Cities of the Golden Age: The Views of Anton Van den Wyngaerde [Hardcover]

Richard L. Kagan (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 4, 1989

In the sixteenth century Spain was at the height of its glory, enjoying a period of exceptional power, wealth, and artistic splendor. In 1561 Philip II commissioned Europe's leading topographical artist, Anton van den Wyngaerde, to prepare cities and towns of his Golden Age empire. Van den Wyngaerde spent most of his time traveling in Spain from 1561 until his death in 1571, preparing views--many the earliest known depictions--of no fewer than sixty-two cities and towns, including Barcelona, Valencia, Zaragoza, Granada, Córoba, Seville, Toledo, Burgos, and Madrid. These drawings not only record Spain's cities during the most glorious moments in their history but also depict them with a precision that can almost be described as photographic.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Spanish Cities of the Golden Age reveals again the cities of that fabulous and lost world in their glory, and introduces a superlative artist. There are 45 complete, subtly colored panoramas of cities of Wyngaerde. . . . A fine contribution to the history of architecture but an even greater one to the history of the era when they were drawn. -- New York Times Book Review

Product Details

• Hardcover: 225 pages
• Publisher: University of California Press (December 4, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0520056108
• ISBN-13: 978-0520056107
• Product Dimensions: 12.3 x 11.8 x 2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,297,556 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)