Product Description
For undergraduate courses after the introductory survey. Suitable also as supplement to the introductory survey. Suitable also for junior-senior-level and specialized courses.Part of Prentice Hall's Perspectives series of moderately priced, heavily illustrated, high-quality paperback books on specific subjects in art history, this book discusses the art of Rome in the Renaissance in the context of its patronage. ... Read more

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Art, Memory and Family in Renaissance Florence examines the relationship between the production of objects and the production of memory and history in fifteenth-century Florence.Recent studies of Florence by cultural, social, political and economic historians have resulted in a considerable knowledge of family life in this period and the significance of family, kin and neighborhood in the social and political life of the city. Investigating the means and modes of formulating and recording those relationships, the essays gathered in this study consider the interconnections among society, art and memory. ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1954 and having gone through several editions, this comprehensive book remains the authoritative source in the field. This paperback edition includes all of the three hundred fifty illustrations from the original edition, as well as the complete and unabridged text.Its text and illustrations reveal the symbolism inherent in representations of religious personages, the Earth and Sky, animals, birds, insects, and flowers.In addition to a discussion of objects treated symbolically in Christian art, George Ferguson explores Old Testament characters and events and their symbolic representation in art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Great Reference
This book is a treasure of information.Thorough and exhaustive, this book is a well designed reference for anyone wanting to learn a little more about Renaissance and medieval art.The index is designed for the reader who wants to quickly find the meaning of a particular symbol or find the symbols used for a particular saint or event.Quicker than an internet search I find myself referring to this book over and over again.

Signs & Symbols in Christian Art
This is just an awesome book. We are using it for homeschool art class. It is full of interesting facts about different symbols in Christian art and more. I find this book very interesting.

Great reference book for any art student or just a good book of interest.
Arrived two days AHEAD of schedule, was packaged neatly and securly.
Although it was used, it had very little wear and tear on it.I got this for a art history report on the Byzantine mosaics (Christian) and a lot of the symbols in the art work have been defined in this book. Overall well worth the price and just plain interesting.

Excellent portable guide
When I bought this book, I needed a quick and dirty reference to religious symbolism in western art--I was pleased and surprised to find out that it's small, lightweight, and therefore portable when I visit museums.(Why don't more publishers consider weight and size when they print books for travelers? Lonely Planet and DK, I'm looking at you.)

Its easy size belies the incredible amount of useful information it contains; there are fourteen sections covering everything from the significance of certain animals to religious garments to a brief hagiography for commonly portrayed saints.About one-third of the book is a set of reproductions (sadly b&w in this edition) of famous renaissance religious paintings.There's no discussion or explanation accompanying the paintings--which is the only thing I don't like about the book.

And if you read one of the earlier reviews and are wondering about the chocolate mouse in Rosemary's Baby, it's a reference to mice as a symbol of evil because of their destructiveness.

Great reference guide
I use this book frequently, especially when studying art books of Christian art as well as during a recent Bible study of the Book of Exodus.This was an invaluable guide to the symbolism used in art and the various meanings.For example, when studying the symbolic meaning of the priests robes of the Old Testament, the meaning of the pomegranate for the OT and NT is significant.In the OT, the pomegranate stood for the 613 Mosaic laws (the pomegranate was thought to contain 613 seeds).In the NT, the pomegranate is the symbol for the resurrection of Christ.The Hebrews believed following the law led them to God.For the Christian, belief in Jesus' death and resurrection leads to God!Enjoy this read. ... Read more

Product Description
Starting from an inventory and other documents, Ann Roberts has identified some 30 works of art that originated from the convent of San Domenico of Pisa. She here examines those objects commissioned for and made by the nuns during the fifteenth century; some of the objects included have never before been published. One of her goals in this study is to bring into the discussion of Renaissance art a body of images that have been previously overlooked, because they come from a non-Florentine context and because they do not fit modern notions of the "development" of Renaissance style. She also analyzes the function of the images - social as well as religious - within the context of a female Dominican convent. Finally, she offers descriptions of and documentation for the process of patronage as it was practiced by cloistered women, and the making of art in such enclosures.The author presents a catalogue of works, which gives basic data and bibliography for the objects described in the text.Roberts offers other valuable resources in the appendices, including unpublished C19th inventories of the objects in the convent at various moments; documents regarding the commission of works of art for the convent; letters written by the nuns; a list of the Prioresses of San Domenico; lists of nuns at different points in the fifteenth and early sixteenth century; and a list of the relics owned by the convent in the sixteenth century.Roberts firmly grounds her interpretation in the values of the Order to which the nuns belonged, and in the political and social concerns of their city. ... Read more

Product Description
Balletic homicide on the duelling field; stabbing and wrestling in tavern brawls; deceits and brutalities in street affrays; mounted encounters by armoured knights locked in desperate hand-to-hand combat - these were the martial arts of Renaissance Europe. In this book Sydney Anglo, a leading historian of the Renaissance and its symbolism, provides the first complete study of the martial arts from the late fifteenth to the late seventeenth centuries. The twentieth century has been captivated by oriental martial arts and their roots within Eastern societies. Yet the West too, as Anglo shows, developed its own styles of ritualised combat, similarly linked to contemporary social and scientific concerns. During the Renaissance physical exercise was regarded as central to the education of knights and gentlemen. Soldiers wielded a variety of weapons on the battlefield, and it was normal for civilians to carry swords and know how to use them. In schools across the continent, professional masters-of-arms were the artists who taught the lethal skills necessary to survive in a society where violence was endemic and life cheap.These ancient masters-of-arms, anxious to advertise their skills and record them for posterity, have left a wealth of evidence to reconstruct and illustrate their arts - much of it used here for the first time: detailed scholarly treatises, sketches by jobbing artists or magnificent images by D|rer and Cranach, descriptions of real combat, and an abundance of weapons and armour. With copious and precise illustration, Anglo explains the significance of martial arts in Renaissance education and everyday life. His book provides the fullest illustrated account of the social implications of one-to-one combat training. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

The Mounted Joust
excellent product. Has many references and descriptions of tools used in the art of the tournament.

The Best Study of European Martial Skills Yet Published!
I was astounded to find this book. By far, it the best academic study of Western fighting arts I have found. The focus is on the role of martial training in the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It was a violent and dangerous era, and people in all strata of society, be they soldiers or civilians, honest citizens or criminals, learned what skills they could to survive on the battlefield or in the streets. Not only is the text outstanding, but the book has been thoroughly illustrated with art from the time periods covered.

Some of the subjects covered within:
-Foot combat with swords: myth and reality
-Sword fighting: vocabulary and taxonomy
-Arms and armor
-Mounted combat

Interesting, though his conclusions are debatable
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book (I skipped around alot, it is extremely dense), and I agree with the many others who have stated that this is a ground-breaking encyclopedic tour of the history of fencing. I also wholeheartedly agree that historical fencing should be viewed as a full-fledged martial art ("fencing" is not synonymous with "modern sport fencing").

I do have problems with many of his conclusions, which seem to lack a martial or fencing perspective. Mr. Anglo is certainly a serious researcher and historian, but he's clearly no fencer. He seems to miss a main point, namely, that such martial arts were never entirely taught via treatises, and the lack of treatises or the failure of specific types of notation within existing treatises does not at all imply that the art didn't exist, wasn't effective, or wasn't taught.

This is a very interesting book, with some great pictures, diagrams, and summaries of very important historical fencing sources. Just be wary of the author's conclusions, interpretations, and overall perspective.

3.5 / 5

Essential Reading
Anglo's groundbreaking work is definitely one of the most influential treatises on Renaissance combat ever written.Seldom does an author write so in depth and cover so much material.

Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe is fascinating from the first page; Anglo pens right toward the meat of the topic.Rather than reiterating what other authors have said and said again, Anglo only briefly mentions those sources widely available or quoted, instead preferring to bring light to those relatively unknown sources with which few are familiar, but which deserve much more acclaim.This book is not a light read by any standards; it should keep the most erudite of scholars busy for days.The further one reads into this book, the more one realizes he didn't know.

Anglo makes every effort to cram information into every page, but does so with the witty flair of a seasoned writer who knows how to keep his audience interested.He provides ample photographs, scans, copies, and illustrations to underscore his study of Renaissance fighting, but does not drown the reader in unnecessary artwork.He covers more facets of Renaissance martial arts than most other authors even mention, from the methods of instruction to the evolution of combat.Affording a separate chapter to each style of personal defense - swordsmanship, barefisted brawling, polearm use, and the like - Anglo opens up a door to history that has never been opened before, and many anxious scholars are graciously pouring through.

As he points out himself, the history of Renaissance martial arts is one that is very much neglected, both by historians and by martial artists.Historians generally shy away from warfare and fighting, and, apart from mentioning the outcome of a few major battles, barely acknowledge the existence of violence. Many martial artists tend to focus on technique, without much regard for history.Anglo has broken the barrier, and gave those scholars - both martial and historical - who crave to know a means through which to do it.

Overall, this book is excellent.It is a unique and thorough view of the Renaissance that has yet to be matched.Martial Arts of Renaissance Europebelongs in the library of martial artists of Western and Eastern heritages alike: required reading for any fan of martial history.

A must for serious European martial artists
One of the greatest problems facing modern enthusiasts of our European martial history is the availability (or lack there of) of scholarly study from the viewpoint of the period in which these arts were practiced.Too often they are approached from a standpoint of their applications in sport fencing or stage combat.Anglo has tried very hard to separate himself from these ties and look at the arts from their position in history, and while he occasionally falls shy, in most instances he succeeds remarkably well.
As a practitioner of medieval combat I was pleased to see many of the theories and postulations many of us have espoused borne out and explained in a scholarly text.The case Anglo makes for a systematic basis for training well before the Renaissance is well stated and helps to legitimize the work reenactors are performing today.As others have stated, this is not a "how to" manual, but is rather an indispensable tool to assist in researching masters and understanding the environment in which these skills were used.I have informed all my students and friends in the field that this book needs to be in their collection.I am certain I will reference it many times in the future. ... Read more

Product Description

Focusing on select examples of Italian art spanning roughly four hundred years, Italian Renaissance Art: A Sourcebook explores contextual, explanatory information that is rarely part of general surveys of the period. Artists’ chronologies are at the core of this text providing overviews of artists’ careers with timelines of their activities and commentary on significant works. The book also uniquely incorporates numerous drawings, diagrams, and line arts as a means of allowing the reader to develop a fuller idea of the art of the period, Supporting the artists’ chronologies are chapters devoted to historical notes and a glossary of terms, and concluding chapters offer in–depth information on select examples of Renaissance patrons and cities.

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Product Description
Childbirth in Renaissance Italy was encouraged, celebrated, and commemorated with a wide range of objects, from wooden bowls and maiolica wares to paintings, sculpture, clothing, and food. This groundbreaking book examines for the first time these highly significant objects and what they meant to the individuals and society that created, purchased, and bestowed them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

great on the art...lacks on the ritual
i was doing research on the topic and had hoped the book to be a good resource.the collection of photos was excellent; clearly presented if you are looking for examples of italian renaissance birth objects and art.but where this book falls short is the author's lack of knowledge and material on the ritual of childbirth during this time period.basically, her information is mostly noted by evaluating the obvious in the scenes of the paintings; for example, rarely are men seen in the paintings, therefore it is a women centered event.

since the word 'ritual' is in the title, i anticipated there would be documentation of some kind on it in the text.the author kept referring to the fact that there wasn't any real historical documentation on the subject throughout her book.so why include 'ritual' in the title?why not just call it what it is...the art of childbirth in renaissance italy. ... Read more

Product Description

In this series accomplished authors accurately cover arange of subjects using up-to-date methodologies and impressive visualformats. This is the first book to present a broad overview of the art ofthe Renaissance from Northern Europe within its historical context. KEYTOPICS: It includes well known works and artists as well as a diverseselection of novel and intriguing images. It discusses issues and ideas ofinterest today, such as the status of women, elite vs. popular inspiration,and art as an instrument of propaganda, among others and providescomprehensive coverage of the Netherlands, Germany, and France in the 15thand 16th centuries.

Customer Reviews (8)

Great introduction to North European renaissance art
Renaissance art from Northern Europe is probably my favourite period in visual arts. While the Italian Renaissance is usually considered to be of more importance, this book should go a long way to convince anyone that the Burgundian Netherlands produced just as enjoyable (and historically important) innovations as the Italians did.

The angle the book takes is one of creating a historical framework in which the artists lived and worked. This is immensely successful. For example, Harbison clearly illuminates the artistic reasons the artistic goals that made North European artists reject the scientific system of perspective so often touted as the evidence of Italian supremacy.

The book roughly covers the period 1450-1575, a period in which contains enormous changes in artistic æsthetics, and these changes are clearly illustrated in the book. If one flaw is to be found, it is that the focus is that the period up until the early 1500s recieves the greatest deal of attention, but this is probably due to the fact that relatively little have been written about it compared to the late period of the books scope, which I suggest is mostly added to create overlapping continuity with other books; inarguably a most noble goal.

I believe the book is intended as an introduction to the period for undergraduate art history students, but it should be easilly readable for the dilettante (unlike my field, musicology, art history at this level only contains a rather small specialized vocabulary). In general, I think that any interested reader should find this an overcomeable read; keep a dictionary close if in doubt. Highly recommended!

Mirror of the Artist--
The paperback edition of this book arrived in excellent condition. THe price was affordable and thedelivery prompt.

.
I got the book in a timely manner and it was in good condition, just like they said.

Must have for art historians!
Art historian and art history student must hav.The book contains fabulous images and amazing insight into the period in which the images were created.

PERFECT!
THIS BOOK ARRIVED WITH PERFECT TIMING AND CONDITION!
I WAS VERY PLEASED! ... Read more

Product Description
Students and scholars of the Italian Renaissance easily fall under the spell of its achievements: its self-confident humanism, its groundbreaking scientific innovations, its ravishing artistic production. Yet many of the developments in Italian ceramics and glass were made possible by Italy's proximity to the Islamic world. The Arts of Fire underscores how central the Islamic influence was on this luxury art of the Italian Renaissance. Published to coincide with an exhibition at the Getty Museum on view from May 4 to August 5, 2004, The Arts of Fire demonstrates how many of the techniques of glass and ceramic production and ornamentation were first developed in the Islamic East between the eighth and twelfth centuries. These techniques - enamel and gilding on glass and tin-glaze and lustre on ceramics - produced brilliant and colourful decoration that was a source of awe and admiration, transforming these crafts, for the first time, into works of art and true luxury commodities. Essays by Catherine Hess, George Saliba, and Linda Komaroff demonstrate early modern Europe's debts to the Islamic world and help us better understand the interrelationships of cultures over time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Graced with a map, 61 color images and 17 b/w illustrations
Compiled and deftly edited by Catherine Hess (Associate Curator of Sculpture, Getty Museum), The Arts Of Fire: Islamic Influences On Glass And Ceramics Of The Italian Renaissance is informationally enhanced by the contributions of George Saliba (Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science, Columbia University) and Linda Komaroff (curator of Islamic Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art). Graced with a map, 61 color images and 17 b/w illustrations, The Arts Of Fire showcases luxury glass and ceramic objects made by Italian artists and craftsmen during the 15th and 16th centuries -- an era considered to be a high point in Renaissance art. What's less well known is that none of these wonderful creations would have been possible without the introduction of the technological and formal advances in the art and production of glass and ceramic ware imported into Italy from contacts within the Islamic East where they were originally developed and practiced. Also available in a hardcover edition (0892367571, $65.00), The Arts Of Fire is a superb and enthusiastically recommended addition to personal, professional, and academic Art History reference collections, The Arts Of Fire is a joy to simply page through and will leave the reader wondering what other treasures the Getty Museum has within its collections. ... Read more

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Product Description
Discover the art of the Northern and Italian Renaissance, from the 14th to the 16th century.

Here is a beautiful, thought-provoking and highly informative guide to understanding the Renaissance. Superb color reproductions of paintings, sculptures and sketches, clear artworks and authoritative text from an established art historian offer a fresh "eyewitness" insight into appreciation of the momentous and influential art of the Renaissance era. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

An Excellent Reference Book for the Renaissance Period
For those of you who like to read historical fiction or non fiction likeThe Prince orThe Passion of Artemesia, this Eyewitness book gives you all the background information you need to enjoy your reading on a much deeper level.It makes the period and its people come alive.
The Eyewitness series is beautifully illustrated and meticulously researched.
It combines extensive art history with politics and all of the important movements of the time period.
I cannot recommend this book too highly-you will find your self using it over and over.

Great book, terrific value!
This high quality, hardcover art history book discusses various aspects of the northern and Italian Renaissance.It features countless reproductionsof paintings, drawings, and sculptures by virtually every Renaissanceartist you can imagine.Also included are interesting historicalinformation and little-known facts about some of the best-known works ofart.Suitable for use in study by art teachers and art enthusiasts alike. Looking through this book is like walking through several Italian andFrench art galleries!Exceptional value! ... Read more

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Product Description

This volume provides new historical and literary insights into the Harlem Renaissance, returning attention to it not only as a broad expression of artistic work but also as a movement that found catharsis in art and hope in resistance.

By examining such major figures of the era as Jessie Fauset, Paul Robeson, and Zora Neale Hurston, the contributors reframe our understanding of the interplay of art, politics, culture, and society in 1920s Harlem. The fourteen essays explore the meaning and power of Harlem theater, literature, and art during the period; probe how understanding of racial, provincial, and gender identities originated and evolved; and reexamine the sociopolitical contexts of this extraordinary black creative class. Delving into these topics anew, The Harlem Renaissance Revisited reconsiders the national and international connections of the movement and how it challenged clichéd interpretations of sexuality, gender, race, and class. The contributors show how those who played an integral role in shattering stereotypes about black creativity pointed the way toward real freedom in the United States, in turn sowing some of the seeds of the Black Power movement.

A fascinating chapter in the history of the African American experience and New York City, the cultural flowering of the Harlem Renaissance reverberates today. This thought-provoking combination of social history and intellectual art criticism opens this powerful moment in history to renewed and dynamic interpretation and sharper discussion.

Customer Reviews (6)

Boxer Jack Johnson "represented black power in its fullest form: intelligent, ... jet black and able to crush white hegemony"
Open at random any one of the 14 essays in THE HARLEM RENAISSANCE REVISITED: POLITICS, ARTS, AND LETTERS. Read that essay and see you don't then hunger for 13 more. They are all good, all provocative, all about "The New Negro," the Harlem Renaissance (1919 - 1935). They showcase black men and women who made both previously "supreme" whites and downtrodden blacks take a second, more admiring look at black men and women -- their art, their language, their corporate culture, their physical attributes and their politics. Connecticut Professor of HistoryJeffrey O. G. Ogbar, has carefully selected 14 different writers, each with much worth reading and pondering.

I took my own advice offered above and opened five of the 14 essays at random. I chose one to review a bit more fully and four others for you to sip a drop or two from.

(I.) Chapter Eleven: "Jack Johnson, Paul Robeson, and the Hypermasculine African American Uebermensch" by Paula Marie Seniors. Of the 21 pages of this essay, fully five-plus pages are footnotes. All 14 essays are scholarly. This one has the largest academic addenda. The essay is very, very good and convincing. But it might be nearly a page shorter if the author, a young prize-winning scholar teaching at Virginia Tech, had not exuberantly repeated a score of times "Hypermasculine African American Uebermensch."

Her prototypical black heroes of masculinity are the heavyweight boxer John Arthur "Jack" Johnson (1878 - 1946) and Renaissance man and all around athlete Paul Robeson (1898 - 1976).

Johnson, "the Galveston Giant," was flamboyant. He had three white wives, he rubbed his blackness in white men's faces. When Johnson won the heavy weight boxing title in 1908, no less than Jack London called for a "great white hope" to emerge and restore the honor of white males. One did arise. Former undefeated world champ James J. Jeffries came out of retirement and was worn down to a TKO. Boxer Jack Johnson "represented black power in its fullest form: intelligent, strong, muscled, impenetrable, jet black and able to crush white hegemony uncompromisingly."


* * *

Who has not heard of Paul Robeson. As singer of "Old Man River," sure. But as polyglot linguist? As All American footballer? As general Renaissance man? He was big. He was black. He was cosmopolitan. He was fearless of fascists American and elsewhere. And he showed white people everywhere what talents they could expect coming generations of black males to reveal.

(II) Snatches from four other essays selected at random:

-- (A) Chapter Ten. Wallace Thurman's 1929 novel THE BLACKER THE BERRY immortalized the folk saying, "The blacker the berry, / the sweeter the juice." Its heroine is Emma Lou Morgan. She did not mind being black, but Emma Lou, mistakenly, saw herself as TOO black, and that ruined her life till she came to terms with it.

--(B) "So the Girl Marries" is Chapter Four's theme: the 1928 Harlem high society wedding between soon to be revealed bisexual poet Countee Cullen and Nina Yolande Du Bois, daughter of the legendary black genius Dr W. E. B. Du Bois. The marriage lasted only a few months. But it inspired a stage play, YOLANDE, KNOCK ME A KISS. You can't understand the Harlem Renaissance without grasping the good and bad sides of Mr and Mrs Countee Cullen.

-- (C) Chapter Eight is all about the American Protestant "song sermon." When enslaved and transported African minstrels were converted to Christianity, they started retelling Bible stories in a Mandingo way: with acting, singing, dancing and active audience/congregation action and reaction. Their lineal discendants, the Spirit-filled black Protestant preachers, constitute perhaps black America's greatest contribution to culture.

-- (D) Chapter Three is about the spirituality behind the music -- all the music, secular and religious -- of Duke Ellington. Duke took the jazz that made him and his band famous in Harlem's Cotton Club into the cathedral. "Ellington took the Cotton Club concepts of elaborate ideas and precision pacing into church." His three sacred concerts (1965, 1968, 1973) were sublime show business, with "dancing, instrumental and vocal solos, luscious ensemble work (and) choirs."

Essayist Frank A. Salamone does not mention another link to a key figure of the Harlem Renaissance (1919 - 1935), boxer Jack Johnson. A nightclub that Johnson opened in Harlem in 1920 was sold in 1923 and renamed The Cotton Club. What goes around, comes around.

This is an almost perfect book. A great editor. Pretty fair writing. Important history of black Americans who made a difference. Much of the scholarship is derivative, but the originals selected are cited and the selecting was mighty fine.

-OOO-

A book of 14 essays on an important period in the "arts", but more of a textbook than a casual read.
This book gathers 14 essays on the various portions of the Harlem Renaissance and cover music (Duke Ellington; Paul Robeson), literature, and other arts. Though the essays are brief each comes with nearly a page of footnotes making it more of a textbook than a mass-market non-fiction history of a culture. I can see this being used in an African American studies program in high school or at a university.THERE it might be used as an introduction.

For the casual reader - especially one who doesn't want to switch back and forth between the main text and the numbered footnotes - there are better books out there on the subject.

Steve Ramm
"Anything Phonographic"

lamb stew and curried goat
under the name of ogbar as rubric, jeffrey o. g. ogbar shepards a herd of fourteen academics from different countries.there are several goats in his fold, nibbling away in the green pastures of the harlem renaissance, finding fault, instead of celebration, with the designated appellation.randy and rapacious within their enclosure they question and trod new paths to consider.

some of the fourteen offerings:

the harlem renaissance as an abstraction is jacob s. dorman's thesis in his Back to Harlem, focusing on the harlem renaissance as home of the hardpressed worker instead of the celebrated lovable gangsters and entertainers:
`Examining everyday life and work patterns in 1920s Harlem illustrates that the abstracted Harlem of the literary imagination is an inadequate replacement for the knowledge of Harlem to be gleaned through social history.Harlem's black workers inspired and helped create the abstraction of Harlem ...'

in Jack Johnson, Paul Robeson, and the Hypermasculine African American Ubermensch, paula marie seniors in her highly accessible essay discusses the black `renaissance' man.

at work in the field of the lord, is mckinley melton with his paper Speak It into Existence on james weldon johnson's Trombones of God, and his neat reverent declaration of the african american preacher and the sermon as song grounded in hebrew scripture and folk song.

shawn anthony christian critiques in detail the film Brother to Brother, in his essay Between Black Gay Men.readers of his essay should see the film before reading the essay; otherwise, any pleasure in the unfolding story will be ruined.

maxim matusevich explores the sway of stalin's soviet union on african americans of the era in "Harlem Globetrotters".jacqueline c. jones contributes "So the Girl Marries" on the marriage between yolande dubois, daughter of w.e.b. dubois, and the poet, countee cullen.the haitian novelist and literary critic, myriam j. a. chancy, writes of claude mckay's extensive travels and of zora neale hurston's time in haiti, in Border Crossings.

that ogbar's flock has waxed fat on their eating makes for much food for thought, while leaving plenty for the curious general reader to savor.

Scholarly Reconsideration of an Important Period
Title The Harlem Renaissance Revisited: Politics, Arts, and Letters
Author Ogbar G., Jeffrey O.
Rating ****
Tags


This book is a collection of fourteen scholarly essays on the Harlem Renaissance, that flowering of black culture in the U.S. in the 1920s and 30s. It centered on Harlem, and is most known for its impact on the arts, but it involved intellectual pursuits across the spectrum. Editor Ogden divides the essays into five parts: Aesthetics and the New Negro; Class and Place in Harlem; Literary Icons Reconsidered; Gender Constructions; and Politics and the New Negro. The New Negro was a concept that was an integral part of the Harlem Renaissance, and also the title of one of the era's definitive books, an anthology of black writing edited by Alain Locke.

As usual in an anthology, the essays vary in quality. Some tend to suffer from an overabundance of academic terminology. Some are less interesting than others. Among the stand outs are "No Negro Renaissance: Hubert H. Harrison and the Role of the New Negro Literary Critic" , which discusses Harrison's critique of the Harlem Renaissance in which he argued that calling the period a Renaissance diminished great Negro artists of prior years; and "Harlem Globe-Trotters: Black Sojourners in Stalin's Soviet Union" about the African Americans who traveled to the Soviet Union and found an acceptance they could not find in other countries, certainly not in the United States.

Editor Ogden is to be commended for book's production values. Each essay has footnotes following the essay as well as a bibliography. Brief biographies of the contributors follow the essays, as does the most outstanding feature, an index of the whole work. For example, if you look up "Du Bois, W. E. B." you get every page he was referenced in all the essays.

It is a well-done work, overall, though probably is not the book to read for an introduction to the Harlem Renaissance. It is a valuable work for scholars of the era, bringing in fresh ideas about an important period in history.


Publication The Johns Hopkins University Press (2010), Paperback, 272 pages
Publication date 2010
ISBN 0801894611 / 9780801894619

Great supplemental reading for Harlem Renaissance fans
I am thrilled to have come across this book. I am working on a PhD in American literature with a focus in African American literature and Queer Theory. This book covers the intersections of race and sexuality within the Harlem Renaissance and offers some refreshing new insights for thought and discussion concerning the "New Negro" and queer politics.
I haven't finished the book yet, but the few essays I have read have me very excited to keep picking up the book until it is finished.
If you are interested in artists/writers such as Hurston, Hughes, Cullen, Fauset etc., this book is a must. Very pleased. ... Read more

Product Description
Cosme Tura was the first great artist from Ferrara, one of the major artistic centers of Renaissance Italy. This book offers a new and wide-ranging approach to his life and stylistically idiosyncratic works, placing both in the context of Ferrara`s religious, political, and intellectual milieu. ... Read more

Product Description
More than a dozen of the most respected names in medieval and Renaissance scholarship have come together to present a variety of fighting lore from the rich heritage of the European fight masters, circa 1350 to 1675.

The list of legendary fighters and instructors contained within these pages reads like a combat honor roll and includes Johannes Liechtenauer, Fiore dei Liberi, Giacomo di Grassi, Henry de Sainct Didier, Joseph Swetnam and Hugues Wittenwiller. Historical documents translated and analyzed include Das Solothurner Fechtbuch, Le Jeu de la Hache, and the Gladiatoria.

Because study of this martial literature requires one to be both scholar and fighter, the translators and interpreters featured in this book are all researchers and/or martial artists – thus serious students of the emerging field of historical fencing studies. These contributions from Dr. Sydney Anglo, John Clements, David Lindholm, Brian Hunt, Grzegorz Zabinski, Gene Tausk, Stacy Clifford and other modern scholars bring to life the words and fighting techniques of the masters of long ago.

This rediscovery of combat skills that have been proven over the centuries will breathe new life into the study of medieval and Renaissance martial arts and preserve this knowledge for generations to come. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Its Amazingly Good!!
I love this book... its like the author knows all about Braveheart and Star Wars!! This is exciting reading!!!Too bad there is nothing about ninjas and the best sword of all, the samurai sword!Its like a really good movie!!!

If you have money to burn...
Thankfully I came across of copy of this text before purchasing it, saving myself not only a fair bit of change, but also the disappointment in myself I'd feel in having it stare back at me from a bookshelf.That is not to say the title is total garbage, rather it is my opinion that it offers little to the critical reader or practitioner, while largely regurgitating a sizable corpus of already released (and widely available) work.Regrettably, critics and proponents of Clements alike are so blinded by a sycophantic "dedication" to their own egos that what little is good in this title goes under-evaluated or is disproportionally lauded, and the larger portion of poor scholarship is needlessly attacked or is idiotically defended.

As a stand-alone title, divorced from Clements' persona, this work can be considered base-line acceptable reading for a new practitioner who wishes to be introduced to the manuscripts referenced within.Better (more detailed and scholarly) works exist on this topic, but if this is the only title a novice can get a hold of, it can serve them in some limited capacity.More advanced practitioners, as well as those who study the art from an academic standpoint, would do well to avoid this title however, as it adds nothing important to the current understanding of the manuscripts it references, nor does Clements present any new or ground-breaking theories thereon.

Recycled...
In general, the purpose of publications with respect to Western historical fighting arts is to further the research, understanding and practice of the art. Publications on this subject would offer new interpretations of the historical treatises which would enhance study and appreciation of the arts in the larger community, or provide a new perspective previously unknown by researchers and practitioners of the art. Unfortunately, aside from a few contributions in this book, this publication fails to deliver.

Much of the material, in particular those from Clements have been recycled from previous publications or the ARMA website. The material is dated adding no further insights to historical fighting arts for practitioners in the historical fighting arts community. Outright errors in the information provided is a dis-service, especially for those individuals who have started their foray into Western historical fighting arts.

The addition of material produced by Dr. Sydney Anglo were added to the book for the purpose of elevating its credibility, but falls short, given the piece on "Le Jeu de la hache" has been also recycled as it was published before in the journal entitled Archaeologia (Society of Antiquaries of London) in 1991 with the same title "Le Jeu de la Hache".

The treatment of Fiore's treatise is a dated regurgitation of interpretations and translations which are peppered with inaccuracies and out right errors. The publication would've been better served if this entire section on Fiore was simply not included.

The chapter contributed by Stacy Clifford on English Staff Fighting offers little if any new information, as much of the material has been available on numerous websites for many years.

Most of the images included in this publication are of low quality, having the appearance of being sourced from various websites which presents these images in low resolution format. It is a pity that a hard-copy publication does not in the least, offer the reader high-quality images which are, in general, unavailable on the public-domain Internet.

What's good about this publication? There are a number of sections worthy of mention. The first is Chapter 3 submitted by Grzegorz Zabinski. Mr. Zabinski has a proven track record from the fine schollarly work, in particular, his first excellent contribution to increasing the collective intellectual capital of the Western historical fightings arts community with the publication of "Codex Wallerstein: A Medieval Fighting Book from the Fifteenth Century on Longsword, Falchion, Dagger and Wrestling", co-authored by Bartlomiej Walczak in 2002. Precious little has been written on Döbringer and this chapter certainly offers a student of the art, an intelligent presentation of the treatise with transcriptions of the original text, translations and interpretations of the text. An invaluable study aid on this particular treatise.

Bartlomiej Walczak's contribution in Chapter 6 on the comparative analysis of armoured dagger combat sections of Gladiatoria (MS. Germ. 16) and the manuscript known as KK 5013. Gladiatoria's over 100 pages is a beautifully illustrated manuscript which deserves greater analysis with respect to the other sections, however, focusing on the dagger section implies that a future examination may be in the "books" in the future by Mr. Walczak. He had authored the transcription of KK 5013 and co-authored the transcription of Gladiatoria with Grzegorz Zabinski.

Szabolics Waldmann's contribution in Chapter 10 on his treatment of shortened sword sourced form Speyer's manuscript, in the least, presents a relatively new practitioner to the scene. The chapter is fairly standard in the presentation of the transcription and translation of the text found in that manuscript. Perhaps with further study and training, we can expect to see some enlightenment in these arts in future research and publications by this gentleman.

The only redeeming quality of this book are those contributions mentioned earlier. Much of the material found in this book is recycled from previous publications or websites and which have been available to the historical Western fighting arts community for years. The essays contributions by Clements does nothing to enhance the publication. However, the book does offer a preview of works which may be produced by those mentioned and therefore, some value can be attributed to this publication for that reason.

FYI
FYI, as an author of a chapter in this book, my opinion is that it should not be bought.It does certainly contain some material that is available nowhere else, most of which is now out of date.Some of the material was known to be erroneous in the first place (such as some of Mr. Clement's chapters on Masters Fiore and Leichtenauer), some is more speculation than fact, and as has been pointed out, most is available for free on-line, so if one wishes to study something, it is easier and more cost effective to find that specific piece elsewhere.It is also worth noting that the author's take on this book goes entirely to John Clements.Make your own judgements. ... Read more

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The Beauty of Mantua
This is a book with an informative text and wonderful photographs.The quality of reproductions is uniformly high.The book assembles images not only of the important surviving frescoes in Mantua but also of major paintings from other collections that once were hung there.Even more impressive to me are the photographs of Mantua's architecture.One highlight of the book is the variety of photos of buildings and of their architectural details, their hues true to the native brick and stonework.
It is a model of art historical work that is also a visual feast of interest both to scholars and to general readers. ... Read more

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The figure of the putto (often portrayed as a mischievousbaby) made frequent appearances in the art and literature ofRenaissance Italy. Commonly called spiritelli, or sprites,putti embodied a minor species of demon, in their nature neither goodnor bad. They included natural spirits, animal spirits, and thespirits of sight and sound, as well as hobgoblin fantasies, bogeys,and the spirits contained in wine. Among the sensations ascribed tospiritelli were feelings of love, erotic arousal, and startlingfrights.

After discussing the many manifestations of theputto-spiritello in fifteenth-century Italian art andliterature, Charles Dempsey offers parallel interpretations of twoworks: Botticelli's Mars and Venus, a painting in which infantSatyr-putti appear as the panic-inducing spirits of the nightmare, andPolitian's Stanze, a poem in which masked cupids appear to thehero in a deceiving dream. He concludes with an examination of thefunction of such masks in the poetry and public masquerades sponsoredby Lorenzo de'Medici and in Michelangelo's scheme for the decorationof the Medici Chapel.

Throughout, Dempsey advances a largerargument about the nature of Italian Renaissance art. Rather thansimply reviving classical forms, he says, the art accommodated andfused them within local, vernacular, and modern Italian traditions,both literary and pictorial. ... Read more