Renaissance

This is an excellent introduction to the development of renaissance art. The book begins by examining the religio-cultural origins of the Italian renaissance in the 13th and 14th centuries. It then travels through Italy, encompassing the movement in Florence, Venice and Rome, examining the reasons behind artistic developments through the artists and their sometimes notorious employers. The tone is lively and witty throughout and never less than intelligent. The author clearly has a great reverence for his subject and conveys this love throughout without ever becoming overly sentimental. The photographic reproduction of the artworks discussed is also superb and unlike many books definitely follows the text so thereader has no difficulty following the arguments that Graham-Dixon puts forward. Well worth reading