ticketsMember | Make a donation

De Re Militari (On the Military Arts)

Author Roberto Valturio Italian
Publisher Johannes ex Verona Italian
1472
Not on view
When this military treatise was completed around 1460, the patron, Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, distributed a number of manuscript copies to rulers such as Louis XI, Francesco Sforza, and Lorenzo de' Medici. Twenty-two handwritten copies survive. In 1472, the book appeared in print in this Latin edition, which was followed in 1483 by an Italian version. The novelty of the publication lay less in the machines portrayed than in the fact that the images of the machines achieved such wide distribution. Leonardo da Vinci knew the Italian edition well and drew inspiration from it for some of his drawings of military technology.
As the second illustrated book to be printed in Italy, 'De re militari' has characteristics of a transitional work. The use of signature marks to aid in assembly of the book is still lacking, there is no pagination, and the woodcuts were printed separately from the text. As in many books from the first years of printing, a role was still envisioned for the miniaturists and rubricators who had long been employed in the production of manuscripts—initial letters and headings were not printed but were meant to be added by hand. In this copy we see some of the capital letters have been painted in red and blue; larger illuminated initials mark major divisions within the book.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: De Re Militari (On the Military Arts)
  • Author: Roberto Valturio (Italian, Rimini 1405–1475 Rimini)
  • Artist: Matteo de' Pasti (Italian, Verona ca. 1420–after 1467 Rimini)
  • Publisher: Johannes ex Verona (Italian, active Verona ca. 1472)
  • Published in: Verona
  • Date: 1472
  • Medium: Printed book with 82 woodcut illustrations impressed by hand; illuminated initials and descriptive captions also added by hand
  • Dimensions: 13 x 9 7/16 x 1 7/8 in. (33 x 24 x 4.8 cm)
  • Classification: Books
  • Credit Line: Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
  • Object Number: 26.71.4
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Hypnerotomachia Poliphili, Francesco Colonna Italian, Printed book with woodcut illustrations
Hypnerotomachia Poliphili
Multiple artists/makers
December 1499
Hercules chasing Avarice from the Temple of the Muses, Ugo da Carpi Italian, Chiaroscuro woodcut from two blocks in green
Hercules chasing Avarice from the Temple of the Muses
Ugo da Carpi
Baldassarre Tommaso Peruzzi
ca. 1520–27
Astronomicum Caesareum, Michael Ostendorfer German, Hand-colored woodcuts
Astronomicum Caesareum
Multiple artists/makers
May 1540
The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess, Marcantonio Raimondi Italian, Engraving
The Judgment of Paris: he is sitting at left with Venus, Juno and Pallas Athena, a winged victory above. In the upper section the Sun in his chariot preceeded by Castor and Pollux on horseback, at lower right two river gods and a naiad above whom Jupiter, an eagle, Ganymede, Diana and another goddess
Marcantonio Raimondi
Raphael (Raffaello Sanzio or Santi)
ca. 1510–20
Bacchanal with a Wine Vat, Andrea Mantegna Italian, Engraving and drypoint
Bacchanal with a Wine Vat
Andrea Mantegna
Before 1475

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.