Treasures of the French Renaissance.

Book by Cloulas, Ivan

France was content with the Gothic tradition while Italy was experiencing its splendid Renaissance, but once the winds of war drove French royalty south of the Alps and they beheld the fresh beauty of Italian cities, a new aesthetic quickly took hold. Curators and scholars Cloulas and Bimbenet-Privat trace the evolution of the French Renaissance from its hybridized beginnings through two waves of glorious innovation and creativity that transformed the countryside with magnificent chateaus and both the country and the city with some of the most exquisite churches, palaces, and manor houses in the world. Their fluid commentary is rich in portraits of key figures and insights into the interplay between social forces and artistic styles. But it is the 250 color photographs that make this a standout volume. All were commissioned specifically for this book, and they capture the opulence and grace of the structures from without and within, spotlighting examples of the best of the decorative arts, from sculpture to ceramics to tapestries. Donna Seaman

The reception of the classicized vocabulary of Italian art into the creative embrace of the 16th-century French tradition is a crucial chapter in the history of the Renaissance. Although the melding of these two traditions is perhaps best seen in the great chateaux of the Loire, the authors, both curators at the French National Archives, have extended their purview to the national level. In addition to somewhat breathlessly surveying an architectural tradition that includes almost innumerable chateaux, urban homes, public buildings, and churches, they also offer even sketchier nods at painting, sculpture, and the minor and decorative arts. While succinctly accurate, the authors' characterizations lack substance or subtlety, inadequately suggesting a sense of the material's Frenchness and their import within more inclusive cultural developments. Although the book is lavishly and beautifully illustrated, far too many cited works are not reproduced; nor are there maps, ground plans, or comparative visual material. Ultimately, this may be best appreciated as a seductive primer for those planning to visit France.?Robert Cahn, Fashion Inst. of Technology, New York
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.