The Italian Renaissance
Books / Paperback
ISBN: 0691006784 / Publisher: Princeton University Press, April 1999
Updating his 1987 revision for all intrigued by the Italian Renaissance, Burke (cultural history, U. of Cambridge) synthesizes the social-cultural contributions to the achievements of the "cultural elite." Alas, with 35 art plates, only the cover is in color. Name index only. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
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In this newly revised edition of his widely acclaimed work, Peter Burke presents a social and cultural history of the Italian Renaissance. He discusses the social and political institutions that existed in Italy during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, and he analyzes the ways of thinking and seeing that characterized this period of extraordinary artistic creativity. Developing a distinctive approach, the author is concerned not only with the finished works of Michelangelo, Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci, and others, but also with the social background, patterns of recruitment, and means of subsistence of this "cultural elite." He thus makes a major contribution both to our understanding of the Italian Renaissance and to our comprehension of the complex relations between culture and society.
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