Venus and the Arts of Love in Renaissance Florence (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9781108842914)

In this volume, Rebekah Compton offers the first survey of Venus in the art, culture, and governance of Florence from 1300 to 1600. Organized chronologically, each of the six chapters investigates one of the goddess's alluring attributes - her golden splendor, rosy-hued complexion, enchanting fashions, green gardens, erotic anatomy, and gifts from the sea. By examining these attributes in the context of the visual arts, Compton uncovers an array of materials and techniques employed by artists, patrons, rulers, and lovers to manifest Venusian virtues. Her book explores technical art history in the context of love's protean iconography, showing how different discourses and disciplines can interact in the creation and reception of art. Venus and the Arts of Love in Renaissance Florence offers new insights on sight, seduction, and desire, as well as concepts of gender, sexuality, and viewership from both male and female perspectives in the early modern era.

Author: Rebekah Compton
ISBN-10: 1108842917
ISBN-13: 9781108842914
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Language: English
Published: 03/11/2021
Pages: 292
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.70lbs
Size: 10.20h x 7.70w x 0.70d

Review Citation(s):
Choice 02/01/2022