The Philosopher
Leon Battista Alberti
The face
The background
- Nationality:
- Italian
- Schools:
- Renaissance humanism
- Branchs:
- Architecture, Art theory, Linguistics, Philosophy, Cryptography, Mathematics, Poetry
- Period:
- Italian Renaissance
The synopsis
Leon Battista Alberti (1404–1472) was a preeminent figure of the Italian Renaissance, a true polymath whose genius spanned architecture, art, literature, philosophy, mathematics, and cryptography. Born in Genoa to an exiled Florentine family, Alberti studied law in Bologna and took holy orders, entering papal service. His architectural work, heavily influenced by classical antiquity, includes iconic designs like the façade of Palazzo Rucellai, the Tempio Malatestiano, and Santa Maria Novella in Florence, and the Basilica of Sant'Andrea in Mantua. Alberti's theoretical writings, particularly 'De pictura' (On Painting) and 'De re aedificatoria' (On the Art of Building), were foundational texts for Renaissance art and architecture, establishing principles of perspective and classical design. He also made significant contributions to linguistics and is credited with inventing the polyalphabetic cipher, earning him the title 'Father of Western Cryptography'. Despite his diverse talents, he is often remembered primarily for his architectural achievements and his role in shaping Renaissance humanism.
The works
Della pittura
De re aedificatoria
De statua
De componendis cifris
Philodoxus
De commodis litterarum atque incommodis
Intercoenales
Della famiglia
Vita S. Potiti
De iure
Theogenius
Profugorium ab aerumna
Momus
De Iciarchia
Canis
Descriptio urbis Romae
The quotes
Beauty: the adjustment of all parts proportionately so that one cannot add or subtract or change without impairing the harmony of the whole.
We must always take from nature what we paint and always choose the most beautiful things.
Men can do all things if they will.
Painting contains a divine force which... makes the dead seem almost alive.
A man can do all things if he but wills them.
When I investigate and when I discover that the forces of the heavens and the planets are within ourselves, then truly I seem to be living among the gods.
The city is like a great house, and the house in its turn a small city.
I will never tire of recommending the custom, practiced by the best architects, of preparing not only drawings and sketches, but also models of wood or any other material. These... enable us to examine... the work as a whole... and, before continuing any further, to estimate the likely trouble and expense.