Since Vasari, the artists of the Italian Renaissance have been characterized in superhuman terms, suggesting that they were responsible both for the conceptualization, as well as demanding execution of the creative output. In Drawing and Painting in the Italian Renaissance Workshop, Carmen Bambach reassesses the role of artists and their assistants in the creation of monumental painting. Analyzing representative wall paintings and the many drawings related to the various stages of their production, Bambach convincingly reconstructs the development of workshop practice and design theory in the early modern period. She establishes that between 1430 and 1600, cartoons - drawings ostensibly of a utilitarian nature - became common practice, and, moreover, moved to the forefront of artistic expression. Her exhaustive analysis of archaeological evidence as well as textual evidence provides a timely and much-needed re-assessment of the working methods of artists in one of the most vital periods in the history of art.
Carmen C. Bambach, Ph.D is Curator, Department of Drawings and Prints at The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
