The Italian Renaissance: Culture And Society In Italy (1999) - Plot & Excerpts
I “stole” this book from my son’s bookshelf and I think that is where it mainly belongs: My son majored in history and he read Peter Burke’s work for an exam at University. ‘The Italian Renaissance’ is rather written for a student or scholar in (social) history than for a layperson who takes pleasure in reading about the Renaissance. Even though the writing is clear and concise, it is also bone-dry and somewhat overwhelming: Burke evaluates the lives of 600 painters, sculptors, architects, writers, humanists, scientists and musicians and gives detailed information on their social background, their patrons and the socio-political environment of these days. Again, for this reader it was a bit too much information, but I can understand how a historian or a sociologist may enormously profit from all this knowledge. Having said that, I would like to emphasise that Burke’s book is a valuable source for the interested layperson as well: I gained a precious insight into the different backgrounds of various artists and a good overview of the socio-political structures which made this period of artistic prosperity possible. It is intriguing to learn that successfully surmounted political crisis often were a stimulus to the arts not only in Renaissance Italy but also in Elizabethan England and Ancient Greece - that the milieu of most artist was urban and dominated by craftsmen, whereas poets/writers had usually a more noble background. Burke also cites and compares the ideas of historians such as Jacob Burckhardt or Marc Bloch - and Giorgio Vasari who was apparently the first European to write a book about the lives of various artists. We learn a lot about the organization of workshops in Renaissance Italy and how they sometimes inhibited individual creativity. All in all it was a satisfying read and I can recommend it to everyone who is eager to learn more about this important period in European history. I am now ready for more reading about the Renaissance, maybe something less scholarly and a bit more pleasurable.
What was the social background of the Renaissance artist? How did he receive his education and training ? What was the influence of their environment, the Italian cities & the Papal states? What was the contemporary taste & judgement of our "greatest masterpieces" ? And most importantly, how important was classic patronage vs the nascent capitalism - captured by Burke in his trademark word "conspicuous consumption ? It's a balanced background study to Renaissance art. The conclusions feel so familiar that in the end there are little surprises. I guess that's the best reason to speak of a 'landmark', 25 years later and counting.
What do You think about The Italian Renaissance: Culture And Society In Italy (1999)?
This is a good and fairly readable introduction to the Italian Renaissance; for those interested in the topic, it seems like a decent introduction -- it worked for me. That said, it's got more than its share of problems as well. First, a minor complaint: the art in the book should have been printed in full color, not black and white. Black and white reproductions of Renaissance art are about as worthless as three-dollar bills; the viewer completely misses the beauty of the art and so the inclusion of it at all is a waste of time. My major complaint: The constant need to reference Marxist and feminist historiography was obnoxious. Hegel, through Marx, has severely damaged the history of Western culture, and this book is evidence of that. Viewing the Renaissance in the 21st century through the lens of 19th century movements like Marxism and feminism produces anachronism, inaccuracy, and projection -- in other words, it makes for bad history. If you can get past that, it's not a bad book.
—David Withun
