The Authorial Dimension of Paper in Early Modern Architects' Modani

The introduction of paper into architectural drawing in the quattrocento coincided with shifts in construction practices and terminology. In Florence, this shift is reflected in the use of 'modani' to refer to paper template cut-outs. As will be shown, when modani became more directly identified with paper drawings in the late quattrocento, they were increasingly linked with the influence of specific architects and the humanist expectation of singular authorship. This transition was certainly connected to the role of paper in emancipating the architect from his physical presence on the medieval building site, but it also pointed toward deeper connections between the architect and the specific buildings and details connected to him. Such authority, as will be discussed, seems to be related to the use of paper, as opposed to more traditional materials in templates, such as wood or tin. Overall, there can be little doubt that paper modani played a key role in extending the connection of the architect-author deeper into building process. They exemplify the complex shifts in architectural practice experienced in the late quattrocento / early cinquecento, representing a fascinating case of media translations in relationship to architectural representation