The Secret Language of The Renaissance: Decoding the Hidden Symbolism of Italian Art - Couverture rigide

Stemp, Richard

Couverture rigide

ISBN 10 : 1844833070 ISBN 13 : 9781844833078

Editeur : Duncan Baird Publishers, 2006

Synopsis

Renaissance artists had a habit of encoding meanings into symbols - everything from bee-hives to centaurs. Sometimes these meanings in paintings, sculptures, buildings and literature drew upon a traditional symbolic repertoire, but often a more esoteric meaning was encoded - perhaps a hidden political message or an expression of heretical faith. Richard Stemp leads us through a wealth of examples - more than 100 works of art - each shown in all its glory and then deconstructed, or decoded, to interpret the symbols it contains. For all those who relish secret symbolism and conspiracies as well as lovers of the art of Renaissance Italy, this book will instruct and delight in equal measure.

A propos du livre

Présentation de l'éditeur

An illustrated key to unlocking the mysteries of paintings, sculpture and architecture by the great Italian masters, this book also provides fresh insight into the currents of Renaissance thought, from humanism to myticism to religious reform.

We may never know what the Mona Lisa is really smiling about, but we do know that there's much more to the masterpieces of Renaissance art than the beauty that meets the eye. There are layers of significance hidden below the surface of the works of Leonardo da Vinci, Fra Angelico, Donatello, Michelangelo and many others. This magnificently illustrated guide by expert art historian, Richard Stemp, gives you the key to unlock those secrets for yourself. 

Split into three parts, Part One is a vivid immersion into the culture of this remarkable period, tracing the profusion of innovations in literature, painting, sculpture and the decorative arts that date to this time.  Part Two offers a wide-ranging guide to the essential elements of symbolic language in Renaissance art, including colour, geometry, light and shade, proportion, perspective and body language. In Part Three, the heart of the book, Richard Stemp analyzes more than 40 works grouped around a dozen themes, including mythology, war and peace, and death and eternity.  Each work is shown in full colour and each is then deconstructed to reveal the symbols it contains and the enigmatic meanings behind them.

Biographie de l'auteur

Richard Stemp lectures at the National Gallery, Tate Modern and
Tate Britain. He wrote and presented the TV series Art in the National
Gallery for Channel 4.

Détails de l'édition

• Éditeur: Duncan Baird Publishers
• Date d'édition: 2006
• Langue: anglais
• ISBN 10: 1844833070
• ISBN 13: 9781844833078
• Reliure: Relié
• Numéro d'édition: 1
• Nombre de pages: 224
• Coordonnées du fabricant: non disponible
• Personne responsable: non disponible