No city but Florence contains such an intense concentration of art produced in such a short span of time. The sheer number and proximity of works of painting, sculpture, and architecture in Florence can be so overwhelming that Florentine hospitals treat hundreds of visitors each year for symptoms brought on by trying to see them all, an illness famously identified with the French author Stendhal. While most guidebooks offer only brief descriptions of a large number of works, with little discussion of the historical background, Judith Testa gives a fresh perspective on the rich and brilliant art of the Florentine Renaissance in An Art Lover's Guide to Florence. Concentrating on a number of the greatest works, by such masters as Botticelli and Michelangelo, Testa explains each piece in terms of what it meant to the people who produced it and for whom they made it, deftly treating the complex interplay of politics, sex, and religion that were involved in the creation of those works. With Testa as a guide, armchair travelers and tourists alike will delight in the fascinating world of Florentine art and history.

"Rich and engaging. This account of Florentine art tells the story of who commissioned these works, who made them, where they were seen, and how they were experienced and understood by their viewers. Includes a useful timeline, glossary, and series of artists' biographies."--Patricia L. Reilly, Swarthmore College "An extraordinarily useful book, not only for teachers, but also for historically minded travelers interested in an illustrated guide to the art of Renaissance Florence."--Evelyn Lincoln, Brown University "Clear and compelling. The well-chosen illustrations include ground plans and diagrams of key architectural monuments and sculpture. The updated, judicious bibliography is a resource for anyone tackling the vast scholarship on the art of Renaissance Florence."--Cristelle Baskins, editor of The Triumph of Marriage: Painted Cassoni of the Renaissance

"Publisdhed in conjuntion with the exhibition: Magnificenza! the Medici, Michelangelo, & the Art of Late Renaissance Florence (In Italy, L'Ombra del genio: Michelangelo e l'arte a Firenze, 1538-1631) ..."--Title page verso.

A landmark, hardcover, slipcased volume that tells the story of the archetypal Renaissance city anew, through its art. Placed at the heart of Italy, Florence was already in the Middle Ages a center of commerce and fine craftsmanship. Spurred on by a few powerful dynasties of merchants and financiers—above all the Medici, but also the Strozzi, the Pitti, and others—the city became the leading force in the Renaissance of the arts, literature, and science. Challenging the primacy of the Venetian Republic and even the city of the Popes, Florence attained a glory that was reflected down through the later centuries of Medici rule. And Florence was all along a city of painters, who recorded its sights; the likenesses of its leaders and luminaries; its battles, civic myths, and patron saints; and, of course, the changing tastes of their Tuscan patrons. In this magnificent volume are assembled a wide variety of artworks, both familiar and rarely seen, that, interwoven with an authoritative text, illustrate the eventful history of Florence—from the age of Cimabue and Giotto, through the High Renaissance of Leonardo and Michelangelo, to the Mannerism of Vasari and Bronzino, and even to the era of modern travelers like Sargent and Degas. The History of Florence in Painting is a feast for the eyes and the intellect, and worthy companion to the previous volumes in this series, The History of Venice in Painting, The History of Paris in Painting, and The History of Rome in Painting.

Discover the rich history and culture of some of the world¿s most influential historical places with these highly illustrated books, packed with informative and enlightening descriptions and information

This lovely book provides an introduction to the activities of the leading artists active in Florence during one decade of the quattrocento. It illustrates their special contributions and highlights their differences, common sources and ambitions, and responses to each other. It also explain how their art was made within the framework established by the religious, political, and social needs of powerful Florentine families. This was an era when Lorenzo de'Medici and his allies were working to consolidate their dominance in Florence, and cultivation of the visual arts were an essential part of the way in which they asserted their influence. Competition and collaboration was encouraged between artists, as was innovation in subject and technique. The book concentrates on the art of Andrea Verrocchio, Antonio and Piero Pollaiuolo, Sandro Botticelli and Filippino Lippi. Their paintings are presented within the context of the other arts practiced in the same or in neighboring workshops, and a number of works in other media are included: sculpture and objects in marble, bronze, and clay; manuscript illumination; medals; engravings and drawings. Among the drawings discussed are some by the young Leonardo, who worked with Verrocchio and was responsive to the art of the Pollaiuolo brothers during this period.

Florence Armes Hosmer, born in 1880, was a farmer's daughter determined to succeed as an artist. Acclaimed in the early part of the twentieth century, she has fallen almost entirely from view. This is the story of how Miss Hosmer, a feisty New England woman, painted her way through the new century and created well more than five hundred works. Helen Marie Casey won the fourteenth National Poet Hunt in 2009. Helen's published two poetry chapbooks, 'Fragrance Upon His Lips', a series of poems about Joan of Arc, and 'Inconsiderate Madness', which won the 2005 Black River Chapbook Competition.