italian art history
annie...@yahoo.com
have almost no knowledge of italian art history and would like to
educate myself so that i can appreciate the masterpieces around me with
some understanding, to put them in context. any recommendations on
books for italian art history that will start from the very beginning?
Giovanni Drogo
> I'm living in Milan and touring elsewhere in Italy on the weekends. I
Good way of seeing a country. Did like that for UK and Germany myself.
> have almost no knowledge of italian art history and would like to
> educate myself so that i can appreciate the masterpieces around me with
> some understanding, to put them in context. any recommendations on
> books for italian art history that will start from the very beginning?
It depends whether you understand written italian or not, and what are
your interests, I mean more art "critics" (specially painting) or more
history (with side interest in architecture perhaps).
If you don't read italian, there are a couple of english bookshops (an
american one on the corner via Dante largo Cairoli, on the right hand
side with the castle on the back ; a british one in via Ariosto, tram
29/30, not far from metro Conciliazione). May ask the staff there.
If you read italian, any bookshop, or library will have overabundant
material, from illustrated books to standard school books (art history
is a standard subject in a "liceo" i.e. non-technical secondary school).
If you want a large, but not excessively commercial bookshop, the Hoepli
shop in the street of the same name (between Scala and S.Babila, near
the Banca Popolare) could be a good choice, and with helpful staff.
If you are interested more in the history of the places, and or
guidebooks, you might perhaps have a look at the bookshop of the Italian
Touring Club (TCI) in corso Italia. They have an excellent series titled
"L'Italia prima dell'Italia" (Italy before Italy, meaning the history of
the italian states before the unification of Italy), a bit expensive
though. Typically this will cover middle age to 1800 (not roman
history).
You might also consider following other initiatives of TCI if you plan
to stay in Italy for some time. They arrange excellent guided tours
(for italians, so the guides will speak italian). They have two regular
catalogues, plus occasionally extras and other initiative (there should
be a "TCI day" coming in a couple of weeks. The standard catalogue
features trips open to anybody, and that covers places which are sort of
standard. The "Viaggi del Club" catalogue instead is open to members
only. For instance I went with them this spring to visit the exhibition
about Gentile da Fabriano in Fabriano, and our guide was an art
historian. AFAIK their winter program features only one trip within
Italy, for the Mantegna exhibition in Mantova and Verona, and that
should be rather soon. Also beware, they are a bit more expensive than
other tour operators. Other initiatives may be arranged locally, and
sometimes be open to non-members. Surely the "TCI day" won't. Then there
should be the "Penisola del Tesoro" (treasure peninsula), which usually
focuses on a couple of places per month (you have to go there on your
own and get free guided tour, if you book in advance ... not sure if you
have to be member). Do not know the 2006/07 program yet. Then there are
the initiatives of the consuls (local representatives), which may vary
from an out-of-catalogue trip of more days (rare), a day coach trip in
the surrounding of a place (the office of the consuls for Lombardy is in
the building behind the TCI bookshop, manned by voluntaries), which
should be open to non-members too at a higher price, and other day or
half day visits for which you go there on your own, and which may be
free or imply a minimal expense refund. I believe for instance the
visits IN Milan are free.
By the way ...
... have you seen the Ambrosiana, the Museo del Duomo, the apse of
S.Satiro, the mosaics in S. Lorenzo, the Diocesan museum, the Cappella
Portinari in S.Eustorgio besides the more usual places in Milan ?
Or the Museo Serpero near the cathedral in Monza ?
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Venthi
<annie...@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:1160385314....@e3g2000cwe.googlegroups.com...
Professor Sir Ernst Gombrich's 'The History Of Art'.
First published in 1950, I have the fifteenth edition's 1995 6th reprint in
paperback so you may guess at its popularity.
It is the definitive introduction to art and puts Italian art in context
with the deveopment of art generally throughout the rest of the art world.
Anything else is money and time wasted.
bar...@cix.compulink.co.uk
annie...@yahoo.com () wrote:
> *From:* annie...@yahoo.com
> *Date:* 9 Oct 2006 02:15:14 -0700
Almost everything in the extensive Thames & Hudson World of Art series is
worthwhile.
If you can't get hold of them in Italy you shouldn't have any problems on
Amazon, abebooks.com or similar.
Thames & Hudson are the publishers, not authors, BTW. Let me know if you
can't isolate particular relevant titles and I'll come up with some
details when I get home.
bar...@cix.compulink.co.uk
ThisIsNot...@Yahoo.com (Venthi) wrote:
> *From:* "Venthi" <ThisIsNot...@Yahoo.com>
> *Date:* Mon, 9 Oct 2006 13:32:35 +0100
Oh well, best throw away all our other art-history texts then, I guess...