Lorenzo de'Medici, Collector of Antiquities: Collector and Antiquarian

Description

Lorenzo de' Medici was a key figure in the creation of the Renaissance. An important patron of the arts in fifteenth century Florence, he was also a passionate collector of objects from antiquity and the post-antique period. His activities as a collector are documented in a group of 173 letters, previously unknown and published here for the first time, which provide the most complete picture of a well-known and historically important collector. As revealed in these letters, Lorenzo acquired sculpture to embellish his palace, but his real predilection was for small objects: coins, hardstone vases, and gems. His main source was the Roman dealer Giovanni Ciampolini, whose scandalous behavior demonstrates the gamesmanship of the art market. This book reveals how objects were studied, where they were displayed, the criteria for their selection, and their monetary worth.

0521452457 This important, comprehensive book investigates the collecting activity of Lorenzo de' Medici, among the most important figures of the Italian Renaissance. Based on extensive documentation, including 173 previously unpublished letters transcribed by Corti, it is immediately a standard resource on the subject. [...] With broad interdisciplinary appeal and an exemplary scholarly apparatus of notes, bibliography, documents, and photographs... this book will be indispensable on the subject and is a must for academic libraries. -- Choice