zhu di
Cennino Cennini: The Artisan’s Voice of the Early Renaissance Cennino d'Andrea Cennini, born around 1360 in Colle di Val d'Elsa, Tuscany, and likely passing away before 1427, remains a fascinating figure shrouded in some mystery. While his life was relatively modest – he appears to have spent time working at the court of Francesco Novello da Carrara in Padua before returning to his native region – Cennini’s legacy endures through one extraordinary work: *Il Libro dell'Arte* (The Book of Art). This manuscript, a practical guide to painting and other crafts, offers an unprecedented glimpse int…
The Subject Atlas
A chart of zhu di's corpus mapped not by date but by subject. Spokes are what they painted; rings are when; and the threads between stars reveal the patrons and places that secretly connect them.
Spokes — Subject
Each arm of the atlas gathers works by what they depict: portraits, sacred scenes, mythologies, and the scientific studies. Click a spoke to swing that cluster to the top.
Rings — Career Period
Distance from the center marks time. The innermost ring is the earliest period; the outermost, the final years. Style matures as you move outward.
Threads — Shared Context
Coloured lines link works bound by the same patron, commission, or theme. Trace a context to watch related clusters light up across subjects.
