he revival of the bronze statuette popular in classical antiquity stands out as an enduring achievement of the Italian Renaissance. These small sculptures attest to early modern artists' technical prowess, ingenuity, and desire to emulate—or even surpass—the ancients. From the studioli, or private studies, of humanist scholars in fifteenth-century Padua to the Fifth Avenue apartments of Gilded Age collectors, viewers have delighted in the mysteries of these objects: how they were made, what they depicted, who made them, and when. This catalogue is the first systematic study of The Metropolitan Museum of Art's European Sculpture and Decorative Arts collection of Italian bronzes. The collection includes statuettes of single mythological or religious figures, complex figural groups, portrait busts, reliefs, utilitarian objects like lamps and inkwells, and more. Stunning new photography of celebrated masterpieces by leading artists such as Antico, Riccio, and Giambologna; enigmatic bronzes that continue to perplex; quotidian objects; later casts; replicas; and even forgeries show the importance of each work in this complex field. International scholars provide in-depth discussions of 200 objects included in this volume, revealing new attributions and dating for many bronzes. An Appendix presents some 100 more complete with provenance and references. An essay by Jeffrey Fraiman provides further insight into Italian bronze statuettes in America with a focus on the history of The Met's collection, and Richard E. Stone, who pioneered the technical study of bronzes, contributes an indispensable text on how artists created these works and what their process conveys about the object's maker. A personal reminiscence by James David Draper, who oversaw the Italian sculpture collection for decades, rounds out this landmark catalogue that synthesizes decades of research on these beloved and complex works of art.

Text on the latest research. While his central focus is on the work of Donatello, he also illuminates the beginnings of Renaissance sculpture in Florence, its further development in Tuscany and the rest of Italy, the new artistic goals and their theoretical formulation, and the relationships between patron and artist, convention and artistic freedom. The invaluable documentary section includes all the work of Donatello, as well as that of Ghiberti. Other important.

"Being both costly and luxurious, bronze arguably carries the most significance of all the sculptural materials. In the Renaissance, the use of bronze embodied power, authority and eternity and emulated the classical past. Yet it was one of the easiest materials to recycle, especially when the need for artillery was often pressing. Nonetheless the Italian Renaissance was a golden age for the production of sculpture in bronze, such as Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise, Verrocchio's Colleoni monument or Cellini's Perseus.0Bronze is generally defined as an alloy of copper and tin, but can contain zinc, lead and other elements. The term `bronze' is often applied to any copper-alloy sculpture. The Culture of Bronze draws on the latest research to explore the material and making of bronzes; the inter-relationships and collaboration between sculptor, founder and owner in the key centres of production, such as Florence, Padua, and the often over-looked city of Ferrara; as well as the inter-connections with Northern Europe. Encompassing works made for domestic, religious and civic environments, the book explores the symbolism of bronze, and the bronzes themselves, within their broader context in renaissance society." -- provided by publisher.