Underweysung der Messung/ mit dem Zirckel und richtscheyt

The Underweysung der Messung/ mit dem Zirckel und richtscheyt by Albrecht Dürer, published in 1525, is one of the most significant theoretical books of the Northern Renaissance. Classified as a technical treatise, this groundbreaking work demonstrates Dürer’s commitment to rationalizing art through the rigorous application of mathematics. The volume, richly illustrated using the medium of woodcut prints, presents a comprehensive guide to practical geometry, linear perspective, and their essential applications in architecture, lettering, and two-dimensional design.

Following his extensive travels and studies of Italian Renaissance masters, Dürer sought to provide German artists and craftsmen with a rigorous, standardized system for representation. The text meticulously details methods for constructing geometric forms, regular polygons, and three-dimensional shapes using the foundational tools of measurement: the compass (Zirckel) and the straightedge (richtscheyt). The precision required for illustrating these complex mathematical concepts made the woodcut illustrations particularly challenging to execute, emphasizing the technical skill required of the block cutters working under Dürer’s direction.

The book was revolutionary for its time, systematically introducing high Renaissance theories of perspective and proportion to a German-speaking audience, thereby standardizing drawing practices for generations of architects and draftsmen. While fundamentally a technical manual, the Underweysung der Messung contains some of Dürer’s most inventive graphical representations, making the included prints important milestones in the history of scientific illustration. This pivotal historical edition of the 1525 treatise resides in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.