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Vasari on Technique

by Giorgio Vasari

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  1. 1Dedication — Prefatory Note
  2. 2Introductory Essay
  3. 3Of Architecture
  4. 4§ 1 — The Author’s Object in the Discussion of Architecture
  5. 5§ 2 — Of the Working of Hard Stones, and First of Porphyry
  6. 6§ 3 — Of Serpentine
  7. 7§ 4 — Of Cipollaccio
  8. 8§ 5 — Of Breccia (‘Mischio,’ Conglomerate)
  9. 9§ 6 — Of Granite
  10. 10§ 7 — Of Paragon (Touchstone)
  11. 11§ 8 — Of Transparent Marbles for Filling Window Openings
  12. 12§ 9 — Of Statuary Marbles
  13. 13§ 10 — Of Cipollino Marble
  14. 14§ 11 — Of White Pisan Marble
  15. 15§ 12 — Of Travertine
  16. 16§ 13 — Of Slates
  17. 17§ 14 — Of Peperino
  18. 18§ 15 — Of the Stone From Istria
  19. 19§ 16 — Of Pietra Serena
  20. 20§ 17 — Of Pietra Forte
  21. 21§ 18 — Conclusion of Chapter
  22. 22Chapter II — § 19 — The Work of the Mason
  23. 23Chapter III — § 20 — Rusticated Masonry and the Tuscan Order
  24. 24§ 21 — The Doric Order
  25. 25§ 22 — A Constructive Device to Avoid Charging Architraves
  26. 26§ 23 — The Proportions and Parts of the Doric Order
  27. 27§ 24 — The Ionic Order
  28. 28§ 25 — The Corinthian Order
  29. 29§ 26 — The Composite Order
  30. 30§ 27 — Of Terminal Figures
  31. 31§ 28 — German Work (the Gothic Style)
  32. 32Chapter IV — § 29 — The Construction of Enriched Stucco Vaults
  33. 33§ 30 — Stucco Made With Marble Dust
  34. 34Chapter V — § 31 — Grottoes and Fountains of ‘Rocaille’ Work
  35. 35Chapter VI — § 32 — Mosaic Pavements
  36. 36§ 33 — Pictorial Mosaics for Walls, etc.
  37. 37Chapter VII — § 34 — The Principles of Planning and Design
  38. 38§ 35 — An Ideal Palace
  39. 39Notes on ‘Introduction’ to Architecture
  40. 40The Sassi, della Valle, and Other Collections of Antiques of the Ea…
  41. 41The Porphyry Tazza of the Sala Rotonda of the Vatican
  42. 42Francesco del Tadda, and the Revival of Sculpture in Porphyry
  43. 43The Cortile of the Belvedere in the Vatican, in the Sixteenth Century
  44. 44Paragon (Touchstone) and Other Stones Associated With It by Vasari
  45. 45Tuscan Marble Quarries
  46. 46The Round Temple on the Piazza S. Luigi dei Francesi, and ‘Maestro…
  47. 47List of Tuscan Marble Quarries With Their Products, as Far as These…
  48. 48Rusticated Masonry
  49. 49Vasari’s Opinion on Mediaeval Architecture
  50. 50Egg-Shell Mosaic
  51. 51Ideal Architecture; an Ideal Palace
  52. 52Of Sculpture — § 36 — The Nature of Sculpture
  53. 53§ 37 — Qualities Necessary for Work in the Round
  54. 54§ 38 — Works of Sculpture Should Be Treated With a View to Their De…
  55. 55§ 39 — The Proportions of the Human Figure
  56. 56§ 40 — Artists Must Depend on Their Judgement Rather Than on the Me…
  57. 57Chapter II — (IX.)
  58. 58§ 41 — The Small Sketch-Model in Wax or Clay
  59. 59§ 42 — The Preparation of Wax
  60. 60§ 43 — Polychrome Wax Effigies
  61. 61§ 44 — The Manipulation of Wax Over an Armature
  62. 62§ 45 — The Small Model in Clay
  63. 63§ 46 — The Full-sized Model in Clay
  64. 64§ 47 — Drapery on the Clay Model
  65. 65§ 48 — Transference of the Full-sized Model to the Marble Block
  66. 66§ 49 — Danger of Dispensing With the Full-sized Model
  67. 67§ 50 — The Tools and Materials Used in Marble Carving
  68. 68Chapter III — (X.) — § 51 — The Origin of Reliefs
  69. 69§ 52 — Pictorial or Perspective Reliefs
  70. 70§ 53 — Low Reliefs (Bassi Rilievi)
  71. 71§ 54 — Flat Reliefs (Stiacciati Rilievi)
  72. 72Chapter IV — (XI.)
  73. 73§ 55 — The Full-sized Model for Bronze
  74. 74§ 56 — The Piece-Mould in Plaster
  75. 75§ 57 — The Construction of the Core
  76. 76§ 58 — The Piece-Mould Lined With a Skin of Wax
  77. 77§ 59 — This Skin of Wax Applied Over the Core
  78. 78§ 60 — The Fire-Resisting Envelope Applied Over the Wax
  79. 79§ 61 — The External Armature
  80. 80§ 62 — The Vents
  81. 81§ 63 — The Wax Melted Out
  82. 82§ 64 — The Mould in the Casting-pit
  83. 83§ 65 — The Composition of the Bronze
  84. 84§ 66 — Making Up Imperfections
  85. 85§ 67 — A Simpler Method of Casting Small Figures and Reliefs
  86. 86§ 68 — Chasing the Cast and Colouring the Bronze
  87. 87§ 69 — Modern Tours de Force in Small Castings
  88. 88Chapter V — (XII.) — § 70 — The Fabrication of Matrices for Medals
  89. 89§ 71 — The Cutting of Intaglios and Cameos
  90. 90Chapter VI — (XIII.) — § 72 — Modelled and Stamped Plaster Work
  91. 91Chapter VII — (XIV.) — § 73 — Wood Carving
  92. 92Notes on ‘Introduction’ to Sculpture
  93. 93Sculpture Treated for Position
  94. 94Waxen Effigies and Medallions
  95. 95Proportionate Enlargement
  96. 96The Use of Full-Sized Models
  97. 97Italian and Greek Reliefs
  98. 98The Processes of the Bronze Founder
  99. 99Of Painting — § 74 — The Nature and Materials of Design or Drawing
  100. 100§ 75 — Use of Design (or Drawing) in the Various Arts
  101. 101§ 76 — Of the Nature of Painting
  102. 102Chapter II — (XVI.) — § 77 — Sketches, Drawings, and Cartoons of Di…
  103. 103§ 78 — The Use of Cartoons in Mural and Panel Painting
  104. 104Chapter III — (XVII.) — § 79 — Foreshortenings
  105. 105Chapter IV — (XVIII.)
  106. 106§ 80 — On Colouring
  107. 107Chapter V — (XIX.) — § 81 — The Fresco Process
  108. 108Chapter VI — (XX.) — § 82 — Painting in Tempera
  109. 109Chapter VII — (XXI.) — § 83 — Oil Painting, Its Discovery and Early…
  110. 110§ 84 — How to Prime the Panel or Canvas
  111. 111§ 85 — Drawing, by Transfer or Directly
  112. 112Chapter VIII — (XXII.) — § 86 — Mural Painting in Oil
  113. 113§ 87 — Vasari’s Own Method
  114. 114Chapter IX — (XXIII.) — § 88 — Painting on Canvas
  115. 115Chapter X — (XXIV.) — § 89 — Oil Painting on Stone
  116. 116Chapter XI — (XXV.)
  117. 117§ 90 — Imitative Paintings for Decorations
  118. 118Chapter XII — (XXVI.) — § 91 — Sgraffito-work
  119. 119§ 92 — Grotesques, or Fanciful Devices, Painted or Modelled on Walls
  120. 120Chapter XIII — (XXVII.)
  121. 121Chapter XIV — (XXVIII.) — § 93 — Methods of Gilding
  122. 122Chapter XV — (XXIX.) — § 94 — Glass Mosaics
  123. 123§ 95 — The Preparation of the Mosaic Cubes
  124. 124§ 96 — The Fixing of the Mosaic Cubes
  125. 125Chapter XVI — (XXX.) — § 97 — Pavements in Marble Mosaic and Monoch…
  126. 126§ 98 — Pavements in Variegated Tiles
  127. 127§ 99 — Pavements in Breccia Marble
  128. 128Chapter XVII — (XXXI.) — § 100 — Inlays in Wood
  129. 129Chapter XVIII — (XXXII.)
  130. 130§ 101 — Stained Glass Windows; Their Origin and History
  131. 131§ 102 — The Technique of the Stained Glass Window
  132. 132Chapter XIX — (XXXIII.)
  133. 133§ 103 — Niello Work
  134. 134§ 104 — The Origin of Engraving
  135. 135§ 105 — Enamels Over Reliefs
  136. 136Chapter XX — (XXXIV.) — § 106 — Metal Inlays
  137. 137Chapter XXI — (XXXV.)
  138. 138§ 107 — Chiaroscuro Wood Engravings
  139. 139§ 108 — Dependence on Design of the Decorative Arts
  140. 140Notes on ‘Introduction’ to Painting
  141. 141Tempera Painting
  142. 142Oil Painting
  143. 143Enriched Façades
  144. 144Stucco ‘Grotesques’
  145. 145Tarsia Work, or Wood Inlays
  146. 146The Stained Glass Window
  147. 147Vasari’s Description of Enamel Work

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