The art of the Renaissance is usually the most familiar to non-specialists, and for good reason. This was the era that produced some of the icons of civilization, including Leonardo da Vinci’s Mona Lisa and Last Supper and Michelangelo’s Sistine Ceiling, Pietà, and David. Marked as one of the greatest moments in history, the outburst of creativity of the era resulted in the most influential artistic revolution ever to have taken place. The period produced a substantial number of notable masters, among them Donatello, Filippo Brunelleschi, Masaccio, Sandro Botticelli, Raphael, Titian, and Tintoretto. This second edition of Historical Dictionary of Renaissance Art contains a chronology, an introduction, and an extensive bibliography. The dictionary section has over 700 cross-referenced entries on artists from Italy, Flanders, the Netherlands, Germany, Spain, and Portugal, historical figures and events that impacted the production of Renaissance art. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about the Renaissance art.

"It is rare to find a comprehensive dictionary on such a vast topic in one volume. It is also uncommon to discover that the majority of the book's high-quality entries were written by one scholar. The breadth and depth of this publication are impressive,c

Review: "Conceived and produced in association with the Renaissance society of America, this work presents a panoramic view of the cultural movement and the period of history beginning in Italy from approximately 1350, broadening geographically to include the rest of Europe by the middle-to-late-15th century, and ending in the early 17th century. Each of the nearly 1,200 entries provides a learned and succinct account suitable for inquiring readers at several levels. These readable essays covering the arts and letters, in addition to everyday life, will be appreciated by general readers and high-school students. The thoughtful analyses will enlighten college students and delight scholars. A selective bibliography of primary and secondary sources for further study follows each article."--"Outstanding reference sources 2000", American Libraries, May 2000. Comp. by the Reference Sources Committee, RUSA, ALA.

This A-to-Z reference offers a survey of Renaissance personalities, innovations, and other terminologies with an in-depth introduction about the period. By the fourteenth century, Italian society bore little resemblance to that of the feudal age. Merchants and financiers were establishing a new social order with greater freedom than their counterparts north of the Alps. This meant that cultural transformations would first flourish in Italy and later be carried to the rest of the continent. Dictionary of the Renaissance is a comprehensive reference guide to the period, including informative entries about major artists and other important figures, significant events and locations, and other key terms and concepts associated with the Renaissance. The introduction provides a historic overview of the cultural, political, economic, and scientific transformations that occurred in Italy between the fourteenth and seventeenth centuries.

In some 750 alphabetical entries the internationally eminent Renaissance scholar John Hale and his team of thirty distinguished co-authors cover every aspect of history and culture. There is a wealth of entries dealing with general themes, from history to humor, patronage to prostitution, technology to town planning, as well as the important names in music, art, science, literature, scholarship, politics and religion, towns and states, wars and treaties. A subject-listing of all the entries -- biographies as well as general themes -- combines with intelligent, clear cross-referencing, and essential further reading is listed within entries. Relevant illustration, clear maps, family trees, tables of succession graphically displayed in a single time chart, and a glossary of Italian terms complete the supporting apparatus of this brilliant reference work. -- From publisher's description.

Provides basic information on the people who have contributed significantly to the culture of Western civilization. Covers such figures as the religious leaders who contributed to the Reformation, scientists who paved the way for a new view of the universe, and Renaissance painters, sculptors, and architects, as well as writers, musicians, and scholars.