Introduction

Drawings, and the practice of drawing, take centre stage if one tries to understand how Renaissance architecture was ‘designed’, and what prompted the development of the medieval master builder (maître macon, Werkmeister) in this period, as he gradually assumed the characteristic features of the modern architect.

The history of Renaissance architecture excels in exemplary studies on drawings, particularly on those of Italian architects. Still, there is a general feeling that much remains to be done in the study of the role and practice of drawing in Renaissance architecture. There are, for instance, obvious lacunae as regards architectural drawings in the countries north of the Alps. And many desiderata remain with respect to questions concerning the context and function of various architectural drawings in this period – from questions regarding their use within and beyond the construction site, in civil and military architecture, to their relationship to painterly representations of architecture and graphical representations of ‘Kleinarchitektur’ by sculptors. There even remain some questions of a basic character that need further clarification, such as to the meaning of the designation ‘architectural drawing’ or to how these drawings shaped the communication between the various personae involved or interested in building projects.