Kings MS 284

LEONARDO DA VINCI, Trattato della Pittura, with the life of Leonardo [by Rafaelle Trichet du Fresne] prefixed and the set of drawings as engraved in Trichet du Fresne's edition, Paris, 1651. These illustrations, as explained in the dedication to the edition, were executed by [Charles] Errard, who availed himself in part of sketches by Nicholas Poussin contained in a MS. belonging to Signor di Ciantelou [Jean Fréard, Sieur de Chantelou, brother of Roland Freard, Sicur de Chambray, the French translator of Leonardo's work], to whom it was given by Cavaliere [Cassiano] dal Pozzo. There seems no obvious improbability in the statement in Bibliotheca Smithiana that this MS. 'è lo stesso che va alle stampe', implying that it contains Errard's drawings as sent to the printer (the shading is added by the engraver), but the same claim is apparently made for a MS. at Rome, Barberini 834 (see Manzis edition of the Arte della Pittura, Rome, 1817, p. 12). For an account of the other MSS. and editions, some of which have different drawings, see Manzi, op. cit. A tinted medallion portrait of Leonardo is on f. 1.

Paper; ff. 137. Folio. 11⁵/₈ in. x 8 in. XVII cent. From the library of Joseph Smith, Consul at Venice, see Bibl. Smith., p. ccccxcix, col. i, where it is stated to have previously belonged to Padre Antonio Pellegrino Orlandi [1660-1727]. Half-bound in blue,