Fusco, Laurie S. (Laurie Smith)

Lorenzo de'Medici, collector and antiquarian / Laurie Fusco, Gino Corti.

New York : Cambridge University Press, 2004.

xxiii, 423 pages, 8 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some color), plans ; 29 cm

"Lorenzo de' Medici was a key figure in creating "The Renaissance." A patron of the arts in fifteenth century Florence, he dedicated himself even more to collecting objects from the past, documented in 173 unknown letters published here for the first time. This material provides the most ample picture of an early collector. Lorenzo acquired ancient sculptures to embellish his palace, but his predilection was for small objects - coins, hardstone vases, and gems. He collected objects from post-Antique times as well. To build his collection Lorenzo developed contacts that spanned Italy, France, and the Levant. However, his main source was the Roman dealer Giovanni Ciampolini, whose scandalous behavior demonstrates gamesmanship in the art market, true then as now. The book reveals how objects were studied, where they were displayed, the criteria for selecting them, and their monetary worth, and it examines the public and private sides of Lorenzo as a collector. After his death, others were eager to obtain his objects, and information about early collectors highlights where the collector Lorenzo was unique."--Jacket.

0521452457 (hardcover)
9780521452458 (hardcover)

Medici, Lorenzo de', 1449-1492 Art collections.
Medici, Lorenzo de', 1449-1492.
Art Private collections Italy Florence.
Art Collectors and collecting Italy Florence History 15th century.
Antiquities Collection and preservation History 15th century.
Art Collections privées Italie Florence.
Art Collectionneurs et collections Italie Florence Histoire 15e siècle.
Antiquités Collections et conservation Histoire 15e siècle.
Antiquities Collection and preservation.
Art Collectors and collecting.
Art Private collections.
Italy Florence.

History.

Corti, Gino.

Localisation: Bibliothèque main 244761
Cote: BIB 174420
Statut: Disponible