From Library Journal
Compiled and authored by British art historians, this catalog for a show at the National Gallery, London, on a defining decade in Florentine art includes artifacts from the National Gallery, London; the British Museum; and the Victoria and Albert Museum, as well as other international collections. In three chapters and a catalog of seven sections, the book explores art patronage by Lorenzo Medici and other leading citizens of Florence and the development of the artists' workshop system. Verrocchio and the Pallaiuolo studios were the most significant at the time and are highlighted for the works they produced and the artists they trained, including Filippino Lippi, Botticelli, and Leonardo. The book also covers the social, political, and economic factors that led to this unique outpouring. There are many sumptuous color and black-and-white illustrations in the initial chapters and 94 reproductions in the catalog. This richly documented catalog to an important show about the heart of the Renaissance is highly recommended for museum, public, and academic art book collections. [For libraries seeking a broader view of the topic, Glenn Andres & others' magnificent two-volume The Art of Florence (LJ 9/15/89; an LJ Best Book) has just been re-released at a discounted price of $165, compared with the original $425.--Ed.]--Ellen Bates, New Yor.---Ellen Bates, New York Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.


Book Description
This lovely book details the activities of the leading artists of Florence during the 1470s, when Lorenzo de`Medici and his allies were cultivating the visual arts as an important means of asserting influence. The book discusses the art of Andrea Verrocchio, Antonio and Piero Pollaiuolo, Sandro Botticelli, and Filippino Lippi; the competition and collaboration among them; and the religious, political, and social contexts of their work.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

The 1470s - the decade of Lorenzo de'Medici's rise to power - was a remarkable moment in Florence's history. It was a time of intense activity for the city's creative workforce. Beauty had long been an intrinsic part of the city's identity and prestige, and rich and powerful Florentine families saw cultivation of the visual arts as an essential way to assert their influence, commissioning artists and craftsmen to create impressive paintings, objects and monuments to enhance their status.. "Published to accompany a major exhibition at the National Gallery, London, this illustrated volume offers an introduction to the principal patrons, projects and artistic personalities within Florence during this period. It concentrates on the activities of the leading artists - Andrea del Verrocchio, Antonio and Piero del Pollaiuolo, Sandro Botticelli, Filippino Lippi and the young Leonardo da Vinci - illustrating their special contributions and highlighting their differences, common sources, ambitions and responses to each other.

FROM THE CRITICS

Library Journal