Renaissance Art: A Very Short Introduction

Botticelli, Holbein, Leonardo, Durer, Michelangelo: the names are familiar, as are the works, such as the Last Supper fresco, or the monumental marble statue of David. But who were these artists, why did they produce such memorable images, and how would their original beholders have viewed these objects? Was the Renaissance only about great masters and masterpieces, or were "mistresses" also involved, such as women artists and patrons? And what about the 'minor'-pieces that Renaissance men and women would have encountered in homes, churches and civic spaces? This exciting and stimulating volume will answer such questions by considering both famous and lesser-known artists, patrons and works of art within the cultural and historical context of Renaissance Europe. ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.1. Whose Renaissance? Whose art? ; 2. The art of the altarpiece ; 3. Story-telling in Renaissance Art ; 4. The challenge of nature and the antique ; 5. Portraiture and the rise of 'Renaissance Man' ; 6. The story of a square ; 7. Objects and images for the domestic sphere ; 8. Did women have a Renaissance? ; 9. Michelangelo and the birth of the Artist...and of Art History