Art in Renaissance Italy, Second Edition [Hardcover]

John T. Paoletti (Author), Gary M. Radke (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 2001 | ISBN-10: 0810913909 | ISBN-13: 978-0810913905 | Edition: 2

Spanning more than three centuries, this beautiful and authoritative work brings to life the rich tapestry of Italian Renaissance society and the art works that are its enduring legacy. Fresh and broad in approach, this is the only serious book on the subject to integrate both social and art history for the whole of Italy -- not just Florence, Siena, and Rome.

Art lovers and history students alike will welcome this new edition of a highly regarded work previously issued for the academic market. The art is gorgeous and the contextual discussions -- of Renaissance artists in their world and of Renaissance art in Western art history -- are unmatched.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This fine work by Paoletti and Radke (art history, Wesleyan Univ. and Syracuse Univ., respectively) is wide in scope, covering the years from 1300 to the late 1500s, and purposely opens discussion to include many major Italian cities, in response to Vasari's bias solely for Florence. Whereas other books are organized by time (Frederick Hartt's History of Italian Renaissance Art, Abrams, 1994. 4th ed.), by artists (Sydney J. Freedberg's Painting in Italy, Yale Univ., 1992. o.p.), or by patronage (Alison Cole's Virtue and Magnificence, Abrams, 1995), this book's essence is the relationships among artist, art, location, and public. Other recent books have used this focus, but Paoletti and Radke manage a more adroit presentation. Primary source material is interspersed throughout the text to set concepts in their historic framework. Appendixes, including city maps, ruling genealogies, and artist's biographies, are constructive. Highly suitable as an introductory text, this is an excellent choice for public libraries.?Nadine Dalton Speidel, Cuyahoga Cty. P.L., Parma, Ohio
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Publisher

"Art mattered in the Renaissance... People expected painting, sculpture, architecture, and other forms of visual art to have a meaningful effect on their lives," write the authors of this importand new look at Italian Renaissance art. A glance at the pages of Art in Renaissance Italy shows at once its freshness and breadth of approach, which includes thorough explanation into how and why works of art, buildings, prints, and other kinds of art came to be. Also discussed is how men and women of the Rena issance regarded art and artists as well as why works of Renaissance art look the way they do, and what this means to us. Unlike other books on the subject, this one covers not only Florence and Rome, but also covers Venice and the Veneto, Assisi, Siena, Milan, Pavia, Padua, Mantua, Verona, Ferrara, Urbino, and Naples -- each governed in a distinctly different manner, every one with its own political and social structures that inevitably affected artistic styles. Spanning more than three centuries, the narrative brings to life the rich tapestry of Italian Renaissance society and the art works that are its enduring legacy. T hroughout, special features evoke and document the people and places of this dynamic age. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Harry N. Abrams; 2 edition (October 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0810913909
• ISBN-13: 978-0810913905
• Product Dimensions: 11.3 x 9.7 x 1.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,145,158 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for any artist!, December 8, 1999

By 

Roy G. Varn - See all my reviews

This review is from: Art in Renaissance Italy (Trade Version) (Hardcover)

This book is far and above what I had expected. Emphasis was placed on being user friendly, which is paramount with such a heavy topic. Side bars on the inner political, religious, and general public life help to clarify what influenced the artist in making choices of subject, style, and composition. I now have a clearer understanding of why I paint how I do, and why we as a culture critique art the way we do.

4.0 out of 5 stars worked well for class, November 15, 2011

By 

J. Spears (Alabama) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art in Renaissance Italy, Second Edition (Hardcover)

Bought this book for an art history class. It actually was a really nice book. Well written, beautiful color images. I kept the book even after the class ended.

4.0 out of 5 stars Textbooks for Art History, February 23, 2011

By 

St. Francis of Assisi - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Art in Renaissance Italy (Paperback)

this product has been excellent for class. good reading in and out of the bathroom. if you need to or have a hankering to learn about Renaissance Italy Art and Architecture please check this out. the book i bought from a seller on amazon was less than half of the new textbook at my university bookstore and the textbook corner. as far as price goes i was extremely happy and the shipping wasn't too bad either. the used textbooks i have bought from amazon have been great.