Search results for: '9781624668180'

"An elegant tour of the republics and princely courts where the Italian Renaissance flourished. Bartlett presents a survey of glittering cultural, literary, and artistic achievements, never losing sight of the important political contexts in which they were made. The whole sweep of the Italian Renaissance—the fabulous wealth of its merchants, the ruthless schemes of its princes, the high ideals of its poets and writers, the astonishing works of its artists and architects, the struggles of its visionaries and reformers—comes into focus." —Margaret Meserve, University of Notre Dame

"Kenneth Bartlett (Univ. of Toronto, Canada), a prolific writer on Italy, the Renaissance, and humanism, and Gillian Bartlett, an author and educator, have produced a volume that will appeal to many scholars. Their book is organized as a series of biographies of prominent figures from the period—including Petrarch, Machiavelli, and Michelangelo, among others—and each chapter concludes with examples of appropriate works of art, accompanied by useful commentaries. The authors begin with Petrarch, describing how he introduced and popularized concepts that defined humanism. Geographically, Bartlett and Bartlett also focus more on minor states, such as Naples, than is customary, although they ultimately chart their narrative to Counter-Reformation Rome, where humanism died, leaving its traces in art and architecture. Happily, the spirit of humanism also survived elsewhere, to enrich our lives today. . . . [T]hose with some background knowledge will be fascinated by this beautifully written text, and will hopefully appreciate the poetic rhythm of the prose, appropriate for a book that celebrates Cicero, the ultimate Latin stylist. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All readership levels." —W. L. Urban, emeritus, Monmouth College (IL), in Choice