ABSTRACT
This chapter explores Alberti's definition of beauty and its assumptions. It examines its implications; in particular, the resultant delineation of the architect's role. It also examines twentieth-century discussions in art history, linguistics, literary criticism, and philosophy as they relate to authorial authority. Alberti also included his idea of perfect beauty in Momus, which covers a much broader scope than De re aedificatoria, including politics and philosophy. The Milesians, according to Strabo, once built a temple that was so large that it was never roofed. Trachtenberg explains that Alberti theoretically separated design from execution, making the former the realm of architects, to protect the perfect beauty from the undesirable influence of the time factor. Panofsky categorized the work of the art historian into three strata: pre-iconographical description, iconographical analysis and iconological interpretation. Barthes' critique of the notion of the author seemed to have great promise in being applied to the predominant program of art history posited by Panofsky's iconology.
