Masterpieces of Italian Painting

his book introduces the general public and scholarly audience alike to one of the great collections of Italian Renaissance and Baroque paintings, with examples of major works dating from the late Medieval period to the late Baroque. The volume presents 50 key paintings in colour, many with colour details. Each work is accompanied by an extended commentary, written in a clear and accessible style. Specific terminology and Italian words, when used, are always explained; each text clearly states why a particular painting is important and interesting; and each commentary is informed by the most recent scholarship. The paintings have been selected to show the huge range of artistic and stylist development in painting during this period, and signature works featured in this volume include: Pietro Lorenzetti, Virgin and Child, 1342-8; Bicci di Lorenzo, Annunciation, ca. 1430; Giovanni Bellini and assistants, Madonna and Child with Saints and Donors, ca. 1510; Raphael, Madonna of the Candelabra, 1513-14; Veronese, Countess Livia da Porto Thiene and Daughter, ca. 1551; Luca Giordano, Ecce Homo, 17th-century; Guido Reni, The Penitent Magdalene, ca. 1638; and Francesco Guardi, Venetian Courtyard, ca. 1770-90. Particular emphasis is placed on the subject matter and style of the paintings; each is discussed both in itself and within the context of the wider period and school. The authors focus on key questions, such as "What issues and trends does a painting exemplify?" Footnotes are included only where they are genuinely useful for the reader. A select bibliography provides information on further reading and sources for each work and artist featured in the book, including both standard reference sources, and a selection of the most important recent books and articles.