Leon Battista Alberti

Architecture Italian 1404 – 1472 101 quotes

An Italian humanist, architect, and art theorist, his treatise 'De re aedificatoria' was the first modern book on the theory of architecture.

Quotes by Leon Battista Alberti

A man should strive for excellence in all things.

Della Famiglia 1433

The sculptor must think of the stone as if it were alive.

De Statua 1464

Proportion is the soul of beauty in sculpture.

De Statua 1464

Nature is the teacher of all arts.

De Pictura 1435

In building, as in life, balance is key to endurance.

De Re Aedificatoria 1452

The mind must be free to create great works.

De Pictura 1435

Friendship is the greatest treasure of the family.

Della Famiglia 1433

Wealth without wisdom is a curse.

Della Famiglia 1433

The eye is the window to the soul in portraiture.

De Pictura 1435

Columns should rise like trees in a sacred grove.

De Re Aedificatoria 1452

Education shapes the citizen as much as the stone shapes the building.

Della Famiglia 1433

The artist must capture motion in stillness.

De Pictura 1435

A well-ordered house reflects a well-ordered mind.

De Re Aedificatoria 1452

Love of country is the first duty of man.

Della Famiglia 1433

Symmetry in design mirrors the harmony of the universe.

De Re Aedificatoria 1452

The pen is mightier than the sword in matters of the intellect.

Letter

Beauty fades, but utility endures.

De Re Aedificatoria 1452

The study of mathematics is the gateway to all sciences.

De Pictura 1435

In sculpture, the form must suggest the infinite.

De Statua 1464

Family bonds are the foundation of civil society.

Della Famiglia 1433