The document discusses the restoration and teaching of painting and drawing, highlighting the importance of academic practices revived by respected figures like Cimabue and Raphael after a period of decline due to invasions. It emphasizes the role of careful preparation, lighting, and proportion in the art of drawing. The text also underscores the significance of understanding figure modeling and provides guidance on maintaining elegance and strength in artistic depictions.
Representation of the Academy of Painters of Rome
Young Enthusiasts of Painting, even though the Art of drawing and painting was greatly esteemed among the Greeks and Romans, it is nonetheless true that the destructions by Barbarian peoples almost completely annihilated it, banishing it from the world, just as the Latin language was restored to its original luster by Erasmus of Rotterdam and his successors, and like Cimabue and other excellent figures, Vasari recounts that in 1213, in Florence, this art began to flourish again. Those who practiced drawing and painting in ancient times did so with simplicity and imagination. Painters like Martin the Elder, Raphael, and others revived interest in it, focusing on models and proportions without illusion, as seen in the practices of the Italians and Flemings, developing academic models with the help of lamps to cast shadows and teach young students how to better comprehend and depict forms.
As for myself, I found it impossible to establish an Academy or a popular school for drawing, without a strong understanding of modeling and the correct use of light from a lamp, ensuring that it is neither too high nor too low. True art requires precise preparations, and from these come the expressive, beautiful, and proportionate figures that become models of excellence for future learning.
Throughout time, it's clear that many masters missed important details, despite having the knowledge, often ignorant of the reasons why, until reading the works of illustrious and celebrated artists who studied in the great Academies of Rome and beyond. If someone wishes to create a figure that stands on one leg, precise care should be taken to align the head correctly with the standing foot and other aspects of posture and balance.
It is essential to note that both in sitting and standing figures, the principles of proportion, motion, and rest must be adhered to according to the natural elegance and strength promoted by renowned masters. In seated poses, legs and arms must be arranged thoughtfully to maintain a harmonious and graceful stature that respects tradition and fosters artistic growth.
Translation Notes: l'use erercises = 'daily exercises', lamp for shadows = 'correct usage of light', il faut il confseriquer = 'must take into account', and so forth are older expressions for learning aids in art.