Overview

Covering a period that witnessed the flowering of the Renaissance and the major expansion of the Italian silk industry, this volume examines the Italian silk fabrics depicted in paintings from Italy, England and the Netherlands over the course of 250 years. Lisa Monnas offers a masterly evaluation of these paintings as source material for classifying surviving textiles, giving particular attention to the identification of historic textile types and their weave structure. Monnas examines a wide range of subjects, including silk as a marker of social status, the material possessions of artists and their ownership of textiles as props, the involvement of painters in silk design, and the repetition and transfer of patterns. She considers the evidence of paintings not only for the veracity with which the silks are depicted but also for their value as a historic source concerning the use of fabrics.  

Full Product Details

9780300111170

Table of Contents

Reviews

An impressive and thorough study, and Monna's expertise is clear throughout...An excellent resource for students of the early modern period. Yale University Press typically produces beautiful art books, and Mercahnst, Princes and Painters is no exception. --;i>Sixteenth Century Journal --Jane C. Long Sixteenth Century Journal

An impressive and thorough study, and Monna's expertise is clear throughout...An excellent resource for students of the early modern period. Yale University Press typically produces beautiful art books, and Mercahnst, Princes and Painters is no exception. --Jane C. Long, Sixteenth Century Journal -- Jane C. Long * Sixteenth Century Journal * [A] densely written, carefully documented, and beautifully illustrated book. . . . Lisa Monnas's work is a superb contribution to the study of historical textiles, and her multidisciplinary approach is a model for scholars in the field. -Melinda Watt, Speculum--A Journal of Medieval Studies -- Melinda Watt * Speculum - A Journal of Medieval Studies * Chosen as an Outstanding Academic Title for 2009 by Choice Magazine * Choice *

An impressive and thorough study, and Monna''s expertise is clear throughout...An excellent resource for students of the early modern period. Yale University Press typically produces beautiful art books, and Mercahnst, Princes and Painters is no exception. --;i>Sixteenth Century Journal --Jane C. Long Sixteenth Century Journal

Author Information

Lisa Monnas is an independent scholar.

Tab Content 6

Customer Reviews

Recent Reviews

Countries Available