Liber diversarum arcium (original) (raw)

The anonymous Liber diversarum arcium ('Book of various arts') is a medieval handbook of painting. It contains over 500 art-technological instructions or recipes in Latin, forming a complete structured painting course. It is probably the most substantial and comprehensive mediaeval painters' technical recipe book to survive, and summarises the state of the art in the European workshops of the fourteenth century. In particular it is an important witness to the practice of oil painting before Van Eyck. The majority of the recipes are unique.