Review by Choice Review
As part of an initial launching in the US (by a French publisher) of lavishly illustrated but affordable art books, this volume possesses two virtues: the price, and the general high quality of the color plates. Unfortunately, there is also an accompanying text that is awkwardly translated and filled with errors--some attributable to careless editing, but others substantial. The level of the intended reader is unclear; though oversimplified in many respects, the text implies some prior knowledge of the subject, since there are numerous unexplained references to names and historical events that would be confusing for a beginner. Annoyingly, there is also little coordination between the text and the plates, as many works mentioned in the text are not illustrated, and some illustrated works are not referred to at all. The only reason for recommending the book is that it might catch the eye of someone otherwise ignorant of Renaissance art and stir a further interest in the subject through its pretty pictures, though even a novice would be better served by a standard text such as Frederick Hartt's History of Italian Renaissance Art (4th ed., 1994). J. I. Miller; California State University, Long Beach
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
