Features
- Cover Type: Hard Cover with 388 pages
- Published by: Phaidon Press July 1, 2004
- Written in: English
- ISBN 10 Number: 1904313256
- ISBN 13 Number: 978-1904313250
-
Book Dimensions:
11.6 x 10.5 x 1.8 inches
- Weighs: 6.6 pounds
From Publishers Weekly
Michelangelo's professed goal, for at least the first half of his career, was a synthesis of painting, sculpture and architecture. Though many of the buildings he designed were never constructed, his achievements as an architect who freed architecture from its slavish emulation of classical antiquity can be seen in such projects as the dome of Saint Peter's Church and the elegant Farnese Palace, both in Rome, or the mannerist Laurentian Library in the Monastery of San Lorenzo in Florence. In this handsomely illustrated survey, the late Argan, an Italian art historian, provocatively portrays Michelangelo the architect as "a profoundly distressed artist" who, in establishing the autonomy of artistic thought, discovered that tradition no longer had the power to orient the modern. Contardi, an Italian arts administrator, has provided a catalogue of 31 of Michelangelo's architectural projects, accompanied by extensive commentaries and more than 500 photographs, drawings and plans (24 in color).
Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an alternate
Hardcover
edition.
Reader Reviews
This book has a two overarching contrast and comparison in formation of Michelangelo's career as an architect. First, author contrasts Michelangelo (M) to Leonardo da Vinci. This allows reader to understand that the major method and theme of M's art was very religious and theological in its nature. Unlike da Vinci's very scientific artifacts, the author portrays M's art as a very personal aspiration towards God. To corroborate the claim, the author, points out major aspects of M's poetry, painting, and sculpture. In poetry, placement of words and the syntactical relationship is emphasized to point out almost mystical and inductive nature of his artistic bent. In painting, using a Sistine Chapel's painting, the author pulls out the compressed perspective as an "illogical" element of M's art. In sculpture, his "not-finished" element is mentioned as his religiosity. Second, the overarching comparison in the book is between Florence and Rome. By comparing the two, the author was able to identify the nature of patronage and their political strife. Both Medici and Pope had difficult times when M was alive. Florence was under the internal turmoil to kick out Medici and establish republic and Rome was under the attack from Reformation to abolish papacy and reinstitute Christianity. That in mind, the book, chronologically analyzes architectural works of M. Florentine works of New Sacristy and Lauretian Library and a Roman works of Capitoline and St. Peter's stand out in the book. The author painstakingly points out the concept and its actual execution to illustrate what kind of role M played as an artist during the major historical events. The book is both extensive and intensive in its content. If a prospect reader is a design professional, there are plenty of striking design skills to hear about.
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