Sculpture in the Age of Donatello

Both a stunning volume on the art and decoration of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, better known as the Duomo, and a major new survey of early Renaissance art, 'Sculpture in the Age of Donatell' examines the profound and lasting influence of Italian Renaissance artists Donatello, della Robbia and Ghiberti. Twenty-three masterpieces from the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo in Florence, including Giotto's Politico di Santa Reparata altarpiece panel, Donatello's remarkable marble sculpture Sacrifice of Isaac and della Robbia's series of plaques depicting the classical liberal arts, are accompanied by an extended commentary, together with colour plates and details. In addition, three illustrated essays by leading authors in Florentine and Renaissance art situate the specific works in the exhibition within the framework of biblical art in Florence. Encompassing an impressive range of key works, 'Sculpture in the Age of Donatello' is an outstanding interdisciplinary volume exploring seminal Renaissance artworks and the cathedral that housed them. AUTHOR: Mons. Timothy Verdon is an art historian trained at Yale University, director of both the Diocesan Office of Sacred Art and Cultural Heritage Ecclesiastical and the Museo dell'Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore. Author of books and articles in Italian and English on the subject of sacred art, he teaches at Stanford University (Florentine section). He writes regularly for the cultural page of L'Osservatore Romano, and in 2010 he conceived and organized the exhibition Jesus The Body, Face Art at the Reggia di Venaria Reale in Turin. Daniel Zolli is a doctoral candidate in Harvard University's History of Art & Architecture department. Amy R. Bloch is Assistant Professor of Art History at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). Marco Ciatti is director of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, Florence. 108 colour

Table of Contents:
Sponsor Statement Foreword by Richard P. Townsend, Director, Museum of Biblical Art, New York Foreword by Franco Lucchesi, President, Opera di Santa Maria del Fiore Florence Cathedral: Renaissance Sculpture, Sacred Scripture by Timothy Verdon "...with immense diligence and discipline": Lorenzo Ghiberti's North Doors and the Opificio delle Pietre Dure's Conservation and Restoration Project by Marco Ciatti Lorenzo Ghiberti, From the Early Workshop to the Gates of Paradise by Amy Bloch Donatello's Visions: The Sculptor at Florence Cathedral by Daniel Zolli The Catalogue The New Museo dell'Opera del Duomo by Timothy Verdon Bibliography Board Members and Staff Acknowledgments Index

About the Author :
Timothy Verdon is Director of the Museo dell'Opera del Duomo and Professor of Art History at the Stanford University Florence Center. He is Canon of Florence Cathedral and Director of the Office for Church Heritage of the Archdiocese of Florence. His publications include Francesco d'Assis negli Affreschi di Giotto, and the three-volume La cattedrale e la città saggi sul Duomo di Firenze. Atti del VII centenario del Duomo di Firenze, for which he was co-editor. Daniel M. Zolli is a doctoral candidate in Harvard's History of Art and Architecture Department, where he is completing a dissertation on Donatello's workshops. Amy R. Bloch is Assistant Professor of Art History at the University at Albany, State University of New York (SUNY). She has published essays on Ghiberti, Donatello, and the decoration of the Florence baptistery, and her book on Ghiberti's Gates of Paradise is forthcoming with Cambridge University Press. Marco Ciatti is Superintendent of the Opificio delle Pietre Dure, an institution of the Italian Ministry of Culture and world leader in the field of art restoration. He is also director of the Opificio's Conservation Laboratory for Easel Paintings and Textiles and teaches history and theory of conservation. Stefano Nicastri is an architect and art historian who has collaborated for many years with the Italian Ministry of Culture's Istituto Centrale per il Catalogo e la Documentazione in the areas of Renaissance and Baroque art and architecture.

Review :
No better guide is available than the fine catalogue that tells the story by way of scholarly but very readable essays and sumptuous illustrations--Marco Grassi, The New Criterion Delivers impressively sensitive images that capture the subtle textures and gestures of the sculptures--Canadian Art The copiously illustrated catalog is excellent--Christopher Knight, LA Times Superb catalog--Barrymore Laurence Scherer, The Wall Street Journal No better guide is available than the fine catalogue that tells the story by way of scholarly but very readable essays and sumptuous illustrations--Marco Grassi, The New CriterionDelivers impressively sensitive images that capture the subtle textures and gestures of the sculptures--Canadian ArtThe copiously illustrated catalog is excellent--Christopher Knight, LA TimesSuperb catalog--Barrymore Laurence Scherer, The Wall Street Journal