This is a practical course, so there’s no need to worry about writing essays. However, it’s essential to have a clear understanding of the processes, associated terminology, and historical context. In addition to the course materials available on this website, feel free to explore the fascinating realm of Medieval, Renaissance, and Baroque painting treaties, handbooks, and current research on Old Masters’ painting and drawing techniques.
The majority of the selected bibliographical references are readily accessible for free through the Archive.org website or other online resources.
Main Books
Strongly recommended for reading throughout the duration of the course.
Thompson, Daniel V. The practice of tempera painting
Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), Vasari on technique; being the introduction to the three arts of design, architecture, sculpture and painting, prefixed to the Lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors, and architects
Treaties and Manuscripts
Original texts prior to XIX century
Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S., H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A., Ed. A also check out the digitized copy of the manuscript at Biodiversity Heritage Library
Theophilus, Presbyter, De Diversis Artibus, Theophili, qui et Rugerus, presbyteri et monachi, libri III, Diversarum artium schedula, XII century, archive.org | Herzog-August Bibliothek
Manuscripts of Jean Le Bègue, 1368–1457, Mary P. Merrifield, Medieval and Renaissance treatises on the arts of painting : original texts with English translations
Secrets of Colors (Bolognese Manuscript), first half of 15th century, Mary P. Merrifield, Medieval and Renaissance treatises on the arts of painting : original texts with English translations
On painting by Alberti, Leon Battista, 1404-1472
The notebooks of Leonardo da Vinci, New York : Braziller, 1955
A Treatise on Painting by Leonardo, da Vinci, 1452-1519
Leonardo on art and the artist by Leonardo da Vinci, 1452-1519, Dover Publications
Gaurico, Pomponio, 1481 or 1482-1528, De Scultura, 1504
Benvenuto Cellini (1500-1571), I trattati dell’ oreficeria e della scultura di Benvenuto Cellini
Giorgio Vasari (1511-1574), Vasari on technique; being the introduction to the three arts of design, architecture, sculpture and painting, prefixed to the Lives of the most excellent painters, sculptors, and architects
On the true precepts of the art of painting by Armenini, Giovanni Battista, 1533?-1609
Il riposo di Raffaello Borghini, 1584
Gregoire, Pierre (Petrus Gregorius), 1540-1617, Syntaxes artis mirabilis, in libros septem digestae, 1586
Giorgio Vasari 1511-1574, Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects (1550, 1568), see The lives of the artists, a reduced edition of the book, or a full translation: Lives of the most eminent painte
Thesauro de scrittori, by Ugo da Carpi, published in Rome, 1535. Courtesy of Gallica, the digital library of the Bibliothèque nationale de France and its partners.
Paolo Pino, Dialogo di pittura 1548
Lomazzo, Giovanni Paolo, 1538-1600, Trattato dell’arte della pittvra, scoltvra, et architettvra
Segreti d’arte diverse nel Regno di Napoli, (Marciana Manuscript) around 1570, in Mary P. Merrifield, Medieval and Renaissance treatises on the arts of painting : original texts with English translations
Book Containing Divers Sorts of Hands, by John de Beau Chesne and M. John Baildon, and published in 1571. Courtesy of Folger Shakespeare Library
Sir Theodore de Mayerne, Pictoria, sculptoria et quae subalternarum artium (Sloane MS 2052, the ‘Mayerne manuscript’, 1620-1646, British Library, f.97r). Translation: Fels Jr., Donald C.: Lost Secrets of Flemish Painting, Including the First Complete English Translation of the De Mayerne Manuscript, B.M., Sloane 2052.
Later and Modern Authors
Texts on painting techniques & materials relevant for our course subject
Thompson, Daniel V. The practice of tempera painting
Thompson, Daniel V., The materials and techniques of medieval painting
Vaclav Vytlacil, Rupert Davidson Turnbull, Egg Tempera Painting Tempera Underpainting Oil Emulsion Painting A Manual Of Technique
The painter’s methods & materials by Laurie, Arthur Pillans, 1861-1949, Dover Publications
The artist’s handbook of materials and techniques, by Mayer, Ralph, 1895-1979, Faber, London
The Luminous Brush: Painting with Egg Tempera by Altoon Sultan 1999
Carmen C. Bambach, Drawing and Painting in the Italian Renaissance Workshop
[Italian] La pittura a tempera, Bruno Pierozzi, 2020 (Italian)
Red Chalk and Other Iron-Oxide Rich Materials by Birgit Reissland, Jaap den Hollander and Ineke Joosten
[Italian] Il disegno a pastello in Italia nel XVI secolo: un problema critico by Laura Da Rin Bettina, UNIVERSITÀ DEGLI STUDI DI PARMA, Dottorato di ricerca in Storia dell’Arte e dello Spettacolo, Ciclo XXVII
Web Links
Online resources to learn more about materials and methods discussed
Paint Like An Egyptian! The MET Museum
Consolidation of Polychrome on Ancient Egyptian Wooden Sarcophagi
Hidden Layers, Painting and Process in Europe, 1500–1800
Video: Renaissance Art Exposed: Leonardo da Vinci and the Secrets of Drawing
Image Databases
Great sources of images for reference, copying and inspiration
The Libro de’ Disegni (Italian for Book of Drawings) was a collection of drawings gathered, sorted and grouped by Giorgio Vasari whilst writing his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects.
Google Arts & Culture – an amazing collection of HD images of art works made public by the world leading museums.
Getty Museum Collection – try filtering by dates, medium or object type.
Royal Collection Trust – great resolution, great filtering options, thousands of artworks.
Albertina Museum – a wonderful collection of drawings and graphic art. Lot’s of Albrecht Duerer
The Morgan Library & Museum – a great collection of illuminated manuscripts and drawings
e-Leo, Archivio digitale di storia della tecnica e della scienza, La Biblioteca Comunale Leonardiana di Vinci