ALBERTI, Leon Battista

An excellent, unsophisticated copy, in original binding, of the first edition in French of this milestone of European architecture – with nearly 100 exquisite woodcuts. A sumptuous edition, with a translation by Jean Martin, dedicated to Henri II and with dedicatory poems by Ronsard. About half of the woodcuts were based on those of the first ed. in Italian (1550), with the remainder inspired by the woodcuts in Serlio’s Book III and the 1521 and 1548 eds of Vitruvius’ ‘De Architectura’. The initials were originally designed by Kerver for his 1546 ed. of Colonna’s ‘Hypnerotomachia’.

Leon Battista Alberti (1404-72) was an architect and polymath. His ‘De Re Aedificatoria’ , based on Vitruvius’ ‘De Architectura’, was the first Renaissance book on architectural theory. The French translation follows the structure of the original, in 10 books, on designs (with observations on the five orders of architecture); materials (e.g., lime, bricks, plaster); construction (with considerations on the nature of the location, foundations, and how to work with different materials); public works (e.g., walls, bridges, drains); buildings for specific individuals (royal castles, fortresses, porticoes, town and country houses); beauty and ornaments (with aesthetic considerations and practical explanations, e.g., how to move or raise large stones); ornaments for holy, public, secular, and private buildings (e.g., churches, theatres); and building improvements (e.g., defects in buildings, how to manage water flow, and how to make rooms warmer or cooler). Although partly superseded by Serlio’s work, Alberti’s work remained a pillar of architectural literature well into the C17. Jean Martin had also translated Vitruvius’ ‘De Architectura’ in 1547, for the first time seen in French; both works had the phrase ‘Art de bien bastir’ in the titlepage. ‘Martin’s decision […] was deliberate and considered, as it served him well in reaching a more vernacular audience of builders’ (Trubiano), whilst at the same time producing a luxury edition in format and layout. A very attractive copy.