On Sculpture by Leon Battista Alberti

This translation of Leon Battista Alberti's treatise on the art of sculpting is presented as the author himself intended - as a practical sculpture manual meant to be read and utilized by practitioners of the craft. In recent times On Sculpture has been published and critiqued as an historical and literary document; Jason Arkles' translation instead offers commentary helpful for understanding the actual content of the work and its relation to contemporary studio practice. Additional illustrations and diagrams are included, detailing the construction and use of the 'diffinitore', Alberti's device for measuring the model that is the grandfather of all pointing machines in use today.