Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice

The actual working areas of the botteghini were situated on the ground floor
in the left wing of the ducal palace in Pesaro. There seems to have been an
internal entrance from the palace (11). The botteghini also opened onto the
street like small shops; indeed, the artists were permitted by the duke to accept
orders from other clients. Some artists had their living quarters above the
workshops; others who had families received money to rent housing elsewhere
in Pesaro. They also received provisions, candles, and firewood, as can
be read in a ledger (12).
A supervisor was appointed with responsibility for the daily organization,
provisions, and the supply of materials. Bills with lists of ordered materials,
including pigments and brushes, are among the many surviving documents
concerning the workshops (see Appendix doc. 2). The duke's commissions
were not given by the duke personally but passed on by intermediaries, mostly
noblemen employed as his secretaries or persons suitable because of their
profession. These intermediaries also acted as the duke's representatives in the
search for artists and artisans for the workshops. For example, the duke's ambassadors
were ordered to search in Rome, Venice, and Florence fo r artists of
the highest quality. The proposed artists had to send proof of their capacities
which, according to the documents, was quite often rejected by the duke.
In 1581 the duke asked his ambassador in Rome, Baldo Falcucci, to find him
a miniaturist. From 1582 on, a "miniatore" is mentioned in the lists of workshop
employees (13). In many instances, the name of the artist is not given
but a "maestro Valerio miniatore" appears from 1603 to 1605. Although employee
lists from 1605 on are missing, Mariani's activities at the court of
Urbino most likely continued.
Figure 1. Detail from the Battle of San Fabiano,
illustrated in Plate 7a, showing the
center scene where the sketchy underdrawing is
clearly visible. Photograph by E. Buzzegoli,
LAboratorio di Restauro. Courtesy of the UjJ
izi Gallery, Florence.
Mariani's activities can be traced not only in documents but also in many
miniatures. The Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana has three illustrated manuscripts
attributed to Mariani, in addition to a part of the Purgatorio and all
the miniatures of the famous Dante Urbinate's Paradiso (14). The Galleria
Palatina in Florence owns two series of miniatures, framed in black ebony
frames, with scenes from the lives of Christ and Mary, miracles, and martyred
saints. The Uffizi owns the only miniature with Mariani's signature, a battle
scene from the life of Federico da Montefeltro (15) (Plate 7a). This miniature
is of great interest as we can compare the techniques used with those as
described in the treatise, thus comparing practice with theory. The miniature
is kept in a dark cabinet; the colors are, therefore, in extremely good condition.
A study of the miniature using microscopy made clear that the standard
technique of washes was used. Specific comparisons (i.e., the build-up of the
trees, background with the village, bluish mountains and sky, etc.) with chapters
in the landscape section of the treatise, show that Mariani is following
the instructions given there. The miniature has a very sketchy underdrawing-which
can be seen with the naked eye but is even more clearly apparent
with an infrared camera-that has been traced in some places with a brownish
ink (Fig. 1) (16). A blue-black ink is also used to emphasize contours and
shadows. On the underdrawing, the paint is most often added in transparent
layers using the techniques described in the treatise.
Mariani was known for his technical abilities; Lancellotti described him as a
pupil of Boduino who "surpassed his master in patience, and his miniatures
were owned by the most important princes in the world." They both "kept
a secret of how to grind gold in the Persian way for miniature painting and
writing, that stayed stable as the antique [gold] " (17).
Although the preceding paragraphs comprise a short resume of the research
results so far, it is clear that we are considering a treatise that can be placed
in an interesting context, offering a unique possibility of comparing the theory
of the treatise with the practice as laid down in Mariani's work. The
context of the workshops, and Mariani's obvious technical skills, make it plausible
that the treatise was written as a manual to be used in the workshop.
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Historical Painting Techniques, Materials, and Studio Practice