Michelangelo Architect [Hardcover]

Giulio Carlo Argan (Author), Bruno Contardi (Author), Marion L. Grayson (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1993 | ISBN-10: 0810936380 | ISBN-13: 978-0810936386

This is a beautifully designed monograph on the architectural works of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564), and the only hardcover illustrated book in print in English on the subject. Like the other titles in the Old Masters series, this book is an authoritative monograph in a slipcase, combining a scholarly text with more than 500 stunning black-and-white photographs, plans, and drawings, and 24 color illustrations, many reproduced at full-page size. The book documents the architectural works of Michelangelo in five chapter essays and an extensively annotated and illustrated catalogue of 31 of Michelangelo's architectural projects. Though Michelangelo is probably Italy's most famous artists and the name most associated with the Italian Renaissance, his architectural work is less known - though no less influential - than his paintings and sculptures. Surprisingly, among the dozens of books on Michelangelo, virtually none focus on his architecture. This volume focuses exclusively on Michelangelo's architectural production and is the only publication on the market to provide an authoritative text and complete visual documentation of the work, in beautiful reproductions and photograph

--This text refers to an alternate Hardcover edition.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Michelangelo's professed goal, for at least the first half of his career, was a synthesis of painting, sculpture and architecture. Though many of the buildings he designed were never constructed, his achievements as an architect who freed architecture from its slavish emulation of classical antiquity can be seen in such projects as the dome of Saint Peter's Church and the elegant Farnese Palace, both in Rome, or the mannerist Laurentian Library in the Monastery of San Lorenzo in Florence. In this handsomely illustrated survey, the late Argan, an Italian art historian, provocatively portrays Michelangelo the architect as "a profoundly distressed artist" who, in establishing the autonomy of artistic thought, discovered that tradition no longer had the power to orient the modern. Contardi, an Italian arts administrator, has provided a catalogue of 31 of Michelangelo's architectural projects, accompanied by extensive commentaries and more than 500 photographs, drawings and plans (24 in color).
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

One of the last works by Italian art historian Argan ( The Renaissance City , Braziller, 1969), this is a considered and full treatment of the work Michelangelo most complained about having to do. In addition to the introduction, Argan provides three chapters, covering Florence, Rome, and Saint Peter's. Contardi, a student of Argan, has done the text for the accompanying building entries, discussing thoroughly each of the artist's 30-some projects. The black-and-white photographs are limpid and crisp and include many details; the color illustrations are also good. The translation from the 1990 Italian original is mostly fluid and clear. This book provides a very good general treatment of this often overlooked but considerable portion of the artist's oeuvre. For general readers as well as scholars.
- Jack Perry Brown, Art Inst. of Chicago Lib.
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 388 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (September 1, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810936380
• ISBN-13: 978-0810936386
• Product Dimensions: 14.4 x 10.7 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,975,787 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Devout artist in war with the world and himself., December 19, 2006

By 

Joong Won Lee "Joongwon" (Cambridge, MA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Michelangelo: Architect (Hardcover)

This book has a two overarching contrast and comparison in formation of Michelangelo's career as an architect.

First, author contrasts Michelangelo (M) to Leonardo da Vinci. This allows reader to understand that the major method and theme of M's art was very religious and theological in its nature. Unlike da Vinci's very scientific artifacts, the author portrays M's art as a very personal aspiration towards God. To corroborate the claim, the author, points out major aspects of M's poetry, painting, and sculpture. In poetry, placement of words and the syntactical relationship is emphasized to point out almost mystical and inductive nature of his artistic bent. In painting, using a Sistine Chapel's painting, the author pulls out the compressed perspective as an "illogical" element of M's art. In sculpture, his "not-finished" element is mentioned as his religiosity.

Second, the overarching comparison in the book is between Florence and Rome. By comparing the two, the author was able to identify the nature of patronage and their political strife. Both Medici and Pope had difficult times when M was alive. Florence was under the internal turmoil to kick out Medici and establish republic and Rome was under the attack from Reformation to abolish papacy and reinstitute Christianity. That in mind, the book, chronologically analyzes architectural works of M. Florentine works of New Sacristy and Lauretian Library and a Roman works of Capitoline and St. Peter's stand out in the book. The author painstakingly points out the concept and its actual execution to illustrate what kind of role M played as an artist during the major historical events.

The book is both extensive and intensive in its content. If a prospect reader is a design professional, there are plenty of striking design skills to hear about.