visual narration of literary tales. In addition to these renowned artists, the book reveals the extraordinary achievements of many lesser-known painters, among them Giambattista Zelorri, Giovanni Antonio Fasolo, and Ludovico Pozzoserrato in the sixteenth century; Luca Ferrari da Reggio, Giovanni Antonio Pellegrini, and Nicolo Bambini in the seventeenth; and ]acopo Guarana, Antonio Balestra, and Giambattista Crosato in the eighteenth." "Distinguished Venetian art historians Filippo Pedrocco, Massimo Favilla, and Ruggero Rugolo skillfully interweave the explanation of the frescoes' iconography with a lively account of the families who commissioned these monumental art works. The Venetian nobility was inordinately proud of its distinguished lineage and frequently directed the artists to paint subject matter that exalted the family name, such as key episodes from Roman mythology, or alternatively incorporate sly visual digs at particular members of the family. Memorably, the patrons --

The Renaissance architect and builder Andrea Palladio is arguable the most influential architect in Western history, and certainly the most beloved. His sixteenth-century villas in the Italian Veneto revolutionized the course of architecture, and the principles on which he based his work are still felt today. For the past several years, Italian watercolorist Giovanni Giaconi has devoted his talents to creating exquisite large-format pen-and-ink watercolor renderings of all thirty-two of Palladio's villas. Each drawing captures the timeless beauty of Palladian architecture and provides a detailed record of these masterpieces. Together with brief descriptions of each villa, samples of Giaconi's preparatory sketches, and where available, Palladio's own woodcuts, these works of art leave a deep impression of Palladio's oeuvre and give the reader an opportunity to compare the original designs with the actual buildings and their present state of conservation. This beautiful book is a must-have and the perfect gift for architects, travelers, and lovers of Italy and Palladio's architecture.

The full-length treatment in English of Tiepolo's life and career. Examining in detail the genesis and the achievement of Tiepolo's major accomplishments, and presenting a rich array of illustrations-some never before reproduced - Michael Levey presents the evidence for a deeper understanding and enjoyment of the great Italian artist.

Volume Five: This catalogue of a private collection includes works by such artists as Vermeer, Rubens, Renoir, La Tour, the Tiepolos, El Greco, Canaletto, and Van Dyck. -- Metropolitan Museum of Art website.