Transcriber's Note:
Every effort has been made to replicate this text as faithfullyas possible, including inconsistencies in spelling and hyphenation.No changes have been made to the printed text.
OF THE JUST SHAPING OF LETTERS
BY ALBRECHT DÜRER
TRANSLATED
BY
R. T. NICHOL
FROM THE LATIN TEXT OF
THE EDITION OF
MDXXXV
*
OF THE JUST
SHAPING OF
LETTERS
FROM THE APPLIED
GEOMETRY OF
ALBRECHT
DÜRER
BOOK
JJJ
DOVER PUBLICATIONS, INC. · NEW YORK
ALBRECHT DÜRER TO WILIBALD PIRCKHEIMER
HIS PATRON AND VERY GOOD FRIEND
GREETING:
In our Germany, most excellent Wilibald, are to be found at thepresent day many young men of a happy talent for the Art Pictorial,who without any artistic training whatever, but taught onlyby their daily exercise of it, have run riot like an unpruned tree, so thatunhesitatingly and without compunction they turn out their works,purely according to their own judgment. But when great and ingeniousartists behold their so inept performances, not undeservedly dothey ridicule the blindness of such men; since sane judgment abhorsnothing so much as a picture perpetrated with no technical knowledge,although with plenty of care and diligence. Now the sole reason why painters of this sort are not aware of their own error is that they havenot learnt Geometry, without which no one can either be or becomean absolute artist; but the blame for this should be laid upon theirmasters, who themselves are ignorant of this art. Since this is in verytruth the foundation of the whole graphic art, it seems to me a goodthing to set down for studious beginners a few rudiments, in which Imight, as it were, furnish them with a handle for using the compassand the rule, and thence, by seeing Truth itself before their eyes, theymight become not only zealous of the arts, but even arrive at a greatand true understanding of them.
Now, although in our own time, and amongst ourselves, the ArtPictorial is in ill repute with some, as being held to minister incitementto idolatry, yet a Christian man is no more enticed to superstitionby pictures or images, than is an honest man girt with a sword to highwayrobbery. Certes he would be a witless creature who would willinglyadore either pictures or images of wood or stone. On the contrary, apicture is the rather edifying and agreeable to Christian religion andduty, if only it be fairly, artificially, and correctly painted.
In what honour and dignity this art was anciently held amongstthe Greeks and Romans, the old authors sufficiently testify; thoughafterwards all but lost, while it lay hid for more than a thousand years.It has now at length, only within the last two hundred years, by someItalians been brought again to light. For it is the easiest thing in theworld for the Arts to be lost and perish; but only with difficulty, andafter long time & pains are they resuscitated. Wherefore I hope thatno wise man will defame this laborious task of mine, since with goodintent & in behoof of all who love the Liberal Arts have I undertakenit: nor for painters alone, but for goldsmiths too, &