Today we associate the Renaissance with painting, sculpture, and architecture. Isabella d'Este, marchesa of Mantua, for example, bequeathed to her children vases of semi-precious stones mounted in gold, engraved gems, ivories, antique bronzes, and marbles. This distribution underscores Renaissance aesthetic preferences and cultural values. By recontextualizing the perception and employment of sumptuous creations she elucidates how they constructed the world of early modern Europe. Her book, Luxury Arts in the Renaissance, will be published by Phaidon Press Ltd. in 2003.
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