In this Volume, published in1998, Fifteen scholars reveal the ways of preserving, conceiving and creating beauty were as diverse as the cultural influenced at work at the time, deriving from antique, medieval and more recent literature and philosophy, and from contemporary notions of morality and courtly behaviour. Approaches include discussion of contemporary critical terms and how these determined writers' appreciation of paintings, sculpture, architecture and costume; studies of the quest to create beauty in the work of artists such as Botticeli, Leonardo, Raphael, Parmigianino and Vasari; and the investigation of changes functioning of the eye and brain, or to technical innovations like those found in Venetian glass.

In this Volume, published in1998, Fifteen scholars reveal the ways of preserving, conceiving and creating beauty were as diverse as the cultural influenced at work at the time, deriving from antique, medieval and more recent literature and philosophy, and from contemporary notions of morality and courtly behaviour. Approaches include discussion of contemporary critical terms and how these determined writers' appreciation of paintings, sculpture, architecture and costume; studies of the quest to create beauty in the work of artists such as Botticeli, Leonardo, Raphael, Parmigianino and Vasari; and the investigation of changes functioning of the eye and brain, or to technical innovations like those found in Venetian glass.

The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts were begun in 1952 at the National Gallery of Art in order to bring the best in contemporary scholarship to the public. To mark the fiftieth anniversary of the acclaimed series, the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts has published this handsomely illustrated documentary volume. The book tells the story of the genesis of the lectureship, featuring essays by a variety of contemporary scholars that discuss the first fifty lecturers--ranging from Jacques Maritain to Salvatore Settis and including such influential speakers as Anthony Blunt, Kenneth Clark, H. W. Janson, E. H. Gombrich, Kathleen Raine, Jacques Barzun, and Arthur Danto--their fields of expertise, and the subject matter and historical context for their talks. These graceful and balanced writings provide a vivid sense of the significance of the lectureship and its participants through commentary, critique, and lively personal anecdotes.

Carlo Cesare Malvasia's account of Bolognese painters and painting, 'Felsina Pittrice' (Bologna, 1678), is one of the most important sources for the history and criticism of painting in Italy. This volume provides a critical edition and annotated translation of the first part of Malvasia's work, which focuses on the art of late medieval Bologna.

Richly illustrated, this critical edition and English translation of Malvasia's lives of Domenichino and Francesco Gessi from his Felsina pittrice offer access to the life and work of two great masters of seventeenth-century Bologna. Domenichino's life plays a seminal role in Malvasia's definition of the fourth age of painting in Italy. From the very beginning, Malvasia pits against each other Guido Reni and Domenichino, the two champions of the vanguard style that emerged from the Carracci reform of painting. If Guido becomes the idol of the Lombard and Bolognese school, more attuned to tenderness and audacity, Domenichino embodies an ideal of perfection more in keeping with the Florentine and Roman school, fond of finish and diligence.

Portraits, an inherently personal subject, provide an engaging entry point to an exploration of the politics, patronage, and power in Renaissance Florence The Medici family ruled Florence without interruption between 1434 and 1494, but following their return to power in 1512, Cosimo I de' Medici demonstrated an unprecedented ability to wield culture as a political tool. His rule transformed Florence into a dynastic duchy and give Florentine art the central position it has held ever since. As Florence underwent these dramatic political transformations in the sixteenth century, portraits became an essential means of recording a likeness and conveying a sitter's character, social position, and cultural ambitions. This fascinating book explores the ways that painters (including Jacopo Pontormo, Agnolo Bronzino, and Francesco Salviati), sculptors (such as Benvenuto Cellini), and artists in other media endowed their works with an erudite and self-consciously stylish character that distinguished Florentine portraiture. Featuring more than ninety remarkable paintings, sculptures, works on paper, and medals, this volume is written by a team of leading international authors and presents a sweeping, penetrating exploration of a crucial and vibrant period in Italian art. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (June 26-October 11, 2021)