The author of the book under analysis is Jacopo Barozzi da Vignola (1507-1573), a painter by training and architectural theorist by trade, He played a fundamental role in architectural culture by producing works that clearly codified the concept of architectural order.
His work “The Two Rules of Practical Perspective”, as the title itself makes clear, is a treatise that defines the value and function of “points of distance” in architecture. This book in my opinion makes manifest the sense that unites Mechanics and Architecture: looking at the illustrations present one can deduce that it takes up the themes of ancient mechanics where simple tools are indispensable for understanding but applied to construction, becoming means for the definition of very simple, technical and clear rules applicable to the architectural concept.
Among the most frequent illustrations in the book are architectural structures that are completely dependent on the presence of man, illustrating how man’s optical perspective underlies the construction of buildings or designs; all architecture is essentially constructed from man (it is no coincidence that we are in the Renaissance period). From these it is very clear to understand that his method of elaborating these rules is “scientific”, that is to say that he distances himself from fortuitous or ungovernable elements in order to expound only functional and mathematical rules. This does not mean complexity; on the contrary, from my point of view, each of his internal architectural canons is expressed in a very simple and clear manner, almost as if it were a simplification of older architectural languages.
The aesthetic aspect of the book indicates great attention to detail and clarity of exposition, both in terms of text and images. This order is also clearly visible in the division of the book according to chapters with their respective images and captions.
Macchi Ginevra