Leonardo the ingenious painter in the exhibition:
“Treatise on Painting"


 

Leonardo’s most significant work
in a permanent exhibition at the Museo d'Arte e Scienza
(rooms 11 and 12)

Aim of the exhibition

This extraordinary and unique exhibition is intended for art lovers who, after visiting the rooms of an exhibition of old master paintings or modern art, certainly come away convinced that they have seen a beautiful collection of paintings, but often disappointed that they are unable to distinguish between a true work of art and an attractive painting or understand the choice of colours of an avant-garde artist.

What better guide and teacher could there be than Leonardo da Vinci who, in his Treatise on Painting, laid down the rules which every good painter should follow?

The purpose of this exhibition at the Museo d’Arte e Scienza is, in fact, to provide a key to understanding painting with the help of Leonardo’s own theories and principles.


Leonardo was in the habit, wherever he happened to find himself, of jotting down his thoughts on myriads of separate sheets, concentrating them in very few, not always comprehensible words and with many repetitions. Several thousands of these sheets have been collected over the past centuries and ordered into a book under the title “Treatise on Painting”. It may be considered his most significant work and one of the most important books on art ever written. The rules and advice contained therein are addressed to painters and point the way to creating true works of art. At the same time they also help the observer of a painting to appreciate its artistic value. This explains the title of the exhibition catalogue: “Appreciating Art through the Eyes of Leonardo”.
 

The Treatise on Painting, which should be a best-seller, is, instead little understood and consulted because of its poor readability.

The aim of the Museo d'Arte e Scienza is to make the “Treatise” more accessible, limiting itself to rearranging the subject matter, shortening overly long texts, avoiding the many repetitions, illustrating the salient concepts and collecting them in a permanent exhibition.

 

    

 

  

 

 

 

 

Some samples from the exhibition on
the Treatise on Painting
presented by the Museum under the title:

"Appreciating Art through the Eyes of Leonardo"

 

 

Art. 406 *
 What is the first intentional aim of the painter

The first intention... is to make a flat surface display a body as if modelled and separated from the plane, and he who most surpasses others in this skill deserves most praise. This accomplishment... arises from light and shade, or we may say chiaroscuro...

 

Art. 43
Of the second principle of the science of painting

The second principle of the science of painting is the shadow of bodies, by which they can be represented…        

 

* = All the numbers of the articles were taken from the edition: "Leonardo Trattato della Pittura"- TEA 1995 (reprint 1999) 
 

 

Art. 322
Of the attitudes of men

The attitudes and all the members are to be disposed in such a manner that by them the intentions of the mind may be easily discovered.

 

Art. 6

...the painter… penetrates within these bodies,  considering what comprises their distinctive essences...

 

Art. 36

Painting shows transparent objects

…also the mists… also the rains, behind which can be discerned the cloudy mountains and valleys… and also innumerable other effects…

 

Art. 9
How the painter is lord of every kind of  person and of all things

The painter is master of all the things that can befall the mind of man, and therefore if he wishes to see beauties that would enrapture him, he is master of their production...

 

Art. 9

…and if he wishes to see monstrous things which might terrify,  or which would be buffoonish and laughable or truly pitiable, he is their lord and god...       

 

 

Art. 9
How the painter is lord of every kind of person and of all things 

...whatever there is in the universe through... presence or imagination, he has it first in his mind, and then in his hands...,  which can generate a proportional harmony in the time equivalent to a single glance, just as real things.

 

Art. 254
On colours

...The air between the eye and the object seen will change the colour of that object into its own, so will the azure of the air change the distant mountains into blue masses...

 

Art. 186
Of combining colours with each other in such a way that one gives grace to the other

...apply that rule which can be seen in the rays of the sun in the composition of the celestial rainbow...

 

Art. 36

Painting involves greater mental deliberation and is of greater artifice and wonder than sculpture, in that necessity requires the mind of the painter to transmute itself into nature’s own mind and to become the interpreter between art and nature...

 

Art. 500
Of statuary

To execute a figure in marble, you must first make a model of it in clay … when it is finished and dried place it in a square case … have some peg-like sticks pass through holes made in the sides and all around the case. Push them in till every stick touches different parts of the model…

 

 

 

Thoughts of Leonardo applicable (with reserve) to modern art

 

Art. 63
A way of enhancing and arousing the mind to various inventions

...there is no harm... in pausing to look into stains... or clouds... where you will find extraordinary inventions... But first you must gain a knowledge of how to make well all the parts of those things you wish to represent...

 

 

 


 

 An abridged and illustrated edition of the “Treatise on Painting” entitled "Appreciating art through the eyes of Leonardo"


This 158-page book, with its 160 magnificent colour plates, was published by the Museo d'Arte e Scienza also as a guidebook to its exhibition dedicated to the Treatise on Painting.

The integral version of the Treatise, the importance of which should make it a best-seller, is little understood and consulted because of its scant readability and extremely repetitive nature.

This abridged edition presents a selection of the most significant articles and important concepts for the evaluation of works of art, set out in a few clear lines in the Master’s own words and illustrated with his drawings, his paintings and other suitable art objects serving to explain his precepts.
(Very favourable judgement from eminent Leonardo scholars)

 

       
   

This book is on sale at the Museum at the price of €20 and is available in English and Italian.
The German and French editions are almost ready.

To purchase on line click here

 

 


OTHER SITES OF THE MUSEO D'ARTE E SCIENZA: 

www.MuseoArteScienza.com - Sections of the "Museo d'Arte e Scienza": 6 rooms dedicated to the ascertainment of authenticity in art and antiques, 5 rooms on Leonardo Da Vinci's "Treatise on Painting" and his activities in Milan, 5 rooms dedicated to African Art and Buddhist Art, 2 Scientific Laboratories.

www.AuthenticAfricanBronzesandCeramics.com -  dedicated to the authenticity of African artworks in bronze, stone and pottery. The scientific laboratory of the Museo d’Arte e Scienza has developed valid methods for telling authentic African objects from copies and fakes.

www.ArtAndScienceHandbook.com - The most complete and scientifically valid guide to ascertaining the authenticity of European and non-European antiques on an objective basis (540 pages and more than 2,000 colour illustrations in 3 volumes and 3 languages).

www.Paintingsauthenticity.com - Information about the authenticity of modern paintings and antique paintings.

www.AntiqueFurnitureAuthenticity.com - A list of possible methods for determining the authenticity of furniture based on objective factors.

www.Excavatedartauthenticity.com - "A list of all the possible ways of determining, on the basis of objective factors, the authenticity of excavated pottery, glass or bronze items from Southern Italy, the Mediterranean Basin, China and South America.".

www.AfricanArtAuthenticity.com - "Art and Life in Black Africa", The African Art didactic section of the Museum (5 rooms and over 350 objects).

www.SpectroscopyforArt.com - A scientific method for the dating of wood and identification of the wood type used for art objects. Determination of their authenticity through analysis of colours, binders, pigments and other organic substances.

www.Matthaes.org  - The history of the G. Matthaes Foundation from the opening of the painting school in Dresden in 1906 up to the "Museo d'Arte e Scienza" in Milan.
 

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