The Figino, or, On the purpose of painting : art theory in the late Renaissance

Gregorio Comanini's dialogue // Figino overo del fine della Pittura (1591) offers one of the most comprehensive overviews of aesthetic theory and practice in the late sixteenth century. The dialogue takes the form of a conversation among the author's friends about the fine, or ultimate purpose, of art. Comanini's interlocutors draw extensively from classical and contemporary theory -Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Mazzoni, Tasso, Paleotti -in addressing the vigorously debated aesthetic issues of their day: the nature of imitation and the role of the artist's imagination; verisimilitude in literature and painting; correspondences and differences among literature, painting, and music; the superiority of one art to another; and the question of artistic decorum, a delicate issue in the climate of the Counter-Reformation. Accompanying this theoretical discussion are comments on works by Michelangelo, Giulio Romano, Dante, Petrarch, Ariosto, andTorquato Tasso. Two painters, Ambrogio Figino and Giuseppe Arcimboldo, are presented as emblematic of the two opposing aesthetic stances -art is to teach / art is to please -that structure the dialogue. Although the discussion ends with the apparent triumph of the moral, didactic aesthetic, an ambiguity remains. What emerges from Comanini's blending of ethical and aesthetic considerations is his absolute conviction that art plays a critical role in human existence, whether as entertainment, mirror of human activity, or teacher of moral truths. Ann Doyle-Anderson and Giancarlo Maiorino provide the first complete English translation of Comanini's text, along with an introduction and extensive notes. Their work is a welcome addition to the field of Renaissance studies.

Of the many treatises written in Italy during the Counter-Reformation, none is more illustrative of the intellectual fermentation of the period than Comanini's work on the purpose of painting, Il Figino overo del fine della Pittura (1591). Although the importance of Il Figino has long been recognized, the text has remained largely inaccessible to many scholars throughout the world. This first complete English translation will make the work available to those readers for the first time.

In Il Figino, Comanini addresses all of the most hotly debated aesthetic issues of the time, drawing on an array of classical, medieval and Renaissance sources, including Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Mazzoni, Tasso and Paleotti. The editor and translator provide copious notes which clarify Comanini's aesthetic and theological references, as well as a lucid introduction that places the issues and debates in context. Comanini's impressive erudition makes his treatise an excellent barometer of the state of scholarship in the Counter-Reformation era. This translation is a long-overdue addition to the field of Renaissance studies.

Of the many treatises written in Italy during the Counter-Reformation, none is more illustrative of the intellectual fermentation of the period than Comanini's work on the purpose of painting, Il Figino overo del fine della Pittura (1591). Although the importance of Il Figino has long been recognized, the text has remained largely inaccessible to many scholars throughout the world. This first complete English translation will make the work available to those readers for the first time. In Il Figino, Comanini addresses all of the most hotly debated aesthetic issues of the time, drawing on an array of classical, medieval and Renaissance sources, including Plato, Aristotle, Horace, Mazzoni, Tasso and Paleotti. The editor and translator provide copious notes which clarify Comanini's aesthetic and theological references, as well as a lucid introduction that places the issues and debates in context. Comanini's impressive erudition makes his treatise an excellent barometer of the state of scholarship in the Counter-Reformation era. This translation is a long-overdue addition to the field of Renaissance studies Contents 5 Acknowledgments 7 Introduction 9 On the Translation 18 The Figino 25 Dedication 25 The Dialogue 27 Notes 133 Selected Bibliography 169 Index 171