De Urbibus

In-folio.
Plein vélin de l’époque.

330 x 225 mm.

Dürer, Albrecht. De Urbibus, Arcibus, Castellis, Condendis, ac muniendis rationes aliquot, praesenti bellorum necessitati accommodatissimae ; nunc recens e lingua Germanica in Latinam traductae.
Parisiis, Ex Officina Christiani Wechelii sub scuto Basiliensi, 1535.

Première originale latine.
Bohatta 16a ; Meder pages 287-288 ; Adams D-1056 ; Mortimer 184 ; Shaaber 319.

Elle se compose de 40 feuillets (10 dépliants) ornés de plusieurs initiales gravées sur cuivre et 21 gravures sur bois à pleine, voire à double page et de la marque de Wechel sur le titre et dernier feuillet.

« Christian Wechel fit connaître en France, par des traductions latines ornées de bonnes figures, les ouvrages qu’Albert Dürer avait écrits en allemand pour l’instruction des artistes. En 1352 et 1353, il publia en in-folio une version latine de la Géométrie de l’illustre maître, Underweisung der Messung, et en 1353 l’architecture, Etliche Underricht, etc., sous ce titre : De Urbibus, arcibus, castellisque, in-fol. » (A. F. Didot).

La première édition allemande fut imprimée à Nuremberg en 1527, une année avant la mort de Dürer.
Joachim Camerarius (1500-1574), humaniste allemand, né à Bamberg, traduisit l’édition allemande en langue latine.

Ce livre d’architecture de Dürer est célèbre pour ses gravures sur bois.

“It contains some of Dürer’s chief architectural works” (DNB).

“The art of designing fortifications had always been an integral part of architectural theory going back to Vitrivius himself, who wad a military architect serving both under Julius Caesar and Augustus. The theme was revived during the Renaissance and figured prominently in the treatises of many Italian theorists, such as Alberti, Filarete, Francesco di Giorgio… THE FIRST RENAISSANCE TREATISE DEVOTED EXCLUSIVELY TO FORTIFICATIONS, however, was written by a Northerner. Dürer’s Etliche Underricht… Dürer’s work had been prompted by Ottoman incursion into Europe and by the recent revolution in artillery warfare brought about by cannons fired by gun-powder and the use of iron cannon-balls…”
(Millard III, North European Books, page 22, without describing a copy).

“Urban circuits with semi-circular elements in the protruding corners and other different fortifications are found in the treatise of Dürer… The bastions built according to the Dürerian model have been considered to be impossible to build due to their huge dimensions and costs. Their static structure induces however to think that Dürer had gathered a remarkable experience as a builder. Even though some authors have seen in him Flemisch influences he appears more influenced by Francesco Di Giorgio and Leonardo. The fortifications of the Addizione Erculea in Ferrera could have been especially influenced Dürer, who has watched them most probably during his second trip to Italy during the years 1505-1507. In this second trip he went to Bologna to learn “secret perspective”, i.e. the geometrical rules which constitute the basis of the art of fortification. He may have met Leonardo during this last trip, and this would explain some Leonardesque character of the parapets of his bastions. Also some influence of Fra Giocondo is visible… The system of Dürer for the defense of towns are extremely rigorous from a geometrical point of view…”
(A. Fara, La città da Guerra (Military Towns), Torino, 1993, pages 41-45, translated and adapted).

Exemplaire à marges immenses (hauteur : 330 mm), de toute pureté, conservé dans son authentique reliure en vélin de l'époque.