Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe (Metropolitan Museum of Art) [Hardcover]

Annamaria Giusti (Editor), Wolfram Koeppe (Editor), Rudolf Distelberger (Contributor), Ian Wardropper (Contributor), Florian Knothe (Contributor), Christina Acidini (Contributor), Detlef Heikamp (Contributor), Jutta Kappel (Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Metropolitan Museum of Art | Publication Date: July 30, 2008

This beautiful catalogue provides a comprehensive history of pietre dure, a virtuoso form of hardstone carving that reached an artistic peak in Italy in the 16th century and subsequently spread throughout Europe.

 

The demanding practice of pietre dure, first used in ancient times, enjoyed a spectacular revival in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. By artistic cutting, semiprecious stones—agate, lapis lazuli, chalcedony, and other colorful hardstones—were fashioned into extravagantly designed luxury objects such as table tops, wall panels, cabinets, and ornate display vessels. Both as objects of desire and as diplomatic gifts, these precious creations captivated the affluent societies of Europe. Art of the Royal Court presents 150 masterpieces of pietre dure, many of which are further embellished with gold and silver mounts or decorated with exotic woods and other coveted materials. 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The catalogue, in its attention to detail, is a major advancement in the subject. Pietre dure are studied mainly in Europe and not much attention has been devoted to them in the United States...Thus it is the first time some of these pieces have been given any serious scholarship in English...The catalogue is a superbe effort to explain a complex subject."--Rachael Goldman, Sixteenth Century Journal

(Rachael Goldman Sixteenth Century Journal )

About the Author

Annamaria Giusti is Chief Curator at the Opificio delle Pietre Dure e Laboratori di Restauro, Florence. Wolfram Koeppe is curator in the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 428 pages
• Publisher: Metropolitan Museum of Art (July 30, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0300136722
• ISBN-13: 978-0300136722
• Product Dimensions: 12.6 x 9.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #993,583 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars It's got to be seen to be believed!, July 10, 2008

By 

E. Keller (Montclair, NJ USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (Hardcover)

I've just returned from seeing the exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and now I can't wait to have the book. I saw the book while I was in the Met's Book Shop and it is absolutely great with so many pictures of the items on exhibit. If you can't get to the exhibit which is on thru Sept. 21st, this book is the next best thing!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars sumptuous magnificence, September 13, 2009

By 

Ivor E. Zetler (Sydney Australia) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (Hardcover)

"Pietre dure" is the Italian word for "hardstones". It is used to describe artworks utilising semiprecious stone. A variant of this is called "comesso" where a mosaic of flat stone pieces is formed into a decorative or pictoral panel. This artform was developed and reached its peak in renaissance Florence. This catalogue of an exhibition held at the Metropolitan Museum presents 147 examples of the various permutations of this dazzling area of decorative art.

In its heyday, the finest and most elaborate examples of pietre dure were highly prized by wealthy art patrons. It was a way that kings and princes could show off their riches. These works were hugely expensive, costing far more than paintings executed by famous artists such as Titian. This fact is not surprizing, given the expense of the semiprecious stones and the time involved (sometimes up to 5 years) in its manufacture.

Many of the pieces presented in this catalogue are of sumptuous magnificence. A number of them were originally owned by Emperor Rudolf the Second and the Medici family. There are too many types of objects to detail; here is a small example of what is to be seen. Tabletops, mosaic paintings (comesso), reliquaries, a tea service, bowls, collectors cabinets, statues and vases. Particularly memorable is No 38, "Table with top depicting flowers", made of hardstones and gold. The complexity and detail of the design is akin to that seen in a fine oriental carpet. Its manufacture took around four years. What skill and patience those artisans must have possessed.

This catalogue has copious and interesting essays on pietre dure and the exhibited works are comprehensively annotated. The quality of the reproductions and printing in general is well above average. A must buy for those inerested in this fascinating area of decorative art.

2 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Art of the Royal Court, October 19, 2008

By 

Kenneth D. Hughes (Benton, Arkansas) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art of the Royal Court: Treasures in Pietre Dure from the Palaces of Europe (Metropolitan Museum of Art) (Hardcover)

Great value, fantastic content. Exactly what I had hoped for at a price I forced myself to afford.