Locating Renaissance Art

Renaissance art history is traditionally identified with Italian centers of production, and Florence in particular. Instead, this book explores the dynamic interchange between European artistic centers and artists and the trade in works of art. It also considers the impact of differing locations on art and artists and some of the economic, political, and cultural factors crucial to the emergence of an artistic center. During c.1420-1520, no city or court could succeed in isolation and so artists operated within a network of interests and local and international identities. The case studies presented in this book portray the Renaissance as an exciting international phenomenon, with cities and courts inextricably bound together in a web of economic and political interests.

This book focuses on the values, priorities, and motives of patrons and the purposes and functions of art works produced north and south of the Alps and in post-Byzantine Crete. It begins by considering the social range and character of Renaissance patronage and ends with a study of Hans Holbein the Younger and the reform of religious images in Basle and England. Viewing Renaissance Art considers a wide range of audiences and patrons from the rulers of France to the poorest confraternities in Florence. The overriding premise is that art was not a neutral matter of stylistic taste but an aspect of material production in which values were invested--whether religious, cultural, social, or political.

This book explores key themes in the making of Renaissance painting, sculpture, architecture, and prints: the use of specific techniques and materials, theory and practice, change and continuity in artistic procedures, conventions and values. It also reconsiders the importance of mathematical perspective, the assimilation of the antique revival, and the illusion of life. Embracing the full significance of Renaissance art requires understanding how it was made. As manifestations of technical expertise and tradition as much as innovation, artworks of this period reveal highly complex creative processes--allowing us an inside view on the vexed issue of the notion of a renaissance.

This volume brings together the architecture, sculpture, and painting of three centuries -- 1300 to 1600 -- throughout Europe. Here is the whole of Renaissance art, set in the context of the religion, society, and economics of the time. The author has devised a system that sidesteps the usual broad chapters filled with sweeping developments. Instead he gives us shorter sections that provide close looks at the talents, schools, and generations of artists form whose scintillating creativity came what we now call Renaissance art. This presentation keeps continuous the history and local traditions of each area, yet follows the path of artists and patrons back and forth across the map of Europe. Sixty colorplates and 527 gauvre illustrations enrich the text. Other unusual features include supplementary notes identifying all works mentioned by not illustrated and a four-page foldout chronological chart in two colors bringing together all the artists in the book. -- From publisher's description.

Art history need not be dry or dull, as O'Reilly's book shows. Featuring 90 full-color photos of many of the masterpieces of the movement, the book delves into the work of such masters as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and Fra Angelico. Full-color photos and illustrations.

Renaissance Art Reconsidered showcases the aesthetic principles and the workaday practices guiding daily life through these years of extraordinary human achievement. A major new anthology, bringing to life the places, works, media, and issues that define Renaissance art Ideal for use on Renaissance studies courses and for reference by students of art history Moves beyond the borders of Italy to consider European, Mediterranean, and post Byzantine art, widening the traditional focus of Renaissance art Includes letters, treatises, contracts, inventories, and other public documents, many of which are translated into English for the first time in this volume Showcases the aesthetic principles and the workaday practices guiding daily life through these years of extraordinary human achievement, providing crucial insight into the art and the context in which it was produced.

The fifteenth century saw the evolution of a distinct and powerfully influential European artistic culture. But what does the familiar phrase Renaissance Art actually refer to? Through engaging discussion of timeless works by artists such as Jan van Eyck, Leonardo da Vinci, and Michelangelo, and supported by illustrations including colour plates, Tom Nichols offers a masterpiece of his own as he explores the truly original and diverse character of the art of the Renaissance.