The Renaissance Palace in Florence: Magnificence and Splendour in
Fifteenth-Century Italy
James R. Lindow
Illustrations: Includes 8 colour and 42 b&w illustrations
ISBN: 0 7546 6092 3
Publication Date: 06/2007
Number of Pages: 286 pages
Binding: Hardback
Book Size: 234 x 156 mm
This book provides a reassessment of the theory of magnificence in light of the
related social virtue of splendour. Author James Lindow highlights how
magnificence, when applied to private palaces, extended beyond the exterior to
include the interior as a series of splendid spaces where virtuous expenditure
could and should be displayed.
Examining the fifteenth-century Florentine palazzo from a new perspective,
Lindow's groundbreaking study considers these buildings comprehensively as
complete entities, from the exterior through to the interior. This book
highlights the ways in which classical theory and Renaissance practice
intersected in quattrocento Florence. Using unpublished inventories, private
documents and surviving domestic objects, The Renaissance Palace in Florence
offers a more nuanced understanding of the early modern urban palace.
Available online from
https://www.ashgate.com/shopping/title.asp?key1=&key2=&orig=results&isbn=0%207546%206092%203
Contents
Preface; Introduction; Debated concepts: magnificence and splendour; The
classical and medieval precedents for magnificence; The magnificence debate in
15th-century Florence; The currency of the magnificence debates in 15th-century
Florence. Magnificent architecture; The motivation to build: for God, for the
city and for oneself; Exemplary magnificence: building anew in the antique
style; The principle of decorum in the architectural treatises of Alberti and
Filarete. Going beyond the palace façade; Connecting the interior and exterior;
The accessibility of the palace and its spaces; Magnificent hospitality in the
splendid interior. The splendid interior; Rooms and their functions; Furniture
and display in the splendid interior; La camera bella: the room made beautiful
through domestic display. Conclusion; Appendices; Gabriello di Messer Bartolomeo
Panciatichi (1430); I Gismondo di Messer Agniolo della Stufa (1495); The 'camera
bella' of Lorenzo di Giovanni Tornabuoni (1497) Bibliography; Index.
Reviews
'A great achievement. This book re-establishes links between classical revival
and Renaissance material culture, and demonstrates for the first time the close
relationship between the 'magnificence' of Renaissance palaces and the
'splendour' of their interiors... Teachers, students, and the general reader
will find this book a pleasure to read.' Alison Brown, Emerita Professor of
Italian Renaissance History, Royal Holloway, University of London
'This is a timely publication that reflects the burgeoning scholarly interest in
Italian Renaissance domestic buildings - inside as well as out. The book's great
novelty lies in its focus on the Florentine palace as an integrated whole and
establishes an interesting relationship between these buildings' interiors and
exteriors.' Dr Patricia Allerston, Head of Education, National Galleries of Scotland
About the Author/Editor
James R. Lindow was the first Renaissance PhD from the Royal College of Art /
Victoria & Albert Museum, and completed his MA in the History of Art and
Architecture at the University of East Anglia. He has convened conferences and
published articles on diverse aspects of the Renaissance, lectures widely in the
UK and overseas, and is currently a fine art underwriter in the city of London.
British Library Reference: 728.8'2'094551
Library of Congress Reference: 2006103258
|