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Books : Painting and Experience in Fifteenth Century Italy: A Primer in the Social History of Pictorial Style
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Rating: 
- Splitting Attractive Hairs
This is the kind of book that History of Art departments throw at you early on in their courses to instil the right respect and awe for the whole academic ritual.
When I first saw this book at Birkbeck College (2003 History of Art MA) I was duly impressed and intimidated into thinking this was somehow a classic. In this work Baxandall is the exemplary academic, slowly building up a case from painstaking research and cleverly interpreted trivia.
This approach is fine and dandy until you reflect that at the end of it the conclusions Baxandall has laboured so hard to arrive at are perhaps a little banal -- i.e. Renaissance painting was influenced by such contemporary phenomenon as religious practices, dancing, and the ability to judge quantities by eye.
The only reason this book works as a book is that the Renaissance is such an attractive period that Baxandall's painstakingly dull technique receives a charming counterpoint in the endearing trivia of the period. Unfortunately this effect is not replicated in other works by Baxandall that I have looked at. To college students getting a dose of this, I would say, 'Enjoy the period, but think about how relevant this kind of hairsplitting really is.'
Rating:
- Lapis at 4 ducats the ounce...
As well as being a splendid introduction to the paintings and the philosophy behind them, this book is particularly good on the relationship between the artists and their rich patrons, and between the artists and their materials. It's full of intriguing details. Why, for example, pure blue is so rare as well as so rich -- at this period, all the lapis lazuli that European painters could use was mined from one mine (somewhere in Afghanistan) and imported solely through Venice... So it's no surprise to see patrons putting clauses in their contracts with their artists: "use the best blue at 4 ducats the ounce; don't try palming me off with any 2-ducat rubbish!"
If this is the sort of thing that makes you go "yippee!" and grin, as the past comes alive for you, then this is definitely the book for you.
Rating: - A wonderful read
This is one of those books you can read (after believing you have a good grip on the subject) to discover how much you have missed! Excellent for those starting to study Italian fifteenth century art and very readable.
Almost uniquely among fine art books this one fits in a jacket pocket as it is a standard sized paperback. I disagree with the other reviewer who complained that it was lacking in illustrations (it isn't) but its small size does make the provision of sensible illustrations impossible and if you have other books on the period (or can use the Internet or a public library) you should have no trouble finding illustrations of any of the works mentioned.
Rating: - Highly recommended
This tiny book is immensely helpful and interesting. It focuses on the ways in which critics in the fifteenth century judged paintings, and provides tools which can be used in analysing paintings from pretty much any period. So many art books are pretentious or difficult: this one is really informative and enlightening. It is educational in the best sense of the word.
Rating: - An interesting perspective
I very much like this book. Although obviously an academic text, it's written in an easy-to-read style that's not overwhelming. I've studied this period of art history at some length, but the information provided in this brief work provides a fresh perspective, and I've seen some of my favourite paintings in a fresh light. I especially like the chapter on the 'language' of body posture - the idea that every posture had a specific meaning which viewers of that period would have immediately understood. It's made me go back and look at lots of works from the period and 'translate' their gestures! Great fun for lovers of art history! Recommended.
- Splitting Attractive HairsThis is the kind of book that History of Art departments throw at you early on in their courses to instil the right respect and awe for the whole academic ritual.
When I first saw this book at Birkbeck College (2003 History of Art MA) I was duly impressed and intimidated into thinking this was somehow a classic. In this work Baxandall is the exemplary academic, slowly building up a case from painstaking research and cleverly interpreted trivia.
This approach is fine and dandy until you reflect that at the end of it the conclusions Baxandall has laboured so hard to arrive at are perhaps a little banal -- i.e. Renaissance painting was influenced by such contemporary phenomenon as religious practices, dancing, and the ability to judge quantities by eye.
The only reason this book works as a book is that the Renaissance is such an attractive period that Baxandall's painstakingly dull technique receives a charming counterpoint in the endearing trivia of the period. Unfortunately this effect is not replicated in other works by Baxandall that I have looked at. To college students getting a dose of this, I would say, 'Enjoy the period, but think about how relevant this kind of hairsplitting really is.'
Rating:
- Lapis at 4 ducats the ounce...As well as being a splendid introduction to the paintings and the philosophy behind them, this book is particularly good on the relationship between the artists and their rich patrons, and between the artists and their materials. It's full of intriguing details. Why, for example, pure blue is so rare as well as so rich -- at this period, all the lapis lazuli that European painters could use was mined from one mine (somewhere in Afghanistan) and imported solely through Venice... So it's no surprise to see patrons putting clauses in their contracts with their artists: "use the best blue at 4 ducats the ounce; don't try palming me off with any 2-ducat rubbish!"
If this is the sort of thing that makes you go "yippee!" and grin, as the past comes alive for you, then this is definitely the book for you.
Rating:
- A wonderful readThis is one of those books you can read (after believing you have a good grip on the subject) to discover how much you have missed! Excellent for those starting to study Italian fifteenth century art and very readable.
Almost uniquely among fine art books this one fits in a jacket pocket as it is a standard sized paperback. I disagree with the other reviewer who complained that it was lacking in illustrations (it isn't) but its small size does make the provision of sensible illustrations impossible and if you have other books on the period (or can use the Internet or a public library) you should have no trouble finding illustrations of any of the works mentioned.
Rating:
- Highly recommendedThis tiny book is immensely helpful and interesting. It focuses on the ways in which critics in the fifteenth century judged paintings, and provides tools which can be used in analysing paintings from pretty much any period. So many art books are pretentious or difficult: this one is really informative and enlightening. It is educational in the best sense of the word.
Rating:
- An interesting perspectiveI very much like this book. Although obviously an academic text, it's written in an easy-to-read style that's not overwhelming. I've studied this period of art history at some length, but the information provided in this brief work provides a fresh perspective, and I've seen some of my favourite paintings in a fresh light. I especially like the chapter on the 'language' of body posture - the idea that every posture had a specific meaning which viewers of that period would have immediately understood. It's made me go back and look at lots of works from the period and 'translate' their gestures! Great fun for lovers of art history! Recommended.