The ugly Renaissance : sex, greed, violence and depravity in an age of beauty /
Renowned as a period of cultural rebirth and artistic innovation, the Renaissance is cloaked in a unique aura of beauty and brilliance. Its very name conjures up awe-inspiring images of an age of lofty ideals in which life imitated the fantastic artworks for which it has become famous. But behind th...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
New York :
Doubleday,
[2014]
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| Edition: | First American edition. |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: | Renowned as a period of cultural rebirth and artistic innovation, the Renaissance is cloaked in a unique aura of beauty and brilliance. Its very name conjures up awe-inspiring images of an age of lofty ideals in which life imitated the fantastic artworks for which it has become famous. But behind the vast explosion of new art and culture lurked a seamy, vicious world of power politics, perversity, and corruption that has more in common with the present day than anyone dares to admit. In this lively and meticulously researched portrait, Renaissance scholar Alexander Lee illuminates the dark and titillating contradictions that were hidden beneath the surface of the best-known artworks of the Renaissance. |
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| Physical Description: | xii, 433 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : color illustrations, genealogical tables, map ; 25 cm |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (pages 360-414) and index. |
| ISBN: | 9780385536592 : 0385536593 : |