Preface.

The material here could be seen more as a matter of curiosity rather than a necessity for the instruction of young people. However, some may wish to conduct the same research we did, and we believe we can do them a genuine service by sparing them the effort of consulting numerous volumes to acquire such a surface-level understanding. This chapter contains everything most curious and instructive on this subject.

The third chapter deals with the study of drawing. It discusses the initial preparations and how to make progress. Following the anatomical plates mentioned earlier, rules for measuring the human body and studying its different parts, designed as large as possible, are provided. This chapter demonstrates the need to complete drawings and to become used to accurately finishing the heads, feet, and hands of figures early on. It teaches some practices for benefitting from studies, ending with how to correct nature by working from models.

The fourth chapter includes several details on drawing practice and explains various ways of drawing, whether using pencil or pen, or through washes and colors. It covers different types of paper suitable for drawing, the pencils used, pens, etc. It describes how to prepare a drawing, what is meant by sketching, how to accurately view and ease the execution of the hand. Finally, it sets out rules for tastefully shading a drawing, following most popular styles, whether stippling, hatching, or using a feather or wash.

The fifth chapter is one of the most interesting in this work. It presents the proportions of the most beautiful ancient statues seen in Italy, detailing even their smallest measurements. It provides an exact and impartial account of the beauty of each masterpiece, which amazes all artists and those knowledgeable in drawing. The fervent admirers of antiquity are accustomed to...