The architecture of Leon Batista Alberti. In ten books. Of painting. In three books. And of statuary. In one book. Translated into Italian by Cosimo Bartoli. And into English by James Leoni, ... Illustrated with seventy-five copper-plates, engraved by Mr. Picart. In one volume

This foundational work compiles Leon Battista Alberti’s revolutionary Renaissance treatises on architecture, painting, and sculpture. Originally composed in the mid-15th century, these texts laid the theoretical groundwork for Western artistic practice, codifying principles of perspective and proportion. The 1726 edition, translated into English by the architect Giacomo Leoni, was intended to introduce these classical humanistic values to an 18th-century British audience, reflecting the era’s fascination with Palladianism and structural symmetry.

The publication is noted for its high-quality copper-plate engravings executed by Bernard Picart, a prominent French engraver of the period. By integrating intricate visual demonstrations with Alberti’s technical prose, the volume served as both a practical manual for architects and a scholarly tribute to the depth of the Italian Renaissance. The work was well-received by the Enlightenment-era intelligentsia, who viewed Alberti’s structured approach to aesthetics as essential reading for the educated gentleman and professional builder alike.