The Canon Library

Renaissance ยท Art theory / architecture

On the Art of Building

by Leon Battista Alberti. A significant canonical or canon-expanding work by Leon Battista Alberti, centered on beauty, proportion, civic life; added in the full 1,200-work edition for its sustained influence, representative importance, or role in revising the traditional canon.

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Date
1452
Origin
Italy
Era
Renaissance
Genre
Art theory / architecture
Difficulty
Challenging
Length
Medium
Collection
The Western Canon

Subjects and themes

BeautyProportionCivic Life

Why it matters

A significant canonical or canon-expanding work by Leon Battista Alberti, centered on beauty, proportion, civic life; added in the full 1,200-work edition for its sustained influence, representative importance, or role in revising the traditional canon.

This work is included in the collection on the basis of full-canon expansion: traditional, modern, revised, and genre canons. Its cataloged influence level is 4 out of 5.