THEOPHILUS The Various Arts De Diversis Artibus ©, R, DODWELL CLARENDON PRESS - OXFORD INTRODUCTION 1, Tue Cowrniers or Tue Taaran, ‘Tus De Diuerst Artibu of Theophilus isto well known that i is unnecessary to dwell on its importance for the history of medieval art. There are, of course, other important medicval sources for art and techniques, but there is none which combines to the same extent the comprehensive range, the orderly presentation, the logical development and the attention to fetal of Theophili’s work. Tt has with some justification been described by thee hineteenth-centary scholar (Guichard, Hendrie and Bourasel) ‘as an encyclopaedia of Christan art, for itembraces mest of the ‘medieval skills and crafts. What adds sll more to it sgni- ficance as a document ofthe arts is the fact that it deveribes art techniques of which no Romanesque examples survive, such ci-painting (p. 24) and painting on tin (p. 25). Tt ls also of feat importance for medieval science. Tt contains, for ‘example, what is probably the frst direct reference to paper in the Intin West, the earliest medieval description of bell founding and the most complete medieval account of the building of an ‘organ; it discusses in detail metallurgical techniques such at ‘eupellation, refining, casting and smelting and also describes the making of the erucible furnace and the bloomery hearth. ‘The author has not fee that his range of treatment has ‘excured him from thoroughness of detail, for he pursues each subject with logical tenacity from its very earliet to it final stages. “Before embarking on metalwork one must learn what Lind of workshop to build, how to make the work-furnace, the bellows, the anvils, hammers, pincers fils, chites, rasp, chase ing tools, crucibles and 40 on, and also have some knowledge "or thee and author named in the txt ad foster witht itl cht teh sek legen a he end he‘of how the relevant metal i itelf produced. Again, before ‘making stained glass, one must know how to make the kl the ‘ysl to contain the ingredients and also the glae ise. Te inthis rational organisation, the detailed preentation of each method and the integration of the methods into a complete ‘rat that © much distinguishes the De Dir Arbus from ther comparable medieval works, which normally resale ‘themselves into a miscellaneous series of ine and recipes ‘The importance of the main text x obvious and doesnot ‘ned lbouring, but the Prefacs, which ae no le significant, Ihave often escaped attention In medieval writing, particu: lnvy before the Gothie period, even a brie reference to the rst and his work is of great rarity. Yet here (particularly inthe first and third Preface) are set down i deal he come sidered conclaons that a mature and educated artst has reached about his work: what place tts in the universal ‘order of things and what it elatonship this eligion. His stil he ses above ll ele a a gift of God, but fae, in ‘more subtle way, an inheritence of thot qualities which Man poset in fll measure before the Fal nd which ea sl be ‘sed to reflect something ofthe esetial purpore of Man—the praise of God. ‘The application of that al i, he considers, ‘rected by the seven gis ofthe Holy Spisit and he gives & ‘etaled ata of the way in which there expres thenulves ‘The art ites, for him, a work of beauty, bt it is more, for it isan act of worcip and of praie._Teis an act of pey, to, for Ft encourages the enlooker in is faith by emading him of he slleing of Chit and of the felicity awaiting virtue. Now where in the Middle Ages there o fll and ineze an account bby an art of his own conceptions and idea and not unl the time of Clini does one finds close a tay ofthe reatonship between the art and his work, "The wets isl i divided into theee Books, each with ts ‘own Preface. ‘The fist Book dal withthe materiale and arto ining, hw to make the visioot pigments, suet and ‘nee, wo gl sc howto paint books on wails ad Ge panels The wecond i contrnd with plar—ordaary flan sind gay gin windowed ga we, both ain Sed decortels The ied sad longet Book dices mea er he wing copy se a ly pc ‘ort open worl opus wor deataping, the making rbot cntey enc vnc sth athe case Sed comer and muna naramens fo the church Me the land orn, Italo de the cving of Bone and the wit orion Ho “The mggetion has been made that the fist Book was crginlly separate work} but all the evidence shows thatthe three Hooks were writen stone treatise. The Prefice to the fit Book actualy refer tothe techniques tht wil be dace {nlater Books and, apart from afourteend-centary manuscript at Oxford (Magdalen College MS 173), there is no known medieval copy of the fst Book, oF a substantial par fit, by ite without is Preface, The homogeneity ofthe weatie as & ‘whole ie further confirmed by the references forwards Trckwards between the thtce Books Each of the easiest ‘three manuscript, known tou contsinn the three Books and, ‘while iis eae that ve other manuscripts? do apparently give ‘aly the fst Book (ora large part of), two ofthese are Ite ‘copies which ultimately derive fom a manuscript containing all three Hooks * and the copyit of the third (at Cambridge University Library, which the earest and moat important of ‘tha group, indicate by hie le hat he has simply separated the Pia aS HGS Spa i nd hat [ean ep sft ne ev a ad er sige bates ie wi Cie ‘Mas n7g and Prenc, "Se uoerpion of sod Pin con os mani elo.xi sxrnooenon ft Bs a te hero: Pi rt fir ai rete pe Ss, ap ot hoa ind se er Bok Te eu pn atc fas Hos, ap coe “Soning am wh wore fT“ Bok wiht erent nn hve nit mee pop dent the at acing ee ‘el sy howe mae acre Sched om tc main ei wang pee ‘Siew ongty ntl pat wk Metal feat th nd Wa on Su praca perp an oc ne ee oe a Sct cy soa ve cope sa slg Srnrot © te anal fae a it ft cen ‘mer i a rey on of Top va ripen nea {Tie cea "So avn wes ios dowipos icone rsp ines phe th ebcrsnce de oly pete aero we wine Tie mo snl Ge enn Sat aca dren tet wn he daca Std hing gi fan ae Gg echo oa semen ar eat oF de iy etd as tian fs uk cy ney tach ere hops st a es ey it nent the aly We got ts whe ocrson Gnu tana oe Pet Son itt eben ied by chapen inept tom it waren pine Dv Dass ‘oni at Top ity ec eae oe we ccs eng le, St ie Seyi moe cua eee ee eee ametience ae ee Ba tases nd diac w Pag: Gd ae Great eee eee Calibs (p. 162), which is a medieval variation of the classical ee oe amen reiean ae oe ee ee Re ee pices sshismi pesmi: enn nen eee ee acs caseps clase an Ties ee eee een eee | eee eed ee Beate oes ers eee eee ee eo Se arene ea ee ee Seer Se Sa ees ree eae eee | ee eee ee ane ee eee ee arene anne esas 1M, Berthelot, La Chimie au Men dge (Pais a), cit ee aa ie ae coh hon aang A a Nearly, cer, 25 ‘Bion AVE ih Dae Tae