Art in Renaissance Italy

by John T. Paoletti, Gary M. Radke

Unlike other books on the subject, Art in Renaissance Italy, Second Edition, covers not only Florence and Rome. Here too are Venice and the Veneto, Assisi, Siena, Milan, Pavia, Genoa, Padua, Mantua, Verona, Ferrara, Urbino, and Naples - each one distinctively governed, each with unique political and social structures that inevitably affected artistic styles.
Spanning more than three centuries, the narrative brings to life the rich tapestry of Italian Renaissance society from the mid-13th century to 1600. Special features evoke and document the people and places of this dynamic age. "Contemporary Scene" boxes provide fascinating glimpses of daily the food that people ate, how they entertained themselves, society's methods of punishing miscreants, and more. "Contemporary Voice" boxes quote directly from Renaissance painters and writers (Ghirlandalo, Vasari, Ghiberti, Alberti, Veneziano, Leonardo, Michelangelo, Castiglione, Cellini, and Aretino), shedding light on how artworks were created - even down to paint quality and fees.
New to the Second Edition is a fresh, open design and expanded page size with more color pictures; a fuller discussion of individual cities (notably Milan, Naples, and Venice); a section on 16th-century Genoa; and more "Contemporary Voice" boxes. The artists' biographies have now been incorporated into the main text and more discursive captions with stylistic analyses of artworks have been added.

Genres: Art, Art History, History, Nonfiction, Italy, Renaissance, School

512 pages, Hardcover

First published December 2, 1996

Reviews

[Bree · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my major textbook in Italy. I'm rereading it to refresh my memory of what I learned.

[Kamal · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very useful textbook for the history of the art of the Italian Renaissance. It does a great job of showing how the art functioned in context: religious, political, social, etc. There is a lot more to know about the art of this period than meets the eye, this book will show readers these hidden aspects of the Renaissance.

[Tyna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I actually have the third edition.

[a duck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise and well-structured textbook on Renaissance Italian art. Could have dedicated more space to some of the courts. Rigid focus on Italy also lacks context of international trade and cultural influences.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my major textbook in Italy. I'm rereading it to refresh my memory of what I learned.

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for college class. Good book with great photos I just wish the photos better aligned with the text in some sections

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very Insightful and easy to follow. A well-rounded look into the artistic life of Renaissance Italy and the various artists and aristocrats who shaped the landscape at the time.

[Driver.Luk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic, well illustrated and well explained content. All You need to know about Italian renaissance art.

[keereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

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