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Painting 10 masters of the art world in the context of their times, these engaging references examine the political, religious, and social events that shaped the lives and works of history's most celebrated artists. Insightful text and original color paintings provide explanation and analysis of a multitude of masterpieces for young art aficionados to enjoy.

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A monograph on the renowned Italian painter, who began his career as a member of the Arte Povera movement, and has moved beyond his early work to explore further realms of artistic innovation. ... Read more

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The family home of Michelangelo Buonarroti--surely Italy's most famous artist--the Casa Buonarroti boasts the world's largest collection of Michelangelo's drawings and personal papers. Now a private foundation and museum, the Casa Buonarroti is also well known for art and antiquities collected by Michelangelo's family members. This volume includes drawings usually kept in storage to protect them from exposure to damaging light and air, among them sketches and preparatory studies for such important works as the Sistine Chapel and the Medici tombs. It affords an extraordinary view of Michelangelo through personal sketches, writings, and studies from the artist's notebooks, as well as insights into his family through painting, sculpture, and graphic works.Among the treasures of the Casa Buonarroti are two marble reliefs: the Madonna of the Steps and the Battle of the Centaurs. In addition, the Museum owns rich collections of paintings, sculptures, majolica ware, and archaeological pieces, as well as the most famous collection in the world of drawings by Michelangelo's own hand. ... Read more

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MICHELANGELO traces the life of the artist from his apprenticeship in Florence to his final years. Pictures specially commissioned for this book show where he lived and worked. The book discusses Michelangelo's achievements as painter and sculptor and explores his relationship with patrons, fellow artists, and with the great art movements of his day.Amazon.com Review
The books in the Art and Ideas series, which will covereverything from Fra Angelico to Frida Kahlo, are supremely pleasurableto read. In this volume, for example, Anthony Hughes writes dryly of aMichelangelo sculpture of Christ, which was tinkered with and damagedduring installation in March 1521: "Since then, more tamperinghas taken place.... From the late sixteenth century, Christ'sgenitalia were hidden beneath a bronze loincloth, although that didnot prevent a zealous Dominican from trying to remove the penis."Written by scholarly experts who know how to turn a phrase and focus agaze, the books are filled with hundreds of crisp, color reproductionsthat give purely visual pleasure and information. Their handy size, 61/4 by 8 1/2 inches, makes them easy to carry in a briefcase orbackpack, and the text is printed in an easy-to-read typeface, withgenerous spacing. Even the time lines, biographies, and glossaries inthe back are inviting to the eye. There will eventually be more than100 volumes in the series, which is comparable to Thames and Hudson'sWorldof Art series. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

good book
This is a good introduction, although it does not offer a lot more than the introduction by Howard Hibbard. I prefer it to the one by Linda Murray in the World of Art-series. The book by Hughes offers a more balanced view on the works it describes, in the way that it usually gives several opinions of other writers, then sometimes gives a preference for one opinion in particular, but also sometimes states that there is simply not enough evidence to substantiate the views of other writers. Therefore it is a pity that Hughes does not always substantiate his own views, he doesn't tell us why a particular view is better than another.
Nevertheless the book is full of interesting information and easy to read.

An art book that reads well!
You know how rare that is!But this book is one you don't want to put down.It is so well written, educational, and has so many great illustrations.I enjoyed it a lot.

great value, great text
Hughes gives a lot of info in a short book, and paints a very well balanced idea of Michelangelo the man. I felt bad for
Buonaratti after reading this. He truly was a miserable man, yet his committment to his art was never diminished for a moment. In the end the story of his life is inspiring and humbling. Inspiring because it proves what man can acheive, humbling in the sacrifices that were made in order to fulfill his destiny as one of the great geniuses to have ever lived.

Great Layout, Great Content
Firstly, I was thoughroughly impressed by the quality of this little book. The layout of the pages, the quality of the paper, everything. I'm glad to report that the content matches its presentation: Very clean, clear textfeaturing an unbiased look at Michelangelo's life. The book often citesformer biographers (specifically Vasari and Condivi) and more often thannot, it tries to find the right history. Very good illustrations of hismore famous artwork as well as some drawings. Excellent! ... Read more

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Why are some artists and musicians held up as Great while others are merely considered good? Artistic Greatness examines the intimate details of the lives of three of the world s greatest artistic geniuses to provide an answer. What did these men have in common? Part history, part biography, and part sociological chronicle, Artistic Greatness is a work of art in itself. ... Read more

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This Book Offers a Broad Spectrum of Appeal
Throughout his book, McBurney provides excellent contextual and personalinformation on three of the world's greatest artists, chosen primarily forof their pivotal positions in their areas of expertise. Especially withClaude Monet, it is as if the author followed the artist throughout hislife, reporting on the facts occurring simultaneously with his writing, asdid Boswell with Samuel Johnson.

But more importantly, this book is notonly for lovers of great art. It has relevance for every reader who hasaspirations toward greatness. Michelangelo, Beethoven, and Monet are amongthe many great people around whom we would profit from modeling our ownlives. Readers can place themselves in the position of the artist to findout how they compare and what is needed if they are to succeed, as theseartists certainly did.

In reporting the salient facts of the lives ofhis chosen artists, McBurney displays a grasp of the qualities that makefor artistic greatness that belie his credentials as a businessman. Itbecame apparent to this reader that the essential characteristics that theauthor concludes to be the requisites of great artists apply to other,perhaps even all, areas of endeavor, including business, which is, afterall, the 'business of America'. For example, just as with great artists,business leaders require the physical and emotional stamina necessary toovercome hurtles and obstacles that stand in their way. Read the book todiscover other traits, how the artists under the author's scrutiny appliedthem, and how you might apply them to achieve success, and perhaps evengreatness, in your life. ... Read more

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Designed to slip into a pocket, rucksack, briefcase or handbag and written to deliver concise information, these new guides to the world's foremost artists are a handy reference tool for all art lovers. Open any page of these guides and you'll find a host of facts and illustrations clearly presented in modern, eye-catching spreads.Learn about the artist's life and timesFollow the evolution of a careerDiscover where his or her works can be found today Enhanced with glossaries, bibliographies, and maps, these perfect gallery and travel companions are printed on heavy, coated paper with a flexible cover that is durable enough to withstand repeated use. With this much information made accessible, Prestel Art Guides are certain to be opened again and again.Attractive - Affordable - AuthoritativePerfect pocket reference books ... Read more

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CARAVAGGIO'S CHIAROSCURO EFFECTS LARGELY MISSING
My issue with this publication in Konemann's "Masters of Italian Art" series does not involve its layout and written matter - which is up to the same great standard as can be found in 4 other volumes I already own.Expecting a similar quality I was dumbfounded looking at so many miserable images - which obviously do him a disservice

The problem being Caravaggio's most characteristic paintings are extremely dark. Plus it seems he used poor materials (black oil) much of which has seriously deteriorated. Just as Zerox machines do a poor job copying black it seems Konemann's printing presses were defeated by the task of replicating the extreme subtelty of his famous highly dramatic "chiaroscruro" paintings.

What one gets throughout is a sharp transition from highlighted flesh etc. into virtual black nothingness.Whereas even the ordinary postcards I bought in Italy over 40 years shows amongst the darkness are subtly suggested backgrounds and architectural details - to break-up what would otherwise be stark black and light viewing experiences.

Konemann are not alone failing to do Caravaggio true justice. A much larger expensive monograph published by Abbeville has even worse (all-black) reproductions. In their case the flesh tones in his early masterpeices tend to be pinkish and having seen many of the originals one knows his rendering of flesh was always naturalistic.

With Caravaggio coming back into fashion one looks forward to new publications where every effort is made to print reproduction of his entire oeuvre faithfully capturing every nuance of his brushwork - and artistic intentions.I see a new Caravaggio opus will be published by Skira in September 2010.With their fantastic track record for impeccable reproductions this may at last be the very first Caravaggio book which gets his colours right.

Even if this might involve digitally eliminating the damage done by "time" surely what really matters is to see what this extraordinary artist's radical innovations actually looked like when they first left his hand? Sadly not to be discerned when leafing through this volume. ... Read more

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Great book featuring the artwork of Italian Renaissance artist Michelangelo. 45 black and white illustrations of drawings by Michelangelo - figure studies, portraits, drapery, nude male figures, anatomy studies. Softcover. ... Read more

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With an engaging text by renowned Michelangelo scholar William E. Wallace, Michelangelo: The Complete Sculpture, Painting, Architecture brings together in one exquisite volume the powerful sculptures, the awe-inspiring paintings, and the classical architectural works of one of the greatest artists of all time. Including everything from his sculptures Pietàs and David to his beautiful paintings of the Sistine Chapel and the Doni Tondo, the book provides an opportunity to view Michelangelo’s work as never before, and to more fully understand the artist who, through his work, spoke of his life and times. The frescoes are specially printed on onion skin paper to recreate the actual appearance of light reflecting off of the plaster walls. The stunning black-and-white photography of the sculptures is printed in four colors to bring out the rich details of the marble. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (12)

fantastic
My husband really enjoyed this item for his birthday.The pictures are vibrant and clear in color as if you were standing in front it at the museum.

Worth every cent
If your a fan of the work of Michelango buy this. Your money will be very well spent.

WOW
WOW, this book is amazing, I just recieved it and let me say that again WOW!!!!!!!!Full color plates and details of all his work.There were other reviews saying that this book was impossible to find however rfw1926, an amazon authorized dealer sold this book to me.He shipped it immediatly as well as informed me of reciept of the order.

By Dumb Luck...
This is a magnificent book about Michelangelo Buonarotti. As one reviewer said Mr. Wallace's text is a bit sparse, but afterall: it is an art book! It's my opinion that a book about an art/artists should contain more pictures than text, unless it is SPECIFICALLY a biography or the history of a certain work, era, etc. But I digress...!
I especially like the photos of the restored Cistine Chapel ceiling. Cleared from the 'fog' of dirt, dust, etc., one can see Michelangelo's incredible skill as a painter. The sculpture section is wonderful too, of course! I don't know what else to say.
For those who can't find this book: Before this week, I didn't even know it existed. I found it in the bargain section of BORDERS (I don't think Amazon will mind, as they're 'teamed' with Borders!). Check them out, as I got it for 1/5th the published price. I decided to treat myself to an early Christmas present and am glad I did! If you see it, buy it -When I returned the next day all copies were gone. I am very happy with this book and recommend it highly!

Beautiful book, and I know where to buy it!
I was discouraged to read such amazing reviews of the book, but to also hear of the difficulties in getting it.I found it at the Metropolitan Museum Online Store for $35, and it is perhaps the most beautiful, well-done art book I've ever seen.The reproductions are gorgeous, and the commentary is excellent.You won't do better with anything else, especially if you want a single volume overview of all of his works. ... Read more

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The restoration of Michelangelo's magnificent frescoes in the Vatican's Sistine Chapel is perhaps the most controversial event in the art world in the past three decades. Now, after nearly fifteen years of effort, the restoration is finally complete. This unique volume-the first to document the project-is the result of an unparalleled international photographic campaign. For the first time, the restored Chapel is shown in its entirety, from the Creation to the Last Judgment. Glorious, full-color photographs-250 in all-portray the frescoes both before and after their restoration, providing an unforgettable view of the meticulous work that many believe restored the frescoes to their original High Renaissance splendor.

Originally created in the late 1400s, the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel are the best-known of all the Vatican masterpieces. As early as 1502, however, tourists began noting the damage wrought by smoke and crumbling walls. By 1980 the need for conservation appeared to be dire. The restoration team had to contend with centuries of decay-structural fractures in the walls and ceilings, soot and dust accumulation, and rainwater seepage that left white patches on every surface. Artisans in previous centuries had made attempts at conservation, but often did more harm than good; the frescoes were found to be coated with many layers of "protective" glue that had yellowed and darkened with age.

Though many art historians opposed the restoration, believing that Michelangelo was a somber artist who worked in dark and muted colors, the endeavor presents frescoes that are gloriously vivid, setting the chapel aglow with their brilliance. In addition, they provide new insights about Michelangelo's brushstroke techniques, and add more information to a centuries-old debate over how he worked with the wet plaster surface of the frescoes.

Written with Gianluigi Colalucci, the technical overseer of the restoration, the text provides an intimate understanding of this masterpiece of Renaissance art. It explains the various forensic studies carried out in the course of the project, the pragmatic concerns of the restoration, and the many problems of historical approach that were confronted. This volume, including remarkable new pictures of the Chapel frescoes, belongs in the libraries of every art historian and student of the Italian Renaissance.Amazon.com Review
The restoration of Michelangelo's magnificent frescoes in theVatican's Sistine Chapel stirred up much controversy and debate amongscholars, art historians, and art lovers alike. Originally painted inthe late 15th century, it took restorers 14 painstaking years (from1981 to 1995) to remove the centuries' worth of dust and decay thathad obscured the frescoes' brilliant colors and intricate designs. In250 gorgeous full-color photographs, this unique and beautiful volumepresents Michelangelo's restored chapel--perhaps the greatestmasterpiece of Renaissance art--in its entirety, from the Creation tothe Last Judgment, both before and after cleaning. The only definitivestudy of the restoration process, this book is the next best thing toactually being there. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Beautiful Clear Pictures of the Sistine Chapel
I found this book to be a very beautiful presentation of Michelangelo's fresco's inside the Sistine Chapel.The pictures are very clear and the text is good, although the fact that it is written by non-native English speakers is apparent.Anyone wanting to remember their experience of viewing the Sistine Chapel in Rome will be pleased by buying this book.At least I was.

An excellent book.
The image quality in this book is excellent. I have never been to Vatican. So it's hard to judge whether the color is right. I just try to use this book to study anatomy after Michelangelo. For some parts of frescoes, this book provides enlarged pictures. Some images show the frescoes before restoration, although not in detail. In general, it's a great reference book for my study.

A treasure!
Being an admirer of the magnificent Michelangelo I am very pleased to have acquired this book. The pictures are beautifully printed. By the end of the book I wish to revisit the Sistine Chapel to view those parts printed in the book which I have obviously missed with my naked eyes. The details of the restoration work is an added bonus. To get the most of this book, please read it together with "Michelangelo and the Pope's Ceiling" by Ross King. You will not regret the experience. Michelangelo's frescoes are simply sublime!

Stunning artistry, breathtaking color...
The photographs in this book are too good to be believed. I have never had an art book on the Sistine Chapel before that so moved me.
It was obviously produced with great care -- the colors look perfect, the focus is perfect. I can't rave about this book enough. And so complete! You will know every nook and cranny of the Chapel when you finish this book.
Well worth more than what you pay for it.

Excellent Reproductions and very good text -- Truly Majestic
This is an absolutely superb book, largely because the reproductions of the frescoes are excellent and really capture the colors that you see when you visit the Chapel. I have found many art books disappointing, because they simply fail to capture the works they present.I first saw this book in an American bookstore after visiting the Sistine Chapel, and really thrilled to see if after looking at several other books where colors were much duller and the images simply not as sharp.In addition to its fine colors, the book provides many fine closeups of each individual section.The text is also very good, describing the subjects of the painting, the history behind the paintings, ansd also the recent restorstion.This is a must-have book! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Brilliant and Exquisite
Mr. Harris has produced for us a book on Michelangelo, the greatest artistic genius of the Renaissance period of art. THis book is brilliantly illustrated and profusely written. A real page turner from beginning to endgiving us a well rounded portrait of one of the greatest artistic geniusesof all times. This book is indispensable book on Michelangelo, his times,and his world. ... Read more

Product Description
This work contains illustrations of all of Michelangelo's work, his paintings, sculpture and architecture, excluding his drawings. The text surveys the opinions of leading Michelangelo scholars and provides a commentary with bibliographical notes. The exhaustive selection of plates devoted to the paintings of the Sistine Chapel provides a record of their condition before the recent controversial cleaning. Ten of the plates show some of the paintings in their restored state. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

not colorful, but full of spirit
As the others said, the large and detailed photos are great.
The plates are black and white. I think this might be the very reason that this book is attractive to me. There are color photos of the Sistine inserted in the beginning, clearly by the editors -- the paintings were not renovated in the author's time. To me, and I believe to many others, the black-white photos capture the true spirit of Michelangelo's work more closer than the new vivid photos.
Sincerely, I consider this book as the best one of its kind.

Exellent Book to Study Sculptures!
This Book is a good value for sculptors and modelers for studying M's works. Each plate has a short description of each work. This book is a valuable reference to all artists in fine art and digital art.

Although the images are B&W it is a must have!!

Amazing Photography
This is an amazing book.The images are huge and extremly detailed.I am a novice sculptor so for me the close up shots of his work are an enormous benifit to my work.

Fabulous Detail
I love this book.It is one of my favorites.For a long time I had been looking for a book on Michelangelo that showed some nice closeups and detail of some of his sculpture work.This book has that.It would add nicely to the collection of any artist interested in Michelango.

comprehensive, but
..most of the plates are in black and white and not of a very high definition. i also wished for more detail plates of the major works.
still, though, a decent value for the price. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Artistic words
For many years, I belonged to a reading group who explored different angles of diversity in literature; Michelangelo's poetry was one of the books we used, as it gave us the opportunity to explore different aspects at the same time. How would someone whose creative genius in some media (painting, sculpture, architecture) made him an immortal in history translate onto the written page? Would Michelangelo's sexual orientation, always a topic of debate based upon various images in paint and stone, as well as personal stories and correspondence, be more observable, or more obscured by his poetry?

Gilbert presents a very good volume of Michelangelo's poetry - coupled with selected letters, this gives a good insight into the spirit of Michelangelo beyond the visual artistic productions.The poems are translated into verse form, not a choppy word-for-word translation, and there are notes that are helpful without being distracting.

Gilbert begins with a brief biographical essay, exploring Michelangelo's artistry and relationships - so far as his poetry is concerned, he was not widely published in his lifetime, but did have some poems circulated, and sought the critical analysis and advice of other respected literary figures of the day. Michelangelo's poetry was known well enough to become the subject of composition (Bartolommeo Tromboncino set one poem to music) and general reference (Benedetto Varchi, when lecturing on artistic theory, used Michelangelo's poetry as examples).

Michelangelo's grand-nephew, in publishing the poems in 1623, changed phrases and pronouns to make the poems conform to standard conventions - men would not be writing love poems to men, etc., and this change continued into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries unquestioned.This, however, is not a major theme in this volume.

With regard to the quality of the poems, Michelangelo's literary output was less admired for its aesthetic and technical value as much as for the ideas contained therein. Even here, Michelangelo's ideas were fairly conventional, common among the educated literati, and rarely giving profound insight. Even so, his poetry was artful, technically interesting if not brilliant, and full of emotion as Michelangelo was known to be.

The poetry here is full of passion; the early ones full of the kind of love and passion of a young lover; the later ones looking for a spiritual value and perfection unattainable in this world even with the chisel or brush or Michelangelo. He incorporates a kind of Neoplatonic admiration of the ideal over the physical, and has a sort of pessimism even in the height of passion. He often looks upon the body as frail, fragile, a 'temporary wrapper for the soul' - this contrasts dramatically against his visual art, particularly sculpture, where the powerful bodies (most often male) were Michelangelo's 'signature'.

Michelangelo did not study Latin, so classical references are less here than more common contemporary influences.There are many magnificent lines and phrases here; I found my highlighter coming out numerous times throughout the poetry, and certain images remaining for a long time. This is interesting reading, all the more so given the other creations of Michelangelo - this book gives new insight into the mind of the great artist.

fascinating indeed
For anyone interested in the full life of Michelangelo this is a must read.The editor is quite helpful without being overbearing in his attempt to put the material into a context.There is a short but very nice biography at the beginning which helps the reader understand the flow of the artist's life.The selection of his personal letters helps us see Michelangelo as a person, a person with substantial family and business difficulties which constantly tried to divert his attention.His poetry is delightful and revealing.A valuable text for anyone interested in his life, art, or era.

Paint and Poiltics
"It is better to remain silent than to fall from the heights"

Primary sources need no review. ... Read more