The Renaissance was probably the most influential and fertile period of European cultural history. We are all familiar with the giants of High Renaissance art – Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael – but how much do you really know about how it all started and why it was so revolutionary? This easily accessible, fresh and beautiful introduction to this wonderful world takes you from the stirrings of a revival in classical learning and humanist thought in late medieval Italy through the application of technical developments in painting and scientific knowledge, to the blossoming of astounding artworks that we all know and love, reaching its peak in the sixteenth century. A digestible introduction to the background and history of the Renaissance is followed by a gallery of treasured works focusing on the most popular Italian art, from Giotto's frescoes and Fra Angelico’s delightful Annunciation, to Botticelli’s willowy Venuses, that ceiling of Michelangelo’s and the master of Venetian painting, Titian.

Beginning with Florence in the first half of the fifteenth century, Painting in Renaissance Italy travels through the regions of Italy and the different periods of the Renaissance, explaining the different physical and intellectual milieus in which the artists worked. By placing the artists and their work in context, this volume offers a more complete understanding and appreciation of the paintings of the Renaissance."--BOOK JACKET.

"This book introduces, for the first time in English, a fascinating yet strangely neglected aspect of Italian Renaissance art. During the quattrocento painting became more popular and probably more beautiful than at any time before or since. House interiors and furniture were painted with exotic stories and symbols, one of the most fashionable possessions in the grandest room in the palazzo being the painted cassone or marriage chest." /

"Many famous artworks of the Italian Renaissance were made to celebrate love, marriage, and family. They were the pinnacles of a tradition, dating from early in the era, of commemorating betrothals, marriages, and the birth of children by commissioning extraordinary objects - maiolica, glassware, jewels, textiles, paintings - that were often also exchanged as gifts. This volume is the first comprehensive survey of artworks arising from Renaissance rituals of love and marriage and makes a major contribution to our understanding of Renaissance art in its broader cultural context. The impressive range of works gathered in these pages extends from birth trays painted in the early fifteenth century to large canvases on mythological themes that Titian painted in the mid-1500s. Each work of art would have been recognized by contemporary viewers for its prescribed function within the private, domestic domain."--BOOK JACKET.

Experience the uplifting power of art on this breathtaking visual tour of 2,500 paintings and sculptures created by more than 700 artists from Michelangelo to Damien Hirst. This beautiful book brings you the very best of world art from cave paintings to Neoexpressionism. Enjoy iconic must-see works, such as Leonardo da Vinci's Last Supper and Monet's Waterlilies and discover less familiar artists and genres from all parts of the globe. Art That Changed the World covers the full sweep of world art, including the Ming era in China, and Japanese, Hindu, and Indigenous Australian art. It analyses recurring themes such as love and religion, explaining key genres from Romanesque to Conceptual art. Art That Changed the World explores each artist's key works and vision, showing details of their technique, such as Leonardo's use of light and shade. It tells the story of avant-garde works like Manet's Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe (Lunch on the Grass), which scandalized society, and traces how one genre informed another - showing how the Impressionists were inspired by Gustave Courbet, for example, and how Van Gogh was influenced by Japanese prints. Lavishly illustrated throughout, look no further for your essential guide to the pantheon of world art.

Awe-inspiring classics become accessible, captivating stories thanks to this investigation into the covert world of Renaissance masterpieces. From Botticelli to Michelangelo, delve into the works of Italian masters like never before. Rose-Marie and Rainer Hagen meticulously dissect 12 key pieces alongside analytical essays and enlarged details...