Understanding Italian Renaissance Painting: A Guide to Artists et

by Stefano Zuffi

Filled with great masterpieces by such artists as Botticelli, Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, Masaccio, Piero della Francesca, Mantegna and Titian, Understanding Italian Renaissance Painting takes a journey into their world. As in the acclaimed and innovative How to Read a Painting, each spread uses an important painting as a way to explain a key concept, with numerous large details. Here, 180 works illuminate key ideas in Renaissance painting, from perspective and the golden section to grace and symbolism. In addition, there are brief biographies of the major artists. The result is an original, accessible and affordable volume that offers an introduction into the art and culture of the Italian Renaissance.

Genres: Art

400 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

About the author

Stefano Zuffi (Milano, 24 maggio 1961) è uno storico dell'arte italiano.

Laureato alla Statale di Milano, è autore di numerosi volumi di divulgazione culturale, legati alla storia dell'arte soprattutto rinascimentale e barocca. Consulente editoriale per la casa editrice Electa, è stato responsabile di alcune collane di successo al grande pubblico, come gli Artbook e, dal 2002, I dizionari dell'arte.

Tra le sue pubblicazioni, una monografia su Dürer, Il Grande Atlante della Pittura (Electa) e il saggio Rinascimento (Mondadori): tradotte in più lingue, hanno raggiunto una tiratura di oltre un milione e mezzo di copie vendute in tutto il mondo.

Ha partecipato alla trasmissione Riguardiamoli condotta da Salvatore Maria Fares su RETEDUE della Radio Svizzera Italiana, curando una rubrica dedicata all' arte e alle mostre.

Ricopre l'incarico di responsabile culturale dell'Associazione Amici di Brera ed è presidente dell'Associazione Amici del Poldi Pezzoli.

È inoltre curatore della Pinacoteca Podesti di Ancona.

Reviews

[Pearl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a clear, well-researched art book. Zuffi takes us through the Renaissance chronologically, painting by painting, and achieves a detailed tonal portrait of a movement I've always taken for granted.

Well no more. I actually gasped out loud when something like Bottecelli's Venus or Da Vinci's The Virgin and St Anne were revealed, even though I've seen both before. But this book also excelled in showing the later works of the Renaissance, in which it isn't hard to see nascent ideas of cubism, impressionism and many other 'isms' that wouldn't have their day until the 'modern' world.

I also didn't understand in what sort of lucky bubble this entire short explosion of culture happened. The conquest of Constantinople, the discovery of the New World and, worst of all, the Inquisition loomed large on either side of this dream. It wouldn't be long until it was crushed between them, like flowers under a soldier's boot.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for understanding the key works of the Italian Renaissance and a little about those that painted them. Key areas of the different paintings are broken down into smaller pictures to draw attention to specific areas that help to explain the meaning.

The book appears to have been intended to aid those that visit galleries, however it is a big hefty book and I'm not so sure if many would want to carry it around for too long. This is mainly due to the amount of additional explanatory pictures plus in some cases the full sized images spanning two pages.

It would make a great reference book and I have given it 4 stars for how well it explains the ideas and key works.