Virtue and Beauty: Leonardo's Ginevra de' Benci and Renaissance Portraits of Women

Description

Celebrating the flowering of female portraiture, mainly in Florence, beginning in the latter half of the fifteenth century, this is an illustrated volume of paintings, sculpture, medals, and drawings. It includes the finest portraits of women by Filippo Lippi, Domenico Ghirlandaio, Antonio Pollaiuolo, Botticelli, Verrocchio, and Leonardo da Vinci.

David Alan Brown is Curator of Italian Renaissance Paintings at the National Gallery of Art.

"The catalogue essays give an excellent account of the motives behind the portraits ... the claiming of sexual and family territory, the presentation of the bride as property, and so on."--Robert Hughes, Time "[A] sumptuously illustrated catalogue."--Art Newspaper "The reassuringly glossy catalogue is modestly priced ... and, as an up-to-date work of reference, will easily outlive the exhibition."--Alison Wright, Burlington Magazine "[A] beautifully produced book ... [with] beautiful production values and breathtaking ... illustrations."--Victoria Keller, The Art Book "The book is useful for its emphasis on the social and cultural elements that determined the purpose and aesthetics of the portraits, and for bringing together such a superb collection of examples to aid in our understanding of how female portraiture developed during the Renaissance. The beautiful illustrations ... are a treat for the scholar and casual observer alike."--Lilian H. Zirpolo, Woman's Art Journal