Defining the Renaissance 'Virtuosa': Women Artists and the Language of Art History and Criticism [Hardcover]

Fredrika H. Jacobs (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0521572703 | ISBN-13: 978-0521572705 | Publication Date: August 13, 1997

Defining the Renaissance "Virtuosa" considers the language of art in relationship to the issues of gender difference through an examination of art criticism written between 1550 and 1800 on approximately forty women artists who were active in Renaissance Italy. Fredrika Jacobs demonstrates how these theoretical writings defined women artists, by linking artistic creation and biological procreation. Jacobs' study shows how deeply the biases of these early critics have inflected both subsequent reception of these Renaissance virtuose, as well as modern scholarship.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"The book is more than a contribution to feminist revisionism; it also adds much to our understanding of how the art of painting was understood, and by defining 'feminine' artists and painting, it also gives a clearer sense of how 'masculinized' the concept of creativity was in the Renaissance." A. Langdale, Choice

"Thanks to the breadth of her textual analyses and the insightful questions she poses throughout, Jacobs offers a richly illuminating reading of the construction of the Renaissance woman artist. In turn, the book provides a welcome context for several worthy but more narrowly focused critical studies on related subjects whose contents she integrates into her own narrative....a considerable achievement in having uncovered and woven together a complex of ideas that expands consequentially our view of artistic activity in Early Modern Italy." Leslie Korrick, Sixteenth Century Jrnl

Book Description

Defining the Renaissance "Virtuosa" considers the language of art in relationship to the issues of gender difference through an examination of art criticism written between 1550 and 1800 on approximately 40 women artists who were active in Renaissance Italy. Fredrika Jacobs demonstrates how these theoretical writings defined women artists, by linking between artistic creation and biological procreation. Jacobs' study shows how deeply the biases of these early critics have inflected both subsequent reception of these Renaissance virtuose, as well as modern scholarship.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 254 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (August 13, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521572703
• ISBN-13: 978-0521572705
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #6,144,825 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Informative and Insightful, August 15, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Defining the Renaissance 'Virtuosa': Women Artists and the Language of Art History and Criticism (Paperback)

Jacobs' work is groundbreaking. Her ideas are coherent and innovative. This is a must-read for anyone interested in art and language in the Renaissance. Her look at the language used to describe these women artists is fascinating and opens new doors on the study of Renaissance art and culture. READ IT!

3 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Defining the Renaissance Virtuosa, August 14, 2000

By 

Pam Richman (Paris, France) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Defining the Renaissance 'Virtuosa': Women Artists and the Language of Art History and Criticism (Paperback)

A brilliant analysis of language, women artists and their work in Renaissance Italy. A must-read for any student of Renaissance studies or art history. The author guides the reader through this stimulating topic with a well-developed and clear thesis which she expands upon brilliantly.

4 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Unreadable mess, July 28, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Defining the Renaissance 'Virtuosa': Women Artists and the Language of Art History and Criticism (Paperback)

Typical graduate student nonsense. A jargon-packed screed which is already out of fashion. Save your money, read something by Linda Nochlin.