By declaring that "la pittura è mentale", Leonardo da Vinci aimed at establishing painting's position within the aristocracy of liberal arts, severing its tie with the artisan's tradition. The Renaissance master ruled that the painter should base his art on a solid knowledge of mathematics and that science should guide the production of images. According to this new perspective, craft and manual skill come second in the process of creating a painting. Second, but in no way secondary. In his Treatise of Painting, Leonardo clearly states that "manual operations" are just as important as mental operations in conceiving a piece of work. Breaking down the hierarchy dividing the mind from the hand, the artist posits them as equal and inseparable.  More...