Product Description

The society that produced the glories of Renaissance art was a multi-faceted one. on the one hand it produced the tender work of Giotto and the brilliance of Leonardo; on the other it encompassed the atrocities of Borgia, the fanaticism of Savonarola and the cynicism of Machiavelli. Civil disorder, political violence, religious discord and deep-seated corruption provided a setting in which genius flowered and where virtuosity originality and an explosive energy shone through in politics, in art, in thought and even in murder. Here, in this vivid survey, the whole sweep of renaissance achievement is brilliantly portrayed and analysed by Professor Plumb, assisted by a distinguished team of historians, including Kenneth Clark, Hugh Trevor-Roper, and Garrett Mattingly - and by over sixty illustrations of contemporary masterpieces.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1148699 in Books
• Published on: 2001-11-01
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 336 pages

About the Author
Distinguished Cambridge historian, Sir John Plumb's other books include WALPOLE, ENGLAND IN THE EIGHTEENTH (Vol. 7 in the Pelican History of England), CHATHAM and THE DEATH OF THE PAST and THE FIRST FOUR GEORGES which is also published in the Penguin Classic History series.