De Re Militari (On the Military Arts)
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
Department
Drawings and Prints
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926
Accession Number
26.71.4
Rights
Public Domain
Tags
About this artwork
This books titled "De Re Militari (On the Military Arts)" by Johannes ex Verona|Roberto Valturio|Matteo de' Pasti dates to 1472. Executed in printed book with 82 woodcut illustrations impressed by hand; illuminated initials and descriptive captions also added by hand, this work exemplifies the craftsmanship associated with Drawings and Prints. The piece demonstrates the technical skill and artistic vision characteristic of its period. The work's presence in a major museum collection attests to i...
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of 15th-century military innovation with *De Re Militari (On the Military Arts)*, landmark printed book from 1472 attributed to Roberto Valturio, with contributions from Johannes ex Verona and Matteo de' Pasti. This Verona edition translates Valturio's comprehensive treatise on warfare—covering strategy, fortifications, and weaponry—into an accessible visual language, making complex engineering feats understandable for Renaissance readers hungry for knowledge amid Italy's fractious city-states. Crafted as one of the era's pioneering illustrated incunabula, the book features 82 hand-impressed woodcut illustrations, vibrant hand-illuminated initials, and descriptive captions. These black-and-white woodcuts, alive with details of siege engines, armor, and even fantastical dragons symbolizing power or peril, showcase the fusion of Gutenberg's printing revolution with medieval manuscript traditions. At 13 x 9 7/16 x 1 7/8 inches, its compact form belies the technical prowess required to synchronize text and image in an age before mechanized presses. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Drawings and Prints department (Harris Brisbane Dick Fund, 1926), this rarity bridges art and science, reflecting Renaissance humanism's blend of classical revival and practical invention. Visitors will marvel at how it educated nobles and tacticians, influencing military thought from Europe to the Ottoman Empire.
About the Artist
Johannes ex Verona|Roberto Valturio|Matteo de' Pasti (Italian|Italian|Italian) · 1420 |1405 |1420 –1520 |1475 |1467
Italian, active Verona ca. 1472|Italian, Rimini 1405–1475 Rimini|Italian, Verona ca. 1420–after 1467 Rimini