2015-07-28

Leonardo's Shadows

Leonardo da Vinci's art theory was compiled by a pupil, Franceso Melzi, in about 1540 into a celebrated Treatise on Painting, which explained perspective and shadows and numerous other techniques of art. It was widely read in later centuries. Digita Vaticana has just released a digitization of one of the manuscripts, Barb.lat.4304. Here is its explanation of the shadows seen on bodies at a distance:


Full background on the work and a comparison of the manuscripts can be found on the Treatise on Painting website at the Institute for Advanced Technology in the Humanities, University of Virginia.

Digita Vaticana has been fairly busy as the Roman summer hots up, issuing a total of 204 items on July 14 and 23. Because of my own holiday in Sweden (more from that later), I am getting in arrears, so I beg pardon that the following list is not fully annotated. There are lots of art gems in this release. Here is a nativity scene from the beautiful Barberini Book of Hours:


Below is the full list of 204 items issued on July 14 and 23. The Digita Vaticana index and catalog server is now frequently out of service (more than 80 hours offline July 23-26), so in the following list, most of the links are to the digitizations themselves, where the servers tend to be more stable.
  1. Arch.Cap.S.Pietro.D.213,
  2. Arch.Cap.S.Pietro.E.5,
  3. Arch.Cap.S.Pietro.E.19,
  4. Arch.Cap.S.Pietro.F.22,
  5. Arch.Cap.S.Pietro.F.45,
  6. Arch.Cap.S.Pietro.H.45,
  7. Barb.gr.10, Donatus Aelius, Ars Grammatica Minor: Pinakes
  8. Barb.gr.93, Homer's Odyssey (excerpts)
  9. Barb.gr.102, Manuel Moschopulus: Schedographia: Pinakes
  10. Barb.gr.176, Phrantzēs, Geōrgios, 1401-1477, Chronicon minus
  11. Barb.gr.184, Nicephorus Gregoras, 1295-1359/1360, Byzantina historia
  12. Barb.gr.192, Miscellanea de historia Byzantina
  13. Barb.gr.206, Poussines, Pierre, 1609-1686, Commentarii in Pachymerae Andronicum
  14. Barb.gr.212, Hippiatricorum corpus
  15. Barb.gr.269, Asclepius Trallianus (6th century):In Aristotelis Metaphysicorum libros
  16. Barb.gr.276, Emperor Maurice, Strategikon, and part of the Cesti of Julius Africanus; this is a section of a manuscript of which the other part is in Paris, BNF, gr. 2442
  17. Barb.lat.168, Livy's Roman history Ab Urbe Condita, from the famed Corvinius Library of Hungary, illuminated initials
  18. Barb.lat.370, Nicholas Trivet (Trevet), English writer and chronicler (c.1257 – c.1334),
    In Psalterium
  19. Barb.lat.443, incl. Francois de Meyronnes, Passus super universalia (Glorieux)
  20. Barb.lat.487, Barberini Book of Hours (use of Rouen): the reconstitution of another Rouen book of hours was a hot topic on the blogosphere this week with Lisa Fagin Davis. Read this online and savour the saving of 968 euros.
  21. Barb.lat.3942, Ariosto's Orlando Furioso
  22. Barb.lat.3984, Book of Virtues and Vices, illumination (examples below) by the Italian painter Master of the Dominican Effigies
  23. Barb.lat.4086,
  24. Barb.lat.4304,
  25. Barb.lat.4357, 1542 Venetian atlas of portolan maps which belonged to Henry VIII of England (articles by Francesco Solinas and Peter Soustal ... and they are legible!
  26. Barb.lat.5379, Confession of Pope Alexander VIII, purchaser of Queen Christina's library
  27. Barb.or.18,
  28. Barb.or.46 ,
  29. Barb.or.155, Hebrew alphabet, Arabic astronomy and astrology, in mixed manuscript
  30. Borg.cin.536,
  31. Borg.ebr.9, Isaac b. Jacob Alfasi's Code with glosses
  32. Borg.ill.12,
  33. Borgh.206,
  34. Borgh.220,
  35. Cappon.127,
  36. Cappon.163,
  37. Cappon.172,
  38. Cappon.176,
  39. Cappon.181,
  40. Cappon.186,
  41. Cappon.193,
  42. Cappon.195,
  43. Cappon.197,
  44. Cappon.200,
  45. Cappon.204,
  46. Cappon.207,
  47. Cappon.209,
  48. Cappon.210,
  49. Cappon.218,
  50. Cappon.219,
  51. Cappon.220,
  52. Cappon.221,
  53. Cappon.225,
  54. Cappon.228,
  55. Cappon.233.pt.1,
  56. Cappon.233.pt.2,
  57. Cappon.234,
  58. Cappon.235,
  59. Cappon.240,
  60. Cappon.243,
  61. Cappon.253,
  62. Cappon.255,
  63. Cappon.258,
  64. Cappon.259.pt.1,
  65. Cappon.259.pt.2,
  66. Cappon.260,
  67. Cappon.284,
  68. Cappon.287,
  69. Cappon.296,
  70. Cappon.313,
  71. Chig.A.VII.220,
  72. Chig.C.VI.163.pt.A,
  73. Chig.G.IV.113,
  74. Neofiti.3, Levi b. Gershom's Commentary on the Pentateuch
  75. Neofiti.12, Aba Mari ben Mosheh ben Yosef Astruḳ, Minḥat ḳenaʼot, about 1400
  76. Ott.gr.25, works of Nilus of Sinai
  77. Ott.gr.39, works of Theodoret
  78. Ott.gr.48.pt.1, works of Philo
  79. Ott.gr.48.pt.2, ditto
  80. Ott.gr.48.pt.3, ditto
  81. Ott.gr.59, poets, misc. works, item by Methodius
  82. Ott.gr.64, legal synopsis
  83. Ott.gr.67, theological, mainly Philocalia of Origen
  84. Ott.gr.69, speeches of Libanius
  85. Ott.gr.73, Euthymii Zigabeni Panoplia dogmatica
  86. Ott.gr.74, Theodori Heracleensis Commentarius in Psalmos
  87. Ott.gr.76, John Chrysostom
  88. Ott.gr.88, Lectionary
  89. Ott.gr.90, Dio Chrysostom, Pinakes
  90. Ott.gr.91, various authors, includes De laudibus Constantini
  91. Ott.gr.94, Clement of Alexandria
  92. Ott.gr.99, John of Cyprus, works
  93. Ott.gr.100, Explicatio quorundam Evangelii locorum ex diversis Patribus
  94. Ott.gr.107, John Chrysostom, homilies
  95. Ott.gr.109, philosophical: Pinakes
  96. Ott.gr.110, Almageste
  97. Ott.gr.111, Epitome Historiae Romanae Cassii Dionis
  98. Ott.gr.112, Tatian, Oratio Ad Graecos
  99. Ott.gr.121, In Aristotelis Metaphysica
  100. Ott.gr.124, Procopius Gazaeus, Catena In Canticum Canticorum
  101. Ott.gr.127, Oecumenius Catena in acta apostolorum; Justinian, Letters
  102. Ott.gr.128, Athanasius Alexandrinus
  103. Ott.gr.133, Catena In Lucam
  104. Ott.gr.134, ditto
  105. Ott.gr.142,
  106. Ott.gr.146,
  107. Ott.gr.153,
  108. Ott.gr.154,
  109. Ott.gr.157.pt.B,
  110. Ott.gr.158,
  111. Ott.gr.159.pt.1,
  112. Ott.gr.159.pt.2,
  113. Ott.gr.160,
  114. Ott.gr.161,
  115. Ott.gr.167,
  116. Ott.gr.170,
  117. Ott.gr.172,
  118. Ott.gr.173,
  119. Ott.gr.175,
  120. Ott.gr.176,
  121. Ott.gr.177,
  122. Ott.gr.178,
  123. Ott.gr.180,
  124. Ott.gr.182,
  125. Ott.gr.188,
  126. Ott.gr.192.pt.2,
  127. Ott.gr.195,
  128. Ott.gr.205,
  129. Ott.gr.206,
  130. Ott.gr.210,
  131. Ott.gr.211,
  132. Ott.gr.214,
  133. Ott.gr.221,
  134. Ott.gr.225,
  135. Ott.gr.228,
  136. Ott.gr.231,
  137. Ott.gr.239,
  138. Ott.gr.243,
  139. Ott.gr.250,
  140. Ott.gr.251,
  141. Ott.gr.262,
  142. Ott.gr.266,
  143. Ott.gr.267,
  144. Ott.gr.269,
  145. Ott.gr.273,
  146. Ott.gr.284,
  147. Ott.gr.286,
  148. Ott.gr.288,
  149. Ott.gr.289,
  150. Ott.gr.292,
  151. Ott.gr.295,
  152. Ott.gr.299,
  153. Ott.gr.300,
  154. Ott.gr.308,
  155. Ott.gr.315,
  156. Ott.gr.325,
  157. Ott.gr.361,
  158. Ott.gr.471,
  159. Ott.lat.479,
  160. Reg.lat.87.pt.1,
  161. Reg.lat.267, uncial, probably from Fleury, includes work by Fulgentius (fl. late 5th century), Lowe CLA 1 104
  162. Reg.lat.615, Heriger's Vita Sancti Remacli, probably copied under Heriger's direction, with word spacing and punctuation discussed by Paul Saenger in his book on silent reading
  163. Reg.lat.960, Philip of France ...
  164. Reg.lat.1283.pt.C, Fragmenta Sallustiana
  165. Reg.lat.1858, Roman de la Rose
  166. Ross.358, Hebrew: Two works by Jedaiah b. Abraham Bedersi
  167. Ross.438, Hebrew: Maḥzor for the entire year, Roman rite
  168. Ross.499, Hebrew prayers through year including fast days, Yom Kippur, etc.
  169. Ross.532, Hebrew, work by Abraham Conat
  170. Ross.533, David Kimhi, commentary on former and latter prophets
  171. Ross.534, Mosheh ben Yaʿaḳov, Sefer mitsṿot gadol, about 1400
  172. Ross.1167, scrapbook of illuminations cut from (music) manuscripts
  173. Urb.lat.666, a fine Renaissance manuscript of the works of the late antique poet Prudentius, dated 1481 according to the catalog
  174. Vat.ebr.7, fol.105r begins Leviticus. All Hebrew. Impressive size, clear to read, notes @TuomasLevanen on Twitter
  175. Vat.ebr.117,
  176. Vat.ebr.121#Aramaic, part of the Babylonian Talmud (hat tip to @TuomasLevanen on Twitter)
  177. Vat.ebr.614,
  178. Vat.estr.or.58,
  179. Vat.gr.681,
  180. Vat.gr.1927, notable 12th-century Greek psalter with illuminations to most of the canticles
  181. Vat.gr.2026,
  182. Vat.lat.18, Vulgate Bible
  183. Vat.lat.22, Vulgate Bible, Bolognese?
  184. Vat.lat.25, Vulgate Bible
  185. Vat.lat.26, Vulgate Bible, fine initials
  186. Vat.lat.27, Vulgate Bible, 13th century, some initials
  187. Vat.lat.33, Vulgate Bible, 13th-14th century, some initials
  188. Vat.lat.35, Vulgate Bible, 14th century
  189. Vat.lat.38, New Testament, 13th century
  190. Vat.lat.44, Gospels, 12th century, with elegant version of canon tables
  191. Vat.lat.52, study edition of Genesis, 13th century, with both marginal and interlinear glosses
  192. Vat.lat.53, ditto
  193. Vat.lat.61, study edition of Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, with glosses
  194. Vat.lat.67, study edition of Joshua, Judges, Ruth etc. with glosses
  195. Vat.lat.69, study edition of Kings, with glosses
  196. Vat.lat.77, study edition of Job and Isaiah with glosses, 14th century
  197. Vat.lat.86, Psalterium Galllicanum cum glossa ordinaria Walafridi Strabi et Anselmi Laudunensis glossa interlineari, 12th century 
  198. Vat.lat.87, study edition of Psalms, glossed, 12th century
  199. Vat.lat.99, study edition of Ecclesiasticus and parts of New Testament
  200. Vat.lat.100, ditto, Proverbs etc.
  201. Vat.lat.103, study edition of Isaiah, 12th century
  202. Vat.lat.105, study edition of Isaiah, 13th century
  203. Vat.lat.132, Gospel of Luke, study glosses
  204. Vat.lat.3970.pt.2, more of the catalogue by Cardinal Sirleto (1514-85) following a part digitized in February
To finish, here are Moses receiving the Ten Commandments and Noah's Ark from Barb.lat.3984:


As always, if you can contribute or correct information, please use the comment box below. Follow me on Twitter (@JBPiggin) for more news on digitizations. [This is Piggin's Unofficial List 20.]

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