Search results for ""author david ekserdjian""

The comprehensive study of the Italian Renaissance altarpiece from the 13th to the early 17th century The altarpiece is one of the most distinctive and remarkable art forms of the Renaissance period. It is difficult to imagine an artist of the time—whether painter or sculptor, major or minor—who did not produce at least one. Though many have been displaced or dismembered, a substantial proportion of these works still survive. Despite the volume of material available, no serious attempt has ever been made to examine the whole subject in depth until now. The Italian Renaissance Altarpiece is the first comprehensive study of the genre to examine its content and subject matter in real detail, from the origins of the altarpiece in the 13th century to the time of Caravaggio in the early 1600s. It discusses major developments in the history of these objects throughout Italy, covers the three key categories of Renaissance altarpiece—“immagini” (icons), “historie” (narratives), and “misteri” (mysteries)—and is illustrated with 250 beautiful reproductions of the artworks.

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A beautiful book that argues artists were fascinated by still life painting considerably earlier than previously thought This eloquent and generously illustrated book asserts that artists were fascinated by and extremely skilled at still life significantly earlier than previously thought. Instead of the genre beginning in the early 17th century, noted scholar David Ekserdjian explores its origins in classical antiquity and the gradual re-emergence of still life in Renaissance painting. The author presents a visual anthology of finely executed flowers, fruit, food, household objects, and furnishings seen in the background of paintings. Paintings are reproduced in full and paired with detailed close-ups of still-life elements within the work. Ekserdjian further examines both the artistic and symbolic significance of a chosen detail, as well as information about each artist’s career. Featured works include radiant paintings from Renaissance greats such as Da Vinci, Dürer, Holbein, Michelangelo, Raphael, and Van Eyck, as well as the work of less-celebrated masters Barthélemy d’Eyck and Ortolano.

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The Italian Renaissance is conventionally thought of as the historical period that bore witness to the rise of the individual. Yet no other artist of the time begins to compare with Albrecht Dürer in terms of the almost obsessive interest he displayed in depicting his life, his dreams and his surroundings in his art. Exploring Dürer’s life and times, the natural world in his work, and his studies, travel and influences, David Ekserdjian closely examines Dürer’s paintings, as well as his drawings and prints, which are often comparatively overlooked. Revealing Dürer’s remarkable, unique status, both in his own time and across the centuries, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in Renaissance or northern European art.

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A definitive overview of one of the most celebrated figures of the Italian Renaissance Among the great figures of the Italian Renaissance, Raphael (1483–1520) is unarguably the artist who has been most widely and consistently admired across the centuries. He had an extraordinary and perhaps unrivaled capacity for self-reinvention—as he progressed from Umbria to Florence and Rome—and an ability to draw strength from the other great artists around him, seemingly growing in stature the more daunting the competition became. This insightful, impeccably researched, and comprehensive volume chronicles the progress of his career in all its richness and complexity. Sumptuous production values and generous illustrations go hand in hand with its rigorous and wide-ranging scholarship. The essays explore Raphael’s paintings and drawings, his frescoes in the Vatican Stanze, his designs for tapestries, sculptures and prints, and his engagement with architecture. Detailed and authoritative catalogue entries examine many of Raphael’s finest works. Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press

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