Le due regole della prospettiva pratica di M. Iacomo Barozzi da Vignola. Con i comentarij del R.P.M. Egnatio Danti dell'ordine de Predicatori: Matematico dello Studio di Bologna

Folio (366x251 mm). [12], 145, [7] pp. The last leaf is a blank. Engraved architectural title page signed by Cherubino Alberti with a bust of Vignola in the centre and the coat of arms of the dedicatee Camillo Pamphili at the top. With 120 woodcut illustrations and diagrams in text (one full-page) designed and cut by Egnazio Danti, and 29 engraved plates, 8 of which are full page, by Vignola. Vignola's text in large roman lettering, Danti's commentary in italics and smaller roman type. Contemporary cardboards (worn and soiled). Repair to lower outer corner of the first two leaves, outer margin of the title page anciently reinforced at the verso, small hole to upper outer corner of six leaves not affecting the text, book block a bit loose, some foxing and browning, all in all a good, genuine copy.

Third edition, dedicated by Filippo de Rossi to Camillo Pamphili, nephew of Pope Innocent X, of this treatise considered “the most comprehensive, systematic and authoritative exposition of one-point and two-point perspective construction methods published in the 16^th century” (R.J. Tuttle, in: D. Wiebenson, “Architectural Theory and Practice from Alberti to Ledoux”, Chicago, 1982).

It was first published at Rome in 1583 by Ignazio Danti, professor of mathematics at Bologna, in an edition that combines woodcut and engraved illustrations. This combination was maintained in the subsequent Rome editions (1611 and 1644), but abandoned in the Bologna edition of 1682, which contains only woodcuts. The full-page copperplate at p. [88] is dated 1562. The preliminary leaves also contain a short biography of Vignola written by Danti.

“When the Due regole appeared, it was the first specialized treatise on perspective by a professional artist to appear in Italy [and] the most intelligent, useful, and thoroughly informative book on perspective ever published” (M. Kemp, The Science of Art, New Haven-London, 1990 p. 69).

Italian Union Catalogue, IT\ICCU\BVEE\052398.

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