PALLADIO, Andrea.

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I quattro libri dell'architettura. First edition of Palladio's architectural testament, a dramatically visual study of classical Roman designs paired with the author's own creations inspired by them. Unprecedented in the clarity and detail of its illustrations, the work is a celebration of harmony, symmetry, and proportion, which exerted a powerful influence on Western architecture until the end of the 18th century.The Palladian style is based on the application of classical principles laid forth by Vitruvius - who Palladio calls "my master and guide" - and Leon Battista Alberti. Though not the earliest book of its kind, I quattro libri was unique in its practical applicability. "Concise and clear in its language, effective in its communication of complex information through the coordination of plates and texts, the Quattro Libri represents the most effective illustrated architectural publication up to that time. The intelligence and clarity of the 'interface' which Palladio offers to his readers can be seen if one compares it to Serlio's architectural books which started to appear in 1537. Whereas Serlio does not inscribe dimensions on the plates but laboriously rehearses them in the small print of his text, Palladio frees the text of this encumbrance and places the measurements directly on the plans and elevations" (Beltramini, p. 9).It was translated into several Western languages, including French in 1650 and English in 1715. Palladianism reached the height of its popular

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