Author |
: Virginia Cox |
Publisher |
: Bloomsbury Publishing |
Total Pages |
: 274 |
Release |
: 2015-10-08 |
ISBN-10 |
: 9780857727756 |
ISBN-13 |
: 0857727753 |
Rating |
: 4/5 (56 Downloads) |
Book Synopsis A Short History of the Italian Renaissance by : Virginia Cox
Download or read book A Short History of the Italian Renaissance written by Virginia Cox and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2015-10-08 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The extraordinary creative energy of Renaissance Italy lies at the root of modern Western culture. In her elegant new introduction, Virginia Cox offers a fresh vision of this iconic moment in European cultural history, when - between the fourteenth and sixteenth centuries - Italy led the world in painting, building, science and literature. Her book explores key artistic, literary and intellectual developments, but also histories of food and fashion, map-making, exploration and anatomy. Alongside towering figures such as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Petrarch, Machiavelli and Isabella d'Este, Cox reveals a cast of lesser-known protagonists including printers, travel writers, actresses, courtesans, explorers, inventors and even celebrity chefs. At the same time, Italy's rich regional diversity is emphasised; in addition to the great artistic capitals of Florence, Rome and Venice, smaller but cutting-edge centres such as Ferrara, Mantua, Bologna, Urbino and Siena are given their due. As the author demonstrates, women played a far more prominent role in this exhilarating resurgence than was recognized until very recently - both as patrons of art and literature and as creative artists themselves. 'Renaissance woman', she boldly argues, is as important a legacy as 'Renaissance man'.