Photo: Hirmer Verlag
Art and culture in Italy
The book “Bellsissimo! – Italienische Malerei von der Gotik bis zur Renaissance” offers a comprehensive insight into the rich history and culture of Italian painting. It begins with a greeting from the Lord Mayor of the City of Freiburg, Martin W. W. Horn, and the Italian Ambassador to Germany, Armando Varricchio, who emphasize the cultural and historical significance of Italian painting and the close connection between Germany and Italy. The authors and editors, including Jutta Götzmann and Roland Krischke, offer a well-founded introduction to the diverse world of Italian art and shed light on the significance of the works in the context of their time and beyond.
© Lindenau-Museum Altenburg, Photo: punctum/Bertram Kober
Development of Italian painting
A central theme of the book is the development of painting and urban culture in Italy between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. The author Dieter Blume describes how economic and intellectual progress in the Italian city states of the 13th century ushered in a new era of art and culture. Changing social and religious needs led to an increase in the production of panel paintings, which were used both in churches and in the private sphere. They reflected the changing demands of believers and patrons and produced masterpieces that are still important today and have had a lasting influence on European art.
© Lindenau-Museum Altenburg, Photo: punctum/Bertram Kober
From the altar to the museum
The book also focuses on Italian altarpieces from the 13th to 16th centuries and their journey from the church to the museum. Eva Maria Breisig shows in detail how many of these works were removed from their original contexts and museumized in the course of secularization and changing tastes. The relocation of the altarpieces to the museum has fundamentally changed their perception. They are now regarded as autonomous works of art, stripped of their original liturgical and sacred meaning. However, this change also enables a new perspective on the works of art. They can now be appreciated from a purely aesthetic and art-historical perspective, which increases their value and significance in the art world.
© Lindenau-Museum Altenburg, Photo: punctum/Bertram Kober
Works of art in a new light
The book concludes with an outlook on the significance of the works on display and their role in today’s art world. The book accompanying the exhibition “Bellissimo!” impressively demonstrates the development of Italian painting and its influence on European art history. The works collected by Bernhard August von Lindenau in the 19th century offer a unique opportunity to experience the diversity of Italian art. The exhibition at the Augustinermuseum Freiburg provides a new perspective on these treasures and their cultural and historical significance, inviting visitors to rediscover these magnificent works of art and better understand the connection between past and present.
Data
| Original title | Bellsissimo! – Italienische Malerei von der Gotik bis zur Renaissance |
| Translation | Bellsissimo! – Italian painting from the Gothic to the Renaissance |
| Editor | Eva Maria Breisig, Jutta Götzmann |
| Authors | D. Blume, E. M. Breisig, C. Daly, B. Eclercy, T. Ertel, W. Fastenrath-Vinattieri, J. Götzmann, H. Haug, R. Krischke, S. Kunz, N. Rowley, B. Rux, J. Schäfer, C. B. Strehlke, E. Zappasodi |
| Publisher | Hirmer Verlag |
| Cover | Softcover |
| Pages | 336 pages, 300 illustrations in color |
| Language | German |
| Dimensions | 24 x 28 cm |
| ISBN | 978-3-7774-4286-0 |
| Price | 49,90 € |
Further information
Further information about the book “Bellsissimo! -Italian Painting from the Gothic to the Renaissance” (DE) (Advertising) can be found on the Hirmer Verlag website.
Compliance
The book was kindly made available to us by the publisher. The presentation and rating of HYPERMADE remains independent of this and is based solely on the content of the book.
