Overview

Lorenzo il Magnifico de' Medici was the head of the ruling political party at the apogee of the golden age of Quattrocento Florence. Born in 1449, his life was shaped by privilege and responsibility, and his deeds as a statesman were legendary even while he lived. At his death he was master of the largest and most famous private palace in Florence, a building crammed full of the household goods of four generations of Medici as well as the most extraordinary collections of art, antiquities, books, jewelry, coins, cameos, and rare vases in private hands. His heirs undertook an inventory of the estate, a usual procedure following the demise of an important head of family. An anonymous clerk, pen and paper in hand, walked through the palace from room to room, counting and recording the barrels of wine and the water urns; opening cabinets and chests; unfolding and examining clothes, fabrics, and tapestries; describing the paintings he saw on the walls; and unlocking jewel boxes and weighing and evaluating coins, medals, necklaces, brooches, rings, and cameos. The original document he produced has been lost, but a copy was made by another clerk in 1512. Richard Stapleford's critical translation of this document offers the reader a window onto the world of the Medici family, their palace, and the material culture that surrounded them.

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9780271056425

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Reviews

Man or citizen, nature or perfectibility, wholeness or alienation: Rousseau's readers have puzzled over the dichotomies that run through his thought and that seem to offer irreconcilable alternatives or tragic choices. In her insightful book, Denise Schaeffer runs straight through the breach of these either/or dilemmas by examining how Rousseau confronts his reader with alternatives in order to educate the reader's judgment in making the choices that necessarily confront us as beings that are, according to Rousseau, naturally good but corrupted in society. Schaeffer focuses on Emile, which Rousseau considered to be his best and most important work, by following the stages of Emile's education in judgment at the hands of his tutor, a process that at the same time educates the reader. Schaeffer's persuasive reading of Emile is itself an education in how to read Rousseau. --John T. Scott, University of California, Davis

Haven t most of us thought about how interesting it would be to poke through the possessions of a recently deceased rich-and-famous person? If you re one of those people, as I am, you ll find this book fascinating. Judith Anne Testa, Fra Noi

Rousseau on Education, Freedom, and Judgment is a splendid book. Denise Schaeffer treats an enormously complex question in a way that is simple, elegant, and altogether free of jargon. She first shows how each stage of Emile's education is always double--meant seriously, but also designed to prepare for its own supersession--and then reveals this educational sequence also at work in Rousseau's education of his reader. The quite considerable achievement of Schaeffer's book is to employ the same sequence in her own writing, where the straightforward political issue with which she begins is gradually deepened and gives way to the question of what it is about the human soul that requires this sort of indirect education. Rousseau on Education, Freedom, and Judgment will be regularly read by Rousseau scholars and advanced students, but owing to the accessibility, and really the beauty, of its prose, it will inevitably find its way to a broader audience of students of philosophy and political theory at every level. --Michael Davis, Sarah Lawrence College Denise Schaeffer's new book directs long-overdue attention to the place of judgment in Rousseau's political thought and presents a forceful challenge to those who believe that his conception of citizenship demands an unreflective identification with the community that precludes any exercise of critical judgment. Schaeffer presents a distinctive reading of Emile that brings out the profound significance of Rousseau's frequent repetitions, his apparent contradictions, and his curious device of introducing multiple versions of his principal characters--of Emile, of Sophie, and even of himself. By such literary inventions, Schaeffer argues, Rousseau demonstrates the cultivation of judgment in his protagonists and cultivates his readers' judgment. Readers who already possess the virtue of good judgment will want to read Schaeffer's new book; readers lacking such judgment need to read it. --Joseph R. Reisert, Colby College Most of Rousseau's readers think that he fears complexity, ambiguity, and tension. Schaeffer presents Rousseau as an indispensable guide to confronting these unavoidable features of our personal and political lives. Schaeffer's interpretation of Rousseau as a teacher of judgment is unprecedented but thoroughly convincing. Moreover, Schaeffer convinces me and will convince many others that we need Rousseau's account of judgment to deepen our understanding of reflective citizenship. This book consequently makes an important contribution not only to the study of Rousseau but also to the study of politics. --Jonathan Marks, Ursinus College Rousseau is often thought of as a thinker of incompatible extremes. Through her careful exposition of Rousseau's understanding of judgment, Denise Schaeffer joins those who see him, instead, as a thinker who uses critical examination of these extremes to locate a middle ground. In particular, she demonstrates that in Emile (and elsewhere in his works), Rousseau portrays not one but several educations, using their twists and turns to develop the judgment of his readers. Schaeffer contributes to this development of judgment by offering fresh interpretations and provocative judgments of her own. --Christopher Kelly, Boston College Man or citizen, nature or perfectibility, wholeness or alienation: Rousseau's readers have puzzled over the dichotomies that run through his thought and that seem to offer irreconcilable alternatives or tragic choices. In her insightful book, Denise Schaeffer runs straight through the breach of these either/or dilemmas by examining how Rousseau confronts his reader with alternatives in order to educate the reader's judgment in making the choices that necessarily confront us as beings that are, according to Rousseau, naturally good but corrupted in society. Schaeffer focuses on Emile, which Rousseau considered to be his best and most important work, by following the stages of Emile's education in judgment at the hands of his tutor, a process that at the same time educates the reader. Schaeffer's persuasive reading of Emile is itself an education in how to read Rousseau. --John T. Scott, University of California, Davis Haven't most of us thought about how interesting it would be to poke through the possessions of a recently deceased rich-and-famous person? If you're one of those people, as I am, you'll find this book fascinating. --Judith Anne Testa, Fra Noi This book would make a beneficial addition to university libraries and to the collection of scholars studying the Medici or the Italian Renaissance in general. It will make a wonderful resource for teaching the Renaissance, offering students the chance to engage with the household of one of the greatest families of the period and gain a greater understanding of these particular figures and of everyday life in a Florentine palazzo. --Elena Woodacre, Sixteenth Century Journal Lorenzo de' Medici at Home succeeds as a primary source for social, cultural, and Medici research and classroom use while also serving as a pleasurable view into the daily lives of the Florentine elite. --Tracy E. Robey, Renaissance Quarterly This book will be of considerable interest to art historians concerned with the social history of art, especially scholars of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his milieu. It will also be invaluable to scholars concerned with clothing and jewelry. In short, it will be a useful addition to the bibliographies of undergraduate and graduate courses in Renaissance art history. The notes are rich and highly instructive. --Paul Barolsky, University of Virginia This translation will be welcomed by teachers and scholars in every corner of the English-speaking world and will provide a useful and, in many ways, inexhaustible resource for many years to come. --Brian A. Curran, The Pennsylvania State University Haven t most of us thought about how interesting it would be to poke through the possessions of a recently deceased rich-and-famous person? If you re one of those people, as I am, you ll find this book fascinating. Judith Anne Testa, Fra Noi This book would make a beneficial addition to university libraries and to the collection of scholars studying the Medici or the Italian Renaissance in general. It will make a wonderful resource for teaching the Renaissance, offering students the chance to engage with the household of one of the greatest families of the period and gain a greater understanding of these particular figures and of everyday life in a Florentine palazzo. Elena Woodacre, Sixteenth Century Journal Lorenzo de Medici at Home succeeds as a primary source for social, cultural, and Medici research and classroom use while also serving as a pleasurable view into the daily lives of the Florentine elite. Tracy E. Robey, Renaissance Quarterly This book will be of considerable interest to art historians concerned with the social history of art, especially scholars of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his milieu. It will also be invaluable to scholars concerned with clothing and jewelry. In short, it will be a useful addition to the bibliographies of undergraduate and graduate courses in Renaissance art history. The notes are rich and highly instructive. Paul Barolsky, University of Virginia This translation will be welcomed by teachers and scholars in every corner of the English-speaking world and will provide a useful and, in many ways, inexhaustible resource for many years to come. Brian A. Curran, The Pennsylvania State University Haven t most of us thought about how interesting it would be to poke through the possessions of a recently deceased rich-and-famous person? If you re one of those people, as I am, you ll find this book fascinating. Judith Anne Testa, Fra Noi This book would make a beneficial addition to university libraries and to the collection of scholars studying the Medici or the Italian Renaissance in general. It will make a wonderful resource for teaching the Renaissance, offering students the chance to engage with the household of one of the greatest families of the period and gain a greater understanding of these particular figures and of everyday life in a Florentine palazzo. Elena Woodacre, Sixteenth Century Journal Lorenzo de Medici at Home succeeds as a primary source for social, cultural, and Medici research and classroom use while also serving as a pleasurable view into the daily lives of the Florentine elite. Tracy E. Robey, Renaissance Quarterly This book will be of considerable interest to art historians concerned with the social history of art, especially scholars of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his milieu. It will also be invaluable to scholars concerned with clothing and jewelry. In short, it will be a useful addition to the bibliographies of undergraduate and graduate courses in Renaissance art history. The notes are rich and highly instructive. Paul Barolsky, University of Virginia This translation will be welcomed by teachers and scholars in every corner of the English-speaking world and will provide a useful and, in many ways, inexhaustible resource for many years to come. Brian A. Curran, The Pennsylvania State University Haven't most of us thought about how interesting it would be to poke through the possessions of a recently deceased rich-and-famous person? If you're one of those people, as I am, you'll find this book fascinating. --Judith Anne Testa, Fra Noi This book would make a beneficial addition to university libraries and to the collection of scholars studying the Medici or the Italian Renaissance in general. It will make a wonderful resource for teaching the Renaissance, offering students the chance to engage with the household of one of the greatest families of the period and gain a greater understanding of these particular figures and of everyday life in a Florentine palazzo. --Elena Woodacre, Sixteenth Century Journal Lorenzo de' Medici at Home succeeds as a primary source for social, cultural, and Medici research and classroom use while also serving as a pleasurable view into the daily lives of the Florentine elite. --Tracy E. Robey, Renaissance Quarterly This book will be of considerable interest to art historians concerned with the social history of art, especially scholars of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his milieu. It will also be invaluable to scholars concerned with clothing and jewelry. In short, it will be a useful addition to the bibliographies of undergraduate and graduate courses in Renaissance art history. The notes are rich and highly instructive. --Paul Barolsky, University of Virginia This translation will be welcomed by teachers and scholars in every corner of the English-speaking world and will provide a useful and, in many ways, inexhaustible resource for many years to come. --Brian A. Curran, The Pennsylvania State University

Haven't most of us thought about how interesting it would be to poke through the possessions of a recently deceased rich-and-famous person? If you're one of those people, as I am, you'll find this book fascinating. -Judith Anne Testa, Fra Noi This book would make a beneficial addition to university libraries and to the collection of scholars studying the Medici or the Italian Renaissance in general. It will make a wonderful resource for teaching the Renaissance, offering students the chance to engage with the household of one of the greatest families of the period and gain a greater understanding of these particular figures and of everyday life in a Florentine palazzo. -Elena Woodacre, Sixteenth Century Journal Lorenzo de' Medici at Home succeeds as a primary source for social, cultural, and Medici research and classroom use while also serving as a pleasurable view into the daily lives of the Florentine elite. -Tracy E. Robey, Renaissance Quarterly This book will be of considerable interest to art historians concerned with the social history of art, especially scholars of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his milieu. It will also be invaluable to scholars concerned with clothing and jewelry. In short, it will be a useful addition to the bibliographies of undergraduate and graduate courses in Renaissance art history. The notes are rich and highly instructive. -Paul Barolsky, University of Virginia This translation will be welcomed by teachers and scholars in every corner of the English-speaking world and will provide a useful and, in many ways, inexhaustible resource for many years to come. -Brian A. Curran, The Pennsylvania State University

Haven't most of us thought about how interesting it would be to poke through the possessions of a recently deceased rich-and-famous person? If you're one of those people, as I am, you'll find this book fascinating. --Judith Anne Testa, Fra Noi This book would make a beneficial addition to university libraries and to the collection of scholars studying the Medici or the Italian Renaissance in general. It will make a wonderful resource for teaching the Renaissance, offering students the chance to engage with the household of one of the greatest families of the period and gain a greater understanding of these particular figures and of everyday life in a Florentine palazzo. --Elena Woodacre, Sixteenth Century Journal Lorenzo de' Medici at Home succeeds as a primary source for social, cultural, and Medici research and classroom use while also serving as a pleasurable view into the daily lives of the Florentine elite. --Tracy E. Robey, Renaissance Quarterly This book will be of considerable interest to art historians concerned with the social history of art, especially scholars of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his milieu. It will also be invaluable to scholars concerned with clothing and jewelry. In short, it will be a useful addition to the bibliographies of undergraduate and graduate courses in Renaissance art history. The notes are rich and highly instructive. --Paul Barolsky, University of Virginia This translation will be welcomed by teachers and scholars in every corner of the English-speaking world and will provide a useful and, in many ways, inexhaustible resource for many years to come. --Brian A. Curran, The Pennsylvania State University

Haven t most of us thought about how interesting it would be to poke through the possessions of a recently deceased rich-and-famous person? If you re one of those people, as I am, you ll find this book fascinating. </p> Judith Anne Testa, <em>Fra Noi</em></p>

Haven't most of us thought about how interesting it would be to poke through the possessions of a recently deceased rich-and-famous person? If you're one of those people, as I am, you'll find this book fascinating. --Judith Anne Testa, Fra Noi Lorenzo de' Medici at Home succeeds as a primary source for social, cultural, and Medici research and classroom use while also serving as a pleasurable view into the daily lives of the Florentine elite. --Tracy E. Robey, Renaissance Quarterly This book will be of considerable interest to art historians concerned with the social history of art, especially scholars of Lorenzo il Magnifico and his milieu. It will also be invaluable to scholars concerned with clothing and jewelry. In short, it will be a useful addition to the bibliographies of undergraduate and graduate courses in Renaissance art history. The notes are rich and highly instructive. --Paul Barolsky, University of Virginia This translation will be welcomed by teachers and scholars in every corner of the English-speaking world and will provide a useful and, in many ways, inexhaustible resource for many years to come. --Brian A. Curran, The Pennsylvania State University This book would make a beneficial addition to university libraries and to the collection of scholars studying the Medici or the Italian Renaissance in general. It will make a wonderful resource for teaching the Renaissance, offering students the chance to engage with the household of one of the greatest families of the period and gain a greater understanding of these particular figures and of everyday life in a Florentine palazzo. --Elena Woodacre, Sixteenth Century Journal

Author Information

Richard Stapleford is Professor of Art History at Hunter College, City University of New York.

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