Daniele Barbaro's Polyhedra

    Daniele Barbaro (1513-1570) was a Venetian geometer who's book, La Practica della Perspectiva, (1568-9) presents the techniques of  perspective, illustrated in part with a range of polyhedra.  It is partly based on the methods and writings of Piero della Francesca, but written in a more readable and humanistic style.  It includes the earliest drawing of the truncated icosidodecahedron and it ties Jamnitzer for the earliest rhombicosidodecahedron.
     

    This book was one of the most respected texts on perspective in the sixteenth century, comparable to Durer's Painter's Manual.  Designed for an audience of artists, architects, stage designers, etc., Barbaro's presentation is more mathematical than artistic. The illustrations, e.g., the dodecahedron and truncated tetrahedron above, are not inspiring; they are disappointingly unclear compared to Leonardo's "solid edge" method of presenting structure.  Published in the same year as Jamnitzer's creative masterpiece, Barbaro's illustrations are almost boring in comparison.

    Virtual Polyhedra, (c) 1998, George W. Hart