War Machine, after Roberto Valturio

War machine shaped like a dragon, with cannons protruding from its mouth and sides. This engraving is an elaboration on a design by Matteo di Pasti (1420-ca. 1467) for De re militari, a military treatise written by Roberto Valturio, circa 1455. Both were in the service of Sigismondo Pandolfo Malatesta, lord of Rimini, the first as a medalist and architect, and the second as an engineer. De re militari was printed and published for the first time in Verona in 1472 and soon became very popular.

The caption reads in the original French: Une machine de guerre, d’après Valturio.