Istruzione elementare per gli studiosi della scultura

Francesco Carradori (1747-1824) was a Florentine sculptor and restorer active in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. An instructor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence from 1786-1821, his 1802 book, Istruzione elementare per gli studiosi della scultura (Elementary Instructions for Students of Sculpture), is a rare example of a didactic, illustrated treatise for students of the fine arts. While a few examples do exist—the most well-known being Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert’s Encyclopédie (1751-1772)—those were intended for amateurs rather than specialists. Carradori, on the other hand, emphasizes the tools and techniques used by sculptors across a variety of media, including marble carving, wax and clay modeling, and plaster and bronze casting. He provides practical information and useful tips on technique. The engravings in this volume not only reveal the multi-step processes by which both small and large scale sculptures were made, but they showcase the collaborative and social nature of the sculptor’s studio.

Letterpress description accompanies each plate. Full text online from Internet Archive https://archive.org/details/istruzioneelemen00carr