AUTHOR: ATTRIBUTED TO DOMENICO ANTONIO

LANGUAGE: LATIN

DATE: 1513

PAGE #: 166

REPRODUCTION DIMENSIONS: 11.25 X 8.75 IN

HISTORY/DESCRIPTION: THIS SKETCHBOOK OF ARCHITECTURAL DRAWINGS IS ONE OF THE MOST SIGNIFICANT DOCUMENTS OF THE APPEARANCE AND STRUCTURE OF ANTIQUE AND CONTEMPORARY BUILDINGS IN EARLY SIXTEENTH CENTURY ROME. CONTAINING INTERIOR AND EXTERIOR VIEWS, ELEVATIONS, AND GROUND PLANS OF ROMAN BUILDINGS, AS A VARIETY OF DECORATIVE DETAILS, IT IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE AS AN EXAMPLE OF AN ARCHITECT’S MODEL BOOK OF THE EARLY SIXTEENTH CENTURY. THE DRAFTSMAN'S NUMEROUS NOTATIONS OF MEASUREMENTS AND HIS VARIOUS INSCRIPTIONS IN A PRECISE AND METICULOUS HAND PROVIDE VALUABLE INFORMATION ON INDIVIDUAL PROJECTS BUT ALSO DEMONSTRATE THE DIVERSE SOURCES FROM WHICH A RENAISSANCE ARCHITECT DREW HIS INSPIRATION.

SOME OF THE MOST NOTABLE DRAWINGS IN THE CODEX ARE RELATED TO THE DESIGNS FOR ST. PETER’S BY BOTH BRAMANTE AND RAPHAEL, BUT IT ALSO RECORDS MANY CONTEMPORARY AND ANTIQUE ROMAN STRUCTURES INCLUDING THE PALAZZO DEI TRIBUNALI AND ITS CHURCH OF S. BIAGIO DELLA PAGNOTTA, BOTH PLANNED BY BRAMANTE FOR POPE JULIUS II; THE INTERIOR OF THE PANTHEON, NND THE ELEVATION AND CROSS SECTION OF THE COLOSSEUM.

LITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE DRAFTSMAN RESPONSIBLE FOR THE SKETCHBOOK. IT HAS BEEN VARIOUSLY ATTRIBUTED TO DOMENICO ANTONIO, ALSO CALLED MENICANTONIO, DE CHIARELLIS, A MEMBER OF A FAMILY OF STONE CARVERS ASSOCIATED WITH BRAMANTE OR TO THE SCULPTOR-ARCHITECT DOMENICO AINO DA VARIGNANA.

REPRODUCTION DETAILS: OUR HARDCOVER BOOKS ARE MADE WITH REAL WOOD FOR THE INTERIOR OF THE FRONT AND BACK COVERS AS WELL AS THE SPINE. THE LEATHER IS A 4 OZ COWHIDE, FROM A SMALL SUPPLIER IN NORTH CAROLINA. THE LEATHER IS ADHERED TO THE COVERS WITH GLUE AND MOLDED INTO THE SHAPE AT THE HAND OF OUR LOCAL ARTISANS. THE SIGNATURES/PAGES ARE HANDSEWN USING A LIBRARY BINDING METHOD. THE SEWN BOOK IS BOUND WITH A STRONG ADHESIVE GLUE THAT MAKES THE BINDINGS LAST, ESPECIALLY FOR THE LARGER BOOKS. WE ALSO ADD A THICK MULL CLOTH TO THE OUTSIDE OF THE BINDING, DRYING IN BETWEEN EACH LAYER, A TRADITIONAL WAY TO MAKE THE BINDING STIFF, STRONG, AND RESILIENT FOR GENERATIONS TO COME.

NOTE: ALL OF OUR FACSIMILES ARE MADE TO ORDER. PLEASE ALLOW 4-6 WEEKS FOR NOTIFICATION OF SHIPMENT.