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Task 2
To start I translated the title “Perspectiva pictorum et architectorum” via the internet into English.
“The perspective of painters and architects” sounds like a book aimed at beginners, which is giving an insight into drawing or painting perspective.
Although the book doesn’t have an on one of the first pages there was a lengthier title given:
“Perspectiva pictorum et architectorum
Andrea Putei
E SOCIETATE JESUS
PAR PRIMA
In qua docetur modus expeditiffimus delineandi opticè omnia
Que pertinent ad Architecluram.”
I translated the last sentence, which came out to be:
“In this the most expeditious method is taught to decipher everything that pertains to the architecture.”
The promise of fast learning strengthened my assumption, that this book was aimed at beginners.
After this extended title page and, what I presume to be, a short preface the book started to have a repeating pattern of two short texts and an image.
Many of the illustrations looked like they tried to explain different techniques of drawing buildings in perspective, so I assume the texts are giving more insight into how and why you should use these different techniques. The buildings changed in most illustrations, which leads me to believe that after a first part, where the basic techniques are explained, they are used on different building types.
Maybe the Idea would have been to use the first section as a tutorial, while the second one would have been used reference.
Under Andrea Putei I didn’t find any further links, other than to the one assigned to me.
One side listed his name as Andrea Pozzo as the author of the book, so I assumed that this was the same person.
On the Wikipedia page of Andrea Pozzo is credited with writing “Perspectiva pictorum et architectorum” so I assume this was just a pseudonym or an error on my part.
“Pozzo was best known for his grandiose frescoes using the technique of quadratura to create an illusion of three-dimensional space on flat surfaces. … Through his techniques, he became one of the most noteworthy figures of the Baroque period.”
Him teaching others perspective would make a lot of sence.