Italian Gothic Sculpture / Italian Renaissance Sculpture (An Introduction to Italian Sculpture Volumes I and II; Set of two)
Phaidon, 2000. First Edition Thus. Trade Paperback. Item #445486
732 pages (288 in volume I; 444 in volume ii). 10 by 11-1/2 inches. From the inside flap: 'John Pope-Hennessy's Introduction to Italian Sculpture remains unsurpassed as the classic work on the subject. A triumph of clear organization, sustained scholarship and sure aesthetic judgement, its three volumes bring order to a huge mass of material, and present a magisterial survey of one of the most creative phases in Western art. With their lucid and inspiring narrative texts and detailed biographical and bibliographical notes, they have long been indispensable for scholars, students, curators, collectors, and dealers. // Incorporating a thorough revision and updating, completed by the author shortly before his death, the completely new design, with the superb photographs, are now reissued in a paperback edition which will make them available to a new and wider audience. // Volume I covers the period from about 1150 to 1400, and embraces some of the finest sculptural monuments in Western Art, beginning with Nicola Pisano's pulpits in Pisa and Siena, and culminating in Lorenzo Ghiberti's great bronze doors for the Baptistery in Florence. In the introductory narrative, the author presents a general survey of the develpment of Italian Gothic sculpture, placing it in a European context and analysing its distinctive character, while the notes give a full and up-to-date documentation of the indivudal artists and their works. // Volume II covers the fifteenth century, one of the great creative periods of Italian sculpture. It opens with Brunelleschi and Donatello, who in reviving the naturalistic principles of Antique art created what is now called the Renaissance style. In a masterly narrative the author traces the dominating influence of Donatello's genius, the spread of the movement to all the principal artistic centres of Italy, and the development of new forms - the free-standing statue, the relief, the bronze statuette, the equestrian monument and the portrait bust.' This set includes the first two volumes. ISBNs 9780714838816 and 9780714838823 First edition thus. A paperback copy in very good condition in a very good dust jacket. Tight. Some scuffing to the jackets; minor shelf wear. Volume 2 has a 1-inch closed tear at the top spine of dust jacket, which has been repaired with clear tape.
Price: $120.00