The Italian Renaissance was a golden age for bronze sculpture, both on a grand scale-such as Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise, or Cellini's Perseus-and more intimate statuettes and small-scale functional objects. Bronze, being both costly and luxurious, embodied power, authority, and eternity and emulated the classical past. Yet it was one of the easiest materials to recycle, especially at a time when the need for artillery was ever-present. Drawing on the latest research, and including some 200 superb images, The Culture of Bronze explores the material and making of bronzes and the interrelationships and collaboration between sculptor, foundry, and owner. Encompassing works made for domestic, religious, and civic environments, the book studies the symbolism of bronze, and the bronzes themselves, within their broader societal context. Features works from sculptors including Pier Jacopo Alari Bonacoisi (Antico), Benvenuto Cellini, Donatello, Adriano Fiorentino, Lorenzo Ghiberti, Giambologna, Bertoldo di Giovanni, Leone Leoni, Barthelemy Prieur, Benedetto da Rovezzano, Adriaen de Vries and Agostino Zoppo

A beautifully illustrated survey of Italian renaissance bronze

About the Author
Peta Motture is a senior curator of sculpture at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Reviews
"Everything you need to know about Renaissance bronzes' might be an alternative title for this carefully cogitated and well-written volume." -- Charles Avery, Burlington Magazine, 162, February 2020



Book Information
ISBN 9781851779659
Author Peta Motture
Format Hardback
Page Count 288
Imprint V & A Publishing
Publisher V & A Publishing
Weight(grams) 1660g
Dimensions(mm) 290mm * 222mm * 34mm