The process of making oiled charcoal for final drawings is also described (Goeree and others).
De Lairesse says that chalk is cleaner and makes neater lines but charcoal is best for beginners.

* It is interesting to see how the attitude to pen and ink drawings changes through time:

Armenini listing drawing techniques puts pen and ink as the first way (for the beginner to learn).  Norgate is a fan of elaborate hatched drawings in pen and ink quoting seeing some by Goltzius, large scale and on canvas. Norgate says he prefers it to all others.  For Sanderson 1658 drawing with the pen follows charcoal drawing and precedes chalk drawing in the learning process. De Piles 1684 says some masters suggest pen and ink to be used by beginners because it makes you think more carefully, but most masters are against that view.  Goeree 1668 and de Lairesse 1701 both say pen and ink are a waste of time for a student, Goeree (repeated in Jombert) notes that it is best for engraving students. Jombert says that he considers it not good for beginners because it cannot be erased and that pen and ink drawings are suitable only for architecture.
Goeree advocates using a reed pen instead of a quill.  Earlier treatises suggest raven quills for refined work and goose and other quills for the rest.

* Goeree mentions both red and black chalk, but notes that black chalk is difficult to find and when found it is usually bad quality.  Red chalk (sanguine) is the preferred medium for de Lairesse and Jombert.  They both see it as a difficult material (because of its greasiness and its difficulty erasing), but also as the most beneficial medium for the student to work with.  Earlier treatises emphasise black chalk more.

* Red, black and white chalk can be used in combination of two or all three (the technique now known as aux trois crayons).  White chalk can be made of "tobacco-pipe clay" rolled to the thickness of a finger or a natural chalk (Goeree), and it requires toned paper to be visible.  Drawing on toned paper is seen as a faster way to draw (since the paper replaces the mid-tone) and requiring more experience. (Goeree, de Lairesse). 

* The British treatises of the 1600s and de Piles mention graphite. Cennini (1400s) and the Norgate-related treatises also mention silver and lead-point on parchment.

* Wash (done with a brush with and bistre or other ink, indigo or another dye, sanguine, or other materials tempered with water) is described in most of these treatises. Hatching is suggested to be used on top of smooth washes (Goeree, Jombert).  A heightening of lead white with gum arabic and water is described by Cennini and Armenini for doing washes on toned paper.

The only real survivor of these media is charcoal made of twigs.  Currently the rest of the drawing media are all manufactured by mixing pigments, clays, chalks, graphite and charcoal powders.  There is genuine black chalk and sanguine for sale only at speciality art supplies stores such as Kremer pigments (black chalk, white chalk) and Zecchi (sanguine, brownish black chalk, etc).  Everyone can make their own silverpoint by going to a jeweller and asking for a piece of silver wire.  
 

period materials from my collection

2) Paper

* "The marks of good paper are strength and fine and even grain.

For those who draw with a quill the paper only needs to be smooth, and for those who wash it needs to be smooth and strong.", "There are two types on which you can draw: the white and the half-tone. And of the half-tone there are three types: grey, blue, and the one tinted with bistre." (de Piles, 33)

* Good paper for washing should be thick, firm/sturdy (ferma) and of good sizing.  If the size is weak it will drink the shadows producing spots. (Armenini, 55)

Current paper is mostly cellulose, and the expensive rag papers are mostly cotton.  The majority of paper doesn't have the "laid" surface with chain marks and I've never seen paper with felt fibre marks as you see on papers from the Renaissance and Baroque.   Also papers made of linen rags are extremely rare and expensive.  

Drawing book illustration, 1600-1630

Luca Ciamberlano after Agostino Carracci (British Museum)

3) How and where do I sit when drawing?  How should I place the drawing board?

 * Goeree says that the drawing board should not lie flat before you, but that you should put it in your lap and elevate it with your knees (so you don't see your drawing foreshortened).  You should fold the drawing paper five or six times on the drawing board.  In a life drawing studio Goeree suggests to sit on a stool or on the floor or in any way that is convenient.  When drawing after a drawing, print or painting set them vertically in front of you at a distance at which you can see the whole piece in one glance.  For drawing sculpture Goeree borrows from Leonardo the advice to sit three times as far away from the model as the model is high and to keep your eyes on the same level as the model.

This is slightly different from modern instruction since in a regular drawing class the students are either told to work at an easel or a "horse" (both of which do the job of placing the picture vertically in front of the student rather than flat and foreshortened. The sensation of drawing on a "horse" and in your lap is very different.

 

Bloemaert, Het Tekenboek (Getty, e-book)

4) How do I hold the chalk (pencil, pen) when drawing?  

* Cennini suggests tying a piece of charcoal to a reed or a stick which provides the distance that helps when composing.  Armenini says to set it into a brass holder (cannella di ottone).

* You should hold the pencil (or pen) further from the tip than when you write and not as vertical (Goeree, repeated in Salmon). 

*  You should hatch with a chalk by holding and turning it in such a way that you don't have to sharpen it frequently. (Goeree, repeated in Jombert and Salmon)

* De Lairesse says to keep the chalk or charcoal between the thumb and the index finger resting it on the slightly curved middle finger.

This is consistent with modern instruction. 

From Crispijn van de Passe, 1643,
download book here (Getty Research Institute) 

5) When drawing from life, where should the light sources be?

* When drawing from life Cennini and most other authors recommend light falling from the left side.  If the lighting cannot be controlled by the artist and there are several light sources, Cennini suggests to follow the effects of the dominant light.  (Cennini, Chapters VIII, IX)

* Leonardo da Vinci (repeated and elaborated in Goeree and Hilliard) gives very detailed advice on arranging the lighting (high and large window, northern light, morning or evening light, a sheet of paper over the light source to produce more diffused shadows when the daylight or candlelight is too direct, etc.)

This differs from current mainstream instruction in the fact that several spotlights are used simultaneously to light a model, creating a chaos of shadows that the students are supposed to follow faithfully.  Only in scientific illustration classes and books the classical left-front-top light is advised as being the most practical and producing the clearest and most three-dimensional-looking result.

A man using his porte-crayon to check the vertical allignment of parts and/or to measure.

Note the low chairs and foot rests to keep knees high.

Jacobus Johannes Lauwers, Rijksmuseum, full painting here

6) Measuring 

Many treatises downplay measuring tools and cite the famous Michelangelo saying that the compass should be in the eye and not in the hands.  Sanderson says to learn first to draw heads from prints with a compass and ruler. Many English treatises mention the use of a compass to check your finished piece and compare it with the drawing or print you copied, but not to use it in the process of drawing. De Lairesse mentions using a compass when just beginning to draw simple shapes, then repeating the exercise without one.

* Almost all treatises speak of pausing to look carefully at your original before starting to draw and of judging the distances between parts by eye (Goeree, De Lairesse, etc).  Authors from Cennini to Goeree also suggest leaving your finished or almost finished drawing for some time and coming back to it in order to see mistakes better.

* Leonardo (repeated in Goeree and de Lairesse) suggested using a plumb-line as a tool to help seeing the correspondence of parts in the model and to note which parts bear most weight.

* De Lairesse is the only one I've seen who says that you can measure without a compass using your fingers or your charcoal (when drawing from a sculpture, for example, in addition to judging with the naked eye) but he doesn't elaborate on the process, so I suppose the current measuring technique (arm stretched out with locked elbow, pencil in hand with the thumb measuring the length from the tip of the pencil) was not used.

* De Piles suggests thinking of many imaginary lines, horizontal, vertical and others in your model to see better which parts correspond.  De Lairesse also makes use of vertical and horizontal construction lines drawn with charcoal on the sketch.  In addition, when copying a print he mentions a method for beginners of covering up part of it with a piece of paper and copying just that, then moving the paper downward in steps (a more challenging variation of copying by squares, which was also mentioned in most treatises).

* De Lairesse suggests that it is too much to make a beginner copy a print bigger or smaller than the original, and advises 1:1 copies. In lesson twelve (right after starting drawing from the round) he says that it is time that the student starts drawing things bigger or smaller than they are, because it is essential that he exercises to see the proportions well and that his eye serves him for ruler and compass.
I have never seen anything in the old treatises reminding of the current "sight-sizing" trend other than when the objects are traced mechanically with the help of a piece of glass or a net such as are mentioned by Alberti or Dürer.  But tracing was not considered a legitimate way to draw, at least for a student (see de Lairesse and many other authors).

Currently the "classical" measuring is done with a pencil held parallel to the picture plane in an outstretched arm with elbow locked (to minimise distortions).  Measuring is taught much more rigorously and its procedure is much more rigid than what is described in the treatises.

***

For directions on shading and hatching from the same treatises see this post. 

 

Bibliography
(for more links to digitised versions of drawing treatises see this page)

Armenini, Giovanni Battista. De veri precetti della pittura. Ravenna, 1587

Bates, John. The Mysteryes of Nature and Art. London, 1634. 

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

Cennini, Cennino. Il libro dell'arte. Late 1300s to ealry 1400s, Italian and English translation

Goeree, Willem Inleydinge tot de Algemeene Teyken-Konst. 1668, 1670 (this German edition scan is readable quality)

Hilliard, Nicholas (1537 (ca.)-1619).  A Treatise Concerning the Arte of Limning, by Nicholas Hilliard, together with, A More Compendious Discourse Concerning ye Art of Liming, by Edward Norgate, with a paralel modernized text.  Ed. R.K.R. Thornton and T.G.S. Cain.  Manchester, 1981.
The original manuscript written c. 1598-1602

Jenner, Thomas (fl.1631-1656 bio). 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.  London, 1652.

Jombert, Charles-Antoine. Methode pour apprendre le dessein. Paris, 1755

Leonardo da Vinci. Trattato della pittura. 1510s, first published 1651  treatiseonpainting.org (or html, liberliber.it pdf)

Lairesse, Gérard de (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.  Amsterdam, 1701  
in Dutch or its later translation to French HERE.

Norgate, Edward (1580/1 - 1650). Miniatura or the Art of Limning. Ed. J. Muller and J. Murrel.  New Haven and London, 1997.
The original manuscripts date c. 1626-8 and c. 1648.

Peacham, Henry (1576?-1643?). The art of drawing with the pen, and limming in water colours, more exactlie then heretofore taught and englarged: with the true manner of Painting upon glasse, the order of making your furnace, Annealing, etc.  London, 1606

De Piles, Roger (1635-1709) Les premiers élémens de la peinture pratique. Paris, 1684.

Ratcliffe, Thomas; Daniel, Thomas (printers); Newman, Dorman; Jones, Richard (booksellers) The excellency of the pen and pencil... London, 1668, 1688

Sanderson, William 1586?-1676.  Graphice, the use of the pen and pensil, or, The most excellent art of painting : in two parts 1658 

©Lala Ragimov

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 

Copying a Rubens drawing

My other posts on topics related to technical art history:
  Copying a Rubens painting (materials, techniques)

Inspired by Rubens (Getty Museum page, featuring my work)

Preparing to draw (from 1400s-1700s treatises)
Hatching and shading (from 1400s-1700s treatises)

English translations of drawing treatises (Goeree, de Piles, Jombert) 

 1400s-1700s drawing treatises online
 Painting materials of Rubens, with bibliography
 Renaissance woodcut tools
 Image gallery: my copies and reconstructions

(for more photos of my copies and process see this Getty Museum page where I was featured)

Copy after Rubens.  Original HERE

The "Man in Korean Costume" was on display at the Getty at a beautiful exhibition called Looking East: Rubens's Encounter with Asia.  I started copying the drawing to scale directly from the original at the gallery, but soon realised that the details of this piece are so minute they can only be seen with a magnifying glass, so I ended up copying it from the Getty's very helpful zoom view page.  Afterwards I took the drawing back to the gallery, put it side by side with the original, corrected some value relationships, added accents and other details.

1) marking the position of the figure with willow charcoal (mostly removed in step 2)
2) blocking in the main contours and flat areas of shadow with my black chalk substitute
(compressed charcoal) and black chalk
3) finishing the drawing with details, cross-hatching, red chalk and dark accents

The use of willow or vine charcoal for the first few lines of the underdrawing (that was later removed with an eraser made of bread) is historic practice.  The 1634 Third Book of "The Mysteries of Nature and Art" says that when you finish your sketch with ash, sallow or beech charcoal and "you can finde no great fault in it: wipe it over gently with your wing, so that you may perceive the former strokes then with your blacke chalke, or blacke lead plummets; draw it as perfectly, and as curiously as you can" (p104).  The book is downloadable HERE.
A similar procedure is described in Cennini, in Willem Goeree's treatise of 1668, Gerard de Lairesse's treatise of 1701 (in French HERE), and many others (see my Online drawing treatises directory) Rubens, being a genius draughtsman, probably didn't resort to a charcoal underdrawing, but since it's convenient, historic, and doesn't affect the final look, I used it (after writing this blog I heard from Nancy Yocco, a conservator at the Getty who confirmed not noticing traces of charcoal in Rubens drawings she studied).
My real departure from the historic materials in this copy was in the use of a hard compressed charcoal pencil in conjunction with black chalk. 

Types of drawing media used by Rubens and other Baroque artists.
(Elba sanguine from Zecchi and Ural sanguine from Rublevskaya palitra,
French black chalk and Champagne white chalk from Kremer)

***

Rubens used only black and red chalk in the "Man in Korean Costume".  Examples of his use of more drawing media are the portraits of Isabella Brant and Nicolaas Rubens.  The originals are "aux trois crayons" (black red and white chalk on cream paper) drawings with pen and ink accents. For another one of my aux trois crayons with ink copies see this blog post http://lalaragimov.blogspot.com/2013/02/copying-rubens.html

Copy after Nicolaas Rubens with a Coral Necklace
Genuine black chalk (French), genuine sanguine (Ural),
Champagne white chalk, pen and bistre ink,
Canson Ingres paper cream.

Copy after the Portrait of Isabella Brant
genuine sanguine (Zecchi), compressed charcoal,
white chalk, pen and ink, Hahnemühle Ingres paper

***

An aside about genuine black chalk and its modern substitutes:

Black chalk is a luscious medium with a vivid personality and a temper.  With it it's possible to get both a defined line and a fuzzy light hatch-mark depending on the pressure you apply.  It has a cool greyish tone especially important when used in combination with red chalk because it represents all the cool colours while the red chalk takes on the role of all the warm tones.

The material currently available (mined in France and sold by Kremer Pigments) is very expensive with some inclusions that don't produce any marks.  I've read many times that the deposits of good black chalk have all been exhausted, but I'm sure they still exist in various parts of the world and are not explored only because there is no demand.

Currently there is no good substitute of black chalk on the market.  Derwent charcoal pencils (Hard) have the same cool grey tone, but are very soft and powdery, very unlike the genuine material.  General's charcoal  HB is similar to the chalk in hardness but is too scratchy and black.  Pierre Noire by Conte is close, but too waxy, Wolf's Carbon B is too black and chronically inexpressive.
If anyone has a good suggestion for a substitute or a place where I may buy or dig up some real black chalk, please let me know!


©Lala Ragimov

My other posts on topics related to technical art history:

Inspired by Rubens (Getty Museum page, featuring my work)

Preparing to draw (from 1400s-1700s treatises)
Hatching and shading (from 1400s-1700s treatises)

  Copying a Rubens painting (materials, techniques)
English translations of drawing treatises (Goeree, de Piles, Jombert) 

 1400s-1700s drawing treatises online
 Painting materials of Rubens, with bibliography
 Renaissance woodcut tools
 Image gallery: my copies and reconstructions