Author Description

TREATISE LEONARDO DA VINCI. Originally published in 1877. PREFACE: Vll ono was Issued by Messrs. Nichols and Son, to which was added a Life of Leonardo by Mr. John William Brown. This gentleman had the privilege of constant admittance not only to the private library of his Imperial and Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Tuscany, but also to his most rare and valuable collection of Manuscripts in the Palazzo Pitti, where ho was permitted to copy from the original docttments and correspondence whatever he con ceived useful to Ms subject. He was enabled to produce what was then the most trustworthy Life of Leonardo that had over appeared. Since that time many new biographies of Leonardo have been written, of which ono of the most important is that by Signor Gustavo TIzielli. The 1835 edition of the Treatise on Painting has long been scarce, It is now reprinted, and the more recent facts which have boon discovered concerning the life of Leonardo, and a full account of Ms manuscripts and his acknowledged paintings have been added. Nicholas Poussins drawings and Albertis designs are reproduced, and great pains have boon taken to make Leonardos work as useful as possible to students of Art. John Francis Bigaud, the translator of the Trattato della Pittura, was born of French parents at Turin, in 1742. His father, who was a merchant, intended his son to follow Ms profession but young Bigaud evinced so strong a talent for painting, that he was allowed to follow his own desires. After he had received good instruction in art from Choralier Beaumont, principal painter to the King of Sardinia, Bigaud travelled much, in Italy, and stayed more especially in Homo, Parma, and in Bologna, where, in 1760, ho was elected a member of tho Olomontino Academy. In 1772, Ragatid loft Italy and wont to Pann, where he remained but a short time Ho then camo to England, and gained much praise for IUH picture of Hercules. In the November of tho year of his arrival ho was elected an Associate of tho