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Giotto: The Founder of Renaissance Art--His Life in Paintings

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The work of Giotto is fascinating, bridging as it does the medieval and early Italian Renaissance styles. This splendid collection offers clear, vivid, rich photographs of Giotto's work in a chronological parallel of the artist's life. Background on both Giotto and the world in which he lived is provided in concise, easily-swallowed paragraphs that never detract from the splendid visuals.

Much of Giotto's work is in dire need of restoration, yet these photos manage to capture the essence of his art without dwelling too heavily on the damage the centuries have done. Some of the larger images are accompanied by instructive enlargements, and one is helpfully outlined to illustrate the fresco techniques he used. In addition to the artwork itself, the book contains photos of Tuscany landmarks, documents, coins, and other paraphernalia of the age.

Some may be put off by the book's small dimensions, but this only makes it more portable, and highly suitable to take to the doctor's office or anywhere else you may have time to kill. I particularly enjoyed the chronological presentation, which allowed me to browse through and get a sense of Giotto's evolution as an artist, and see how his worked changed from the somewhat rigid style of symbolic Byzantine icons to the more human, realistic style of the Italian Renaissance.

Whether or not you are familiar with Giotto, if you love art you'll enjoy this book. And it's definitely worth the price!