From Publishers Weekly
The remarkable artistic developments of 15th-century Florence have created one of the richest legacies in Western art, and the creators?Botticelli, Fra Angelico, Leonardo da Vinci?remain among the artists best known and most loved by the public. One of the first five titles in a new series purporting to combine high-quality illustrations, an accessible, critical background and an affordable price, this example hits the goal splendidly. LeMaitre creates a thoroughly readable history that intelligently highlights the essential elements of intellectual, technological, political and artistic movements of the time, fleshing out his narrative with informed criticism, intriguing details of the artists' lives and comments by their contemporaries. In clear, vibrant prose and detailed analyses of a few major works from each artist, LeMaitre, a professor at the University of Haute-Alsace, will inspire readers to further research. Although not every book in this series has had a photographer commissioned to produce all its illustrations, Lessing's photographs here give a choice view of these works often supplemented by welcome details.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
In addition to editing, spelling, and factual errors, Lemaitre's survey of 15th-century Florentine art is hobbled by inept organization and perversely weighted in its treatment of individual masters. Masaccio, for example, is treated before masters who influenced him, and Fra Angelico receives more consideration than more significant artists like Donatello and Brunelleschi. In any case, the treatment of all the artists is summary and derivative. Furthermore, some of the works that are considered are not illustrated and some works illustrated are not discussed. Controversial points of attribution and chronology are passed without acknowledgment, and the medium ascribed to at least a few paintings is incorrect. The volume's bibliography is also haphazard and antiquated. Although Lessing's photographic potpourri is attractive, it provides little rationale for the acquisition of this opus.?Robert Cahn, Fashion Inst. of Technology, New York
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Review
For over 200 years, from the end of the thirteenth century, Florence was the city at the heart of the Italian Renaissance. Alain Lemaitre and Erich Lessing's Florence and the Renaissance is a sumptuous volume in which the authors chart the flowering of the extraordinary artistic achievement of the Renaissance through the architecture, sculpture and paintings of Florence. Over 170 full-color illustrations pay tribute to the artists whose work has dominated European art for centuries. -- Midwest Book Review
