A New History of Italian Renaissance Art

A comprehensive and updated survey of Italian Renaissance art from 1300 to 1510, with an expanded focus on the Trecento and other regions beyond the traditional centers of Rome, Florence, and Venice. The book employs a unique decade-by-decade structure, allowing readers to trace artistic developments chronologically while exploring works from cities like Naples, Padua, and Palermo. This approach highlights the artworks themselves—covering painting, sculpture, architecture, decorative arts, and print media—rather than focusing on artists’ biographies, emphasizing production methods, patronage, and viewer responses.

The authors, respected scholars and educators, draw on recent scholarship and include over 850 illustrations, many featuring recent restorations, to present a fresh perspective. A new appendix on techniques and materials explains art-making processes like lost-wax casting, enhancing understanding of the period’s craftsmanship. The book challenges conventional narratives by integrating historical and social contexts, making it accessible to students and non-specialists while appealing to advanced readers. Praised for its ambition and intelligence, it is considered a leading text in the field, offering a nuanced view of Renaissance art’s evolution and enduring relevance.