The extraordinary creative energy of Renaissance Italy lies at the root of modern Western culture. In her elegant new introduction, Virginia Cox offers a fresh vision of this iconic moment in European cultural history, when - between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries - Italy led the world in painting, building, science and literature. Her book explores key artistic, literary and intellectual developments, but also histories of food and fashion, map-making, exploration and anatomy. Alongside towering figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Petrarch, Machiavelli and Isabella d'Este, Cox reveals a cast of lesser-known protagonists including printers, travel writers, actresses, courtesans, explorers, inventors and even celebrity chefs. At the same time, Italy's rich regional diversity is emphasised; in addition to the great artistic capitals of Florence, Rome and Venice, smaller but cutting-edge centres such as Ferrara, Mantua, Bologna, Urbino and Siena are given their due.As the author demonstrates, women played a far more prominent role in this exhilarating resurgence than was recognized until very recently - both as patrons of art and literature and as creative artists themselves. 'Renaissance woman', she boldly argues, is as important a legacy as 'Renaissance man'.
Format: Hardback
CONTRIBUTORS: Virginia Cox
EAN: 9781784530778
COUNTRY: United Kingdom
PAGES: 272
WEIGHT: 360 g
HEIGHT: 216 mm
PUBLISHED BY: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
DATE PUBLISHED: 2015-10-08
CITY:
GENRE: ART / History / General, ART / European / General, HISTORY / Europe / Italy, HISTORY / Social History
WIDTH: 138 mm
SPINE:
Book Themes:
Italy, c 1000 CE to c 1500, 16th century, c 1500 to c 1599, Renaissance style, History of art, European history, Social and cultural history