Italian art, starting with its origins in the Middle Ages, has developed by the multiplicity of its artists and in the autonomy of its styles that for centuries now have been a constant point of reference for the whole Western World. This magnificent volume, illustrated with nearly 500 works of art, presents a portfolio of the artists who best represent the genesis and development of art in Italy from the twelfth to the nineteenth centuries. With clear and concise narrative, each historical period is brought to life in a way which will both enlighten and entertain the reader. Biographies of the artists featured add an extra dimension to the book.

This volume covers over four centuries of Italian painting, sculpture, and architecture. Revising author David G. Wilkins blends new scholarly discoveries with original author Hartt's emphasis on stylistic developments between the 12th and 16th centuries. offer a dynamic insight into the way Renaissance men and women experienced their art. Since the release of the fourth edition, many more works have been restored, including Michelangelo's Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel and Raphael's Stanze frescoes in the Vatican. Fresh views of renowned works are included with art commissioned or produced by women. Extended captions identify Renaissance patrons and provide details about historical context, emphasizing how art was created and why, while in-depth visual analysis clarifies the aesthetic developments that emerged in key artistic centers such as Florence, Rome, Venice, and Siena. New iconographic diagrams and computerized reconstructions add dimension to the meanings behind classical, secular, and sacred motifs.

Tre storici dell'arte, con un linguaggio accessibile anche al grande pubblico, ricompongono, ciascuno per i temi di cui è specialista, il grande affresco dell'arte italiana: dall'epoca medioevale fino ai nostri giorni, dalle miniature romantiche alle performances più recenti di nomi ormai noti anche oltreoceano, come Cattelan. L'arte italiana è illustrata attraverso le vite degli artisti e dei loro capolavori.

Delivered at the turn of the twentieth century, Riegl's groundbreaking lectures called for the Baroque period to be judged by its own rules and not merely as a period of decline.