num_pages: 256
description: In this fascinating study Alison Cole explores the distinctive uses of art at the five great secular courts of Naples Urbino Ferrara Mantua and Milan. The princes who ruled these city-states vying with each other and with the great European courts relied on artistic patronage to promote their legitimacy and authority. Major artists and architects from Mantegna and Pisanello to Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci were commissioned to design paint and sculpt but also to oversee the court's building projects and entertainments.The courtly styles that emerged from this intricate landscape are examined in detail as are the complex motivations of ruling lords consorts nobles and their artists. Drawing on the most recent scholarship Cole presents a vivid picture of the art of this extraordinary period.
language: English
title: Italian Renaissance Courts: Art, Pleasure and Power
publisher: Laurence King Publishing