This monumental series delves into the rich tapestry of art history, exploring visual cultures from antiquity to the modern era. Each volume offers a meticulously researched deep dive into specific periods, movements, and artists. It stands as an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and art enthusiasts seeking to expand their knowledge and appreciation of artistic expression.
The author charts the development of architectural theory and practice from Elizabeth I to George IV. Questions of style, technology, and the social framework are resolved as separable but always essential components of the building worlds.
'Art', declared Vasari in Lives of the Artists, has been reborn and reached perfection in our time'. Indeed the roster of great names in painting of the Cinquecento, which only begins with those of Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Raphael, appears to justify this grand claim. Professor Freedberg here discusses the individual painters and analyses the hallmarks of their work. He traces the classical style of the High Renaissance, the Mannerism that succeeded it, and the events, in North Italy especially, that resist stylistic categories. He has given order to this diversity, but at the same time has preserved the intense individuality of the works of art. The fourth edition of this classic work includes colour illustrations and incorporates textual revisions and an updated bibliography.