Summary of Leonardo da Vinci's "A Treatise on Painting"

tmichaelniemanart
Jan 8
8 min read

“A Treatise on Painting”

Leonardo da Vinci

Translated from the original Italian by John Francis Rigaud

Illustrated with Twenty-three Copper-plates, and other figures

This work is in the Public Domain. See link below to full free pdf copy.

Leonardo di ser Piero da Vinci(15 April 1452 – 2 May 1519) was an Italian polymath of the High Rennaissance who was active as a painter, draughtsman, engineer, scientist, theorist, sculptor, and architect. While his fame initially rested on his achievements as a painter, he has also become known for his notebooks in which he made drawings and notes on a variety of subjects, including anatomy, astronomy, botany, cartography, painting, and paleontology. Leonardo is widely regarded to have been a genius who epitomised the Rennaissance Humanist ideal,and his collective works comprise a contribution to later generations of artists matched only by that of his younger contemporary Michaelangelo.

A Treatise on Painting is said to be a compilation of some of the greatest ideas left in da Vinci’s notebooks.

The Treatise on Painting is a collection of Leonardo da Vinci's writings on painting compiled after his death by his student and heir Francesco Melzi. The manuscript was produced in Milan around 1530-1540. Melzi was a student of da Vinci and was considered by many to be one of da Vinci’s closest friends and confidants.

This abridged translation is divided into nine sections:

Drawing
Proportion
Anatomy
Motion and Equipoise of Figures
Linear Perspective
Invention or Composition
Expression and Character
Painting and Coloring
Further Remarks on Painting

The information and concepts presented in this book run the gamut from the simple, practical and technical to higher theory, conceptual and ephemeral. All of which is demonstrative of da Vinci’s legendary curiosity and appetite for experiential learning.

Some of the key concepts crystalized in this Trearise include aerial perspective, the bahavior and qualities of light and shadow, composition, anatomy, color harmony, color mixing, how to see properly as a painter, how to rest properly, self-evaluation and much more.

Some favorite quotes:

Chapt XVI The Manner of drawing from Relievos ad rendering Paper fit for it

When you draw from relievos, tinge your paper of some darkish demit-tint. And after you have made your outline, put in the darkest shadows, and, last of all, the principal lights, but sparingly, especially the smaller ones; because those are lost to the eye at a very moderate distance.

Chapt XXI Of studying in the Dark on first waking in the morning and before going to sleep.

I have experienced no small benefit when in the dark and in bed by retracing in my mind the outlines of those forms which I had previously studied, particularly such as had appeared the most difficult to comprehend and retain; by this method they will be confirmed and treasured up in the memory.

Chapt CXII Of those who apply themselves to the practice without having learned the theory of art.

Those who become enamored of the practice of art without having previously applied the diligent study of the scientific part of it, may be compared to mariners who put to sea in a ship without a rudder or compass, and therefore, cannot bt certain of arriving at the wished-for-port.

Practice must always be founded on good theory; to this perspective is the guide and the entrance, without which nothing can be well done.

Chapt CXXIV Why objects in painting can never detach as natural objects do

Painters often despair of being able to imitate Nature, from observing, that their pictures have not the same relief, as natural objects have in a looking-glass, although they both appear upon a plain surface.They say they have colours and in darkness the quality of the objects seen in the looking glass; but attribute this circumstance to their own ignorance and not the the true cause but they do not know it. It is impossible that objects in paintings appear with the same relief as those in the looking glass unless we look at them with only one eye.

Chapt CLIL A Precept in Painting

The painter ought to notice quick motions, which men are apt to make without thinking, when impelled by strong powerful affections of the mind. He ought to take memorandums of them and sketch them in his pocket-book, in order to make use of them when they may answer his purpose…

Chapt CLIII The Motion of Man. Plates XX, and XXI

The first and principal part of the art is composition of any sort, or putting things together. The second relates to the expression and motion of the figures, and requires that they be well appropriated, and seem attentive to what they are about.

Chapt CLVII How to Represent a Storm

To form a just idea of a storm, you must consider it attentively in its effects. When the wind blows violently over the sea or land, it removes and carries off with tit everything that is not firmly fixed to the general mass.The clouds must appear straggled and broken, carried to the direction and the force of the wind.

Chapt CLXXX How a Painter May Become Universal

The Painter who wishes to become universal and please a variety of judges, must unite in the same composition, objects susceptible of great force in the shadows, and great sweetness in the management of them, accounting, however, in every instance for such boldness and softenings.

Chapt CLXXXL Accuracy ought to be learnt before Dispatch in the Execution

If you wish to make good and useful studies use great deliberation in your drawings observe well among the lights which and how many hold the first Rank and point of brightness and so among the Shadows which are darker than the others and in what Manner they blend together compare the quality and quantity of one with the other and observe to what part they are directed. be careful also in your outlines or divisions of the members. remark well what quantity of parts are to be on one side, and what on the other semicolon and where they are more or less apparent or broad or slender. lastly take care what the shadows and lights be united, or lost in each other semicolon without any hard Strokes or lines as smoke loses itself in the air so are your lights and shadows to pass from one to the other without any apparent separation when you have a choir the habit and formed your hand to accuracy quickness of execution will come of itself

Chapt CCXXIL What surface is best calculated to receive the most colors

White is more capable of receiving all sorts of colors then the surface of any body whatever that is not transparent to prove it we shall say that any void space is capable of receiving what another space not void cannot receive. in the same manner a white surface, like a void space, being destitute of any color, will be fittest to receive such as our conveyed to it from any other enlightened body and will participate more of the color than black can do which latter like a broken vessel is not able to contain anything.

Chapt CCXXXIIL Of Transparent Colors

When a transparent color is laid upon another color of a different nature it produces a mixed color, different from either of the simple ones which compose it. This is observed in the smoke coming out of a chimney, which, when passing before the black soot, appears blueish, but as it ascends against the blue of the sky, it changes its appearance into a reddish brown. So the color lake laid on blue will turn it to a violet color; yellow upon blue turns green; saffron upon white turns yellow; white scrambled upon a fark background appears blue; and is more or less beautiful, as the white and the ground are more or less pure.

The beauty of a color is to be found in the lights.

Chapt CCXLIV Why White is not reckoned among the colors

White is not a color, but has the power of receiving all the other colors. When is it placed in a high situation on the country, all its shades are azure…

Chapt CCXLVI Of Coloring or remote objects

The painter who is to represent objects at some distance from the eye; ought merely to convey the idea of general undetermined masses, making choice, for that purpose cloudy weather, or towards the evening, and avoiding what was said before, to mark the lights and shadows too strong on the extremities; because they would in that case appear like spots of difficult execution, and without grace.

CXLIL How to study the motions of the human body.

Two things to man the principal attention of a good painter. one is the exact outline and shape of the figure; the other, the true expression of what passes in the mind of that figure, which he must feel, that is very important.

Chapt CLXXV The course of study to be persued

The student who is desirous of making great Proficiency in the art of imitating The Works of nature, should not only learn the shape of figures or other objects, and be able to delineate them with truth and precision, but he must also accompany them with their proper lights and shadows, according to the situation in which those objects appear.

Chapt CCXIV Where there cannot be any reverberation of light

The lights are of two sorts: one is called original, the other derivative. the original light is that which comes from the Sun or the brightness of fire or else from the air. the derivative is a reflected light.

Chapt CCXVI OF the lights which surround the shadows

The reflected lights which strike upon the midst of shadows, will brighten up or lessen their obscurity in proportion to the strength of those lights, and their proximity to those shadows.

Chapt CCLVII Remarks concern lights and shadows

Observe, that where the Shadows and, there be always a kind of half Shadow to blend them with the lights. The shadow derived from any object will mix more with the light at its termination, in proportion as it is more distant from that object.

Chap CCLXXXIII A Precept of perspective in regards to painting

The eye can never arrive at a perfect knowledge of the interval between two objects variously distant, by means of the linear perspective alone, if not assisted by the perspective of colors.

Chapt CCCLIV Painters are not to imitate one another

One painter ought never to imitate the manner of any other; because in that case he cannot be called the child of nature, but the grandchild. It is always best to have recourse to nature, which is replete with such abundance of objects, then to the Productions of other Masters who learnt everything from her.

Chapter CCCLX Advice to Painters

A painter ought to study Universal nature, and reason much within himself on all he sees, making use of the most excellent parts that compose the species of every object before him. his mind will buy this method be like a mirror, reflecting truly every object place before it, and become, as it were, a second nature.

Chapt CCCLXIII A precept for the painter

The painter who entertains no doubt of his own ability, will attain very little. when the work succeeds beyond the judgment, the artist acquires nothing; but when the judgment is superior to the work, he never ceases improving, if the love of gain do not retard his progress.

Chapt CCCLXV That a man ought not to trust to himself, but ought to consult with Nature.

Whoever flatters himself that he can retain in his memory all the effects of nature, is deceived, for our memory is not so capacious; therefore consult nature for everything.

While reading this book and organizing my notes for this summary I could not help but remember my repeated impression that surfaced while doing so – this book is really mostly about how to see and think as a painter.

Here is the link to the free pdf copy of the original