History of Italian Renaissance Art: Painting, Sculpture, Architecture

The cover photo was misleading. Not the book advertised.

Instead of History of Italian Renaissance Art, I received Atlas of Ancient Egypt instead. Good thing I dropped the class that the Renaissance book was intended for , as class starts in a week. On the other hand, I believe, there is a reason for ALL things that happen, good or bad. In this case, maybe there is something in the Atlas book that I need to know. Hmm...

Gave it to my husband for Christmas. He likes it very much and he is very fussy about books.

I don't give 5-star ratings very often. I reserve them for only the best, and this is indeed the best book on the Italian Renaissance. I received both my BA and MA in Art History and this was the text used for my Renaissance classes. The book does not read as a textbook for those looking for leisure reading. It reads like a novel and is written in easy to understand language. Chapters are broken down by time period. There are a TON of pictures! I would say 50% of the book is pictures and 95% of those are in color. There are a few B & W pictures but they are of obscure sculptures or paintings. The book was originally written by Frederick Harrt who was one of the 'Monument Men' in World War II who went around Italy documenting art, missing, damaged, or otherwise. He has passed away but David Wilkins has kept up on the new editions with the current scholarship being done in Renaissance Art. Whether you get this as a textbook for a class, or leisure reading, a coffee table book perhaps, or even a Christmas book for a hard-to-but-for relative, it is well worth the money.

This a beautiful book. It is complete and definitive for reference to Italian Renaissance Art. The photographs are clear and the information is concise. I used this for my graduate Italian art history class. I am keeping this book and will not be selling it back!

Fredrick Hartt is a man whose love of his subject is only equal to his willingness to expalin it in terms of the layman. He does not limit the purview of the book to merely the depiction of Italian life and piety, but brings in narrative and anecdotes to enliven the tome. He introduces us to the vocabulary of the arts, not consigning them to an inconvenient niche in the appendix, neither condescending incessantly or immersed in jagon. The resplendent illustrations, true eye candy, fill the book, making it a true bargain. Hartt truly deserves the copious awards given to him by the patrons of the arts. My only regret is that the usuerers of my school book store had not charged such a bloated price ($72) for this book.