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Leon Battista Alberti Quotes

Author

Leon Battista Alberti was a renowned Italian Renaissance author, architect, art theorist, and mathematician. He is known for his contributions to humanism and his innovative theories in art.

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All Art Painting Ifs Seems Artist Body Errors Light Men Models Perfect Alive Can Do Color Divine Doe Drawing Force Fortune Knows

Famous Leon Battista Alberti Quotes

“I would have artists be convinced that the supreme skill and art in painting consists in knowing how to use black and white... because it is light and shade that make objects appear in relief.”

Art Use Light Artist Black White Knowing Objects Painting Skills Convinced Supreme Relief Shade Black And White

Author:Leon Battista Alberti

“I prefer you to take as your model a mediocre sculpture rather than an excellent painting, for from painted objects we train our hand only to make a likeness, whereas from sculptures we learn to represent both likeness and correct incidence of light.”

Hands Light Objects Painting Models Train Excellent Mediocre Sculpture Incidence

Author:Leon Battista Alberti

“What is painting but the act of embracing, by means of art, the surface of the pool?”

Mean Art Painting Surface Pool

Book:On painting and On sculpture: The Latin texts of De pictura and De statua

Source: On painting and On sculpture: The Latin texts of De pictura and De statua

“The greatest work of an artist is the history of a painting.”

Artist Painting

Author:Leon Battista Alberti

“I certainly consider a great appreciation of painting to be the best indication of a most perfect mind.”

Mind Perfect Painting Appreciation Being The Best Indication

Book:Leon Battista Alberti O Painting

Source: Leon Battista Alberti O Painting

“Painting is possessed of divine power, for not only does it make the absent present, but also makes the dead almost alive.”

Doe Alive Divine Painting Possessed Absent Divine Power

Author:Leon Battista Alberti

“Painting contains a divine force which not only makes absent men present, as friendship is said to do, but moreover makes the dead seem almost alive.”

Seems Force Alive Divine Painting

Author:Leon Battista Alberti

About the Author

Born: February 18, 1404
Died: April 20, 1472
Known for: Author
Quotes: 34

Books & Sources

Leon Battista Alberti O PaintingRelated source material

On painting and On sculpture: The Latin texts of De pictura and De statuaRelated source material

The use and abuse of booksRelated source material

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