
This work brings Leonardo da Vinci’s celebrated treatise on painting to a modern ear, accompanied by three complementary texts by the Renaissance master Alberti. The translator frames the material as a guide for “painter‑philosophers,” those who blend hands‑on skill with disciplined study, and begins by urging readers to observe nature’s light, air, and the subtle ways they shape colour and form.
The opening chapters outline a systematic approach: from mastering drawing fundamentals to understanding how atmospheric effects influence perception, then moving to the science of composition, balance, and the harmonious interplay of light and shadow. Practical rules for arranging figures, setting scenes, and achieving naturalistic beauty are presented alongside philosophical reflections on why true art must remain faithful to the world it imitates.
Listeners will discover a blend of theory and practice that reveals the timeless principles behind the most celebrated paintings, offering insight into the mindset of the great masters and a solid foundation for anyone eager to deepen their artistic craft.
Language
es
Duration
~7 hours (433K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Credits
Produced by Josep Cols Canals, Ramon Pajares Box and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.)
Release date
2018-07-14
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1452–1519
Best known for the Mona Lisa and The Last Supper, this endlessly curious Renaissance thinker moved easily between painting, engineering, anatomy, and invention. His notebooks reveal a mind that treated art and science as parts of the same grand investigation.
View all books1404–1472
A brilliant Renaissance humanist who moved easily between writing, architecture, art theory, and mathematics, he helped shape the ideal of the “universal” thinker. His books and buildings alike show a mind fascinated by beauty, proportion, and the way classical ideas could be renewed for a new age.
View all books