Cennino Cennini’s Il Libro dell’Arte

This volume offers a new, critically revised translation of Il Libro dell’Arte, deepening our understanding of Cennino Cennini’s life, context, and the artistic practices of 14th-century Italy. Correcting over 400 errors in the earlier Thompson edition, it includes the original Italian text, detailed annotations, and a rich introduction that situates the treatise within its historical and social setting. A vital resource for students, conservators, and art historians studying medieval techniques and workshop traditions.

This book, a new translation (with introduction and notes) of Il Libro dell’Arte, marks a great step forward in our understanding of Cennino Cennini – his life and times – and the materials and techniques employed by artists in fourteenth century Italy. Over eighty years ago, D. V. Thompson presented his translation entitled The Craftsman’s Handbook as a workshop manual aimed at readers who wished to produce a work of art by following Cennino’s instructions. The present volume not only establishes more precisely what Cennino actually wrote, by correcting more than 400 errors in Thompson’s text, but also includes the transcribed Italian text and very extensive notes on both the language and the technical descriptions. In addition, the author’s most informative introduction places Cennino in context and accounts for the genesis of the libro dell’arte by reference to the society in which it was produced. This volume is a landmark text for students and professionals in the field of art history.

• By (author) Lara Broecke

"A genuinely perfect book: flawless from a philological point of view...accurate in the English translation, thorough in the comment, the Broecke issue has probably established itself not only as the best English translation of the work, but as the best ever printed version of Cennino's Treaty" Letteratura Artistica - September 2015 "En mi opinion, el acierto metodologico de la propuesta de la autora y la calidad de su estudio haran de este libro no solo una obra de referencia obligatoria a la hora de usar el texto de Cennini como una fuente para la historia del arte de la tecnologia artistica, sino tambien una guia para que los investigadores nos acerquemos a unos textos muchos mas complejos de lo que a primera vista aparentan." Ge-conservacion - July 2016 "A welcome addition to the conservator's bookshelf...The value of Thompson's contribution to the literature notwithstanding, Broecke's volume is nothing short of a revelation...Broecke has tackled a monumental challenge and triumphed." IIC - December 2015 "This new translation is therefore to be welcomed as it takes an important step forward from the Thompson edition: it is a meticulous and thorough study of Cennini's text, presented in the form of a handy book." JAIC - September 2016
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"This new translation is therefore to be welcomed as it takes an important step forward from the Thompson edition: it is a meticulous and thorough study of Cennini's text, presented in the form of a handy book."

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"En mi opinión, el acierto metodológico de la propuesta de la autora y la calidad de su estudio harán de este libro no solo una obra de referencia obligatoria a la hora de usar el texto de Cennini como una fuente para la historia del arte de la tecnología artística, sino también una guía para

que los investigadores nos acerquemos a unos textos muchos más complejos de lo que a primera vista aparentan."

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"A genuinely perfect book: flawless from a philological point of view...accurate in the English translation, thorough in the comment, the Broecke issue has probably established itself not only as the best English translation of the work, but as the best ever printed version of Cennino's Treaty"

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"A welcome addition to the conservator's bookshelf...The value of Thompson's contribution to the literature notwithstanding, Broecke's volume is nothing short of a revelation...Broecke has tackled a monumental challenge and triumphed."

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