Enhanced descriptions from Syndetics:

This highly anticipated catalogue of sixteenth-century paintings from the distinguished collection of the National Gallery in London encompasses artists who were active in Bergamo, Brescia, and Cremona, cities characterized as much by the artistic interaction between them as by the influence of Venice. The artists include such well-known names as Lorenzo Lotto, Moretto, and Moroni, along with less familiar ones such as Bartolomeo Veneto and Callisto Piazza.
For each of the paintings, distinguished scholar and curator Nicholas Penny provides information about technique and materials, conservation and condition, and subject and iconography. An account of the painting's original patronage is followed by a discussion of changing tastes, interpretation, and how the picture was esteemed (or neglected) over the centuries. One third of the paintings catalogued here are portraits, and entries include fascinating sections on contemporary dress, furnishings, and accessories. An appendix provides an illuminating account of some of the great collectors and collections of the past.



Published by National Gallery Company/Distributed by Yale University Press

Reviews provided by Syndetics

Library Journal Review

This latest in a series of revised catalogs from the collection of the National Gallery in London focuses on artists who were active in the cities of Cremona, Bergamo, and Brescia, emphasizing northern and Venetian influences. Penny, senior curator of sculpture and decorative arts at the gallery, examines 17 artists in alphabetical order, providing a comprehensive biography and bibliography for each. He also provides useful information about each of the paintings, such as conservation techniques, condition, attribution, dating, provenance, original location, subject, iconography, original purpose, exhibitions, and loans. While many of the artists are unknown today (the most notable would be Lotto and Moroni), the lesser-known artists such as Bartolomeo Veneto were well regarded at the time. Altarpieces and portraiture influenced by Bellini are prevalent. A wealth of knowledge about both the original Italian and later English collectors as well as the 19th-century art market in London and art dealers can be found in the "Appendix of Collector's Biographies." A polished presentation that functions best as a quick reference source, this beautifully illustrated volume is an essential purchase for museum, academic, and large public libraries. [Prior volumes in the series include The Fifteenth Century Italian Paintings, Vol. 1, and The Italian Schools Before 1400.-Ed.]-Ellen Bates, New York (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

CHOICE Review

This is the latest entry in the exemplary new series of National Gallery catalogs that began to appear in the last decade. As with the preceding volumes, it is impeccably researched and sumptuously illustrated and presents copious amounts of information for each painting. Although the geographical area of northern Italy covered by this catalog excludes London's great collection of Venetian art (which will be covered in a subsequent volume), this book encompasses a number of fascinating works by artists such as Lotto, Moretto, Moroni, and Savoldo. The catalog entries not only cover the standard aspects one would expect to be addressed--such as attribution, condition, and subject--but also present extensive discussions of costume (particularly for portraits), original display or context, framing (both original and modern), and a wealth of other topics. One might quibble with the amount of space devoted to the history of collecting, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, as perhaps an issue that only a relatively narrow group of specialists might find intriguing; however, the strengths of the volume more than outweigh any shortcomings. ^BSumming Up: Essential. General readers; lower-division undergraduates through faculty. J. I. Miller California State University, Long Beach

Author notes provided by Syndetics

Nicholas Penny is Senior Curator of Sculpture and Decorative Arts at the National Gallery of Art, Washington. He was previously Keeper and Clore Curator of Renaissance Art at the National Gallery, London. Among his previous books are Giotto to Dürer, The Materials of Sculpture, and the National Gallery Pocket Guide, Frames, all available from Yale University Press.