that he may not he reduced to depend on others for the theory on which his labours must be founded, to ensure success? Since theory, when separated from practice, is, for the most part, found to avail very little; but when theory and practice chance to be happily united in the same person, nothing can be more suitable to the life and vocation of artists, as well because art is rendered much richer and more perfect by the aid of science, as because the councils and writings of learned artists have, in themselves, a greater efficacy, and obtain a higher degree of credit, than can be accorded to the words or works of those who know nothing beyond the simple process they use, and which they put in practice, well or ill, as it may chance. Now that all this is true is seen clearly in the instance of Leon Batista Alberti, who, having given his attention to the study of Latin as well as to that of architecture, perspective, and painting, has left behind him books, written in such a manner, that no artist of later times has been able to surpass him in his style and other qualities as an author, while there have been numbers, much more distinguished than himself in the practice of art,[1] although it is very generally supposed (such is the force of his writings, and so extensive has been their influence on the pens and v/ords of the learned, his contemporaries and others), that he was, in fact, superior to all those who have, on the contrary, greatly surpassed him in their works.[2] We are thus taught by experience, that, in so far as regards name and fame, the written word is that which, of all things, has the most effectual force, the most vivid life, and the longest duration; for books make their way to all places, and every where
- ↑ Of his acquaintance with the Latin we have sufficient proof in the fact that, having written a comedy, entitled “Philodoxeos,” in that tongue, at the age of twenty, this work was believed by the younger Aldus Minutius to be by an ancient author (Lepidus), and was published by him under that name accordingly.
- ↑ Among the most important of this writer’s artistic works are the Breve compendium de componendo statua; and two treatises on painting, the one called Rudimenta, the other, a longer one, entitled Elementi, and which he dedicated to Filippo Brunelleschi. But among the most valuable are his work on architecture, in 10 books, De re aedificatoria, and a treatise entitled, “Piacevolezze Matematiche,” wherein Alberti solves many problems in mechanics: his Opuscoli Morali, translated into Italian by Cosimo Bartoli, with a dialogue on morals called Theogonio, the latter written in Italian, are also cited by the learned with approbation.
