The Treatises of Benvenuto Cellini on Goldsmithing and Sculpture


Read by Rob Marland

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Benvenuto Cellini, a 16th century Florentine goldsmith and sculptor, is perhaps better known for his colorful autobiography than his works of art. In his "Trattati", Cellini explains how he made his intricate pieces in gold, such as the salt cellar intended for the table of King Francis I of France, and his monumental sculptures, including the bronze Perseus and Medusa that stands in Florence's Loggia dei Lanzi. Cellini allows himself numerous digressions, so what might in the hands of another author have proved a dry textbook is instead an amusing companion to his "Vita". - Summary by Rob Marland

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Preface: An Introductory Account by the translator, C. R. Ashbee 17:30 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Introduction 20:05 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter I. On the Art of Niello 8:33 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter II. On Filigree Work 15:59 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter III. Concerning the Art of Enamel 21:36 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter IV. Jewellery 7:02 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter V. How to Set a Ruby 2:39 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter VI. How to Set an Emerald and a Sapphire 8:58 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter VII. How to Make Foils for All Sorts of Transparent Jewels 8:55 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter VIII. On the Cutting of a Diamond 12:24 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter IX. How You Tint a Diamond 15:12 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter X. How to Give a Diamond its Reflector 4:39 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XI. About White Rubies and Carbuncles 8:15 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XII. Minuterie Work 56:45 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XIII. On Cardinals' Seals 19:10 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XIV. How to Make Steel Dies for Stamping Coins 16:01 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XV. About Medals 9:52 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XVI. How the Before-Mentioned Medals are Struck 4:54 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XVII. Another Way of Striking Medals with the Screw 4:41 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XVIII. How to Work in Large Ware, in Gold and Silver and Such Like 1:18 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XIX. How to Begin Making a Vase 3:28 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XX. Another and a Better Way of Casting 3:01 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXI. Yet Another Furnace, Such a One as I Made in the Castle of St. Angelo at the Time of the Sack of Rome 2:51 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXII. How to Fashion Vessels of Gold and Silver, Likewise Figures and Vases, and All that Pertains to that Branch of the Craft called 'Grosseria' 21:08 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXIII. Another Method for Gold and Silver in Such Things 2:24 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXIV. A Third Method for Similar Things 1:08 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXV. Of Figures Made in Silver and Greater than Life Size 15:38 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXVI. How to Gild 5:14 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXVII. A Recipe for Making Colours and Colouring the Gilded Parts 2:09 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXVIII. A Recipe for Making Another Sort of Gilding Colour 2:03 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXIX. How to Make a Third Gilding Colour for Very Thick Gilding 2:03 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXX. How to Make the Wax for Gilding 1:32 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXXI. How to Make Yet Another Colouring 1:14 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXXII. The Manner of Applying the Said Colour 1:17 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXXIII. What You Do When You Wish to Leave Bare the Silver in Certain Places 2:38 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXXIV. How to Make Two Kinds of Aquafortis, One for Parting, the Other for Engraving and Etching 3:21 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXXV. How to Make Aquafortis for Parting 2:00 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Goldsmithing: Chapter XXXVI. How to Make Royal Cement 3:56 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Sculpture: Chapter I. On the Art of Casting in Bronze 5:22 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Sculpture: Chapter II. How the Above-Mentioned Clay is Made 2:57 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Sculpture: Chapter III. Another Method of Casting Figures in Bronze of Life Size or a Little Under 45:28 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Sculpture: Chapter IV. How to Construct Furnaces for Casting Bronze, Whether for Statues, Ordnance, or Other Such-Like Things 19:32 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Sculpture: Chapter V. How to Carve Statues or Intaglios, or Other Works, Such as Divers Beasts, in Marble or Other Stones 2:27 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Sculpture: Chapter VI. Of Carrara Marbles 13:17 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Sculpture: Chapter VII. A Disquisition on Colossal Statues Whether Moderate or Very Great 5:58 Read by Rob Marland
The Treatise on Sculpture: Chapter VIII. The Mystery of Making Great Colossi 15:50 Read by Rob Marland