Michelangelo's sculpture : selected essays /

This book is the first in a series of five volumes in the "Essays by Leo Steinberg" series, which will offer selected treasures, some obscure, revealing the unique erudition and insight of the late Steinberg (1920--2011). Steinberg was one of the most important art historians of his generation, but not everything he wrote made it into print before his death. The present volume makes available not only Steinberg's published essays and their subsequent revisions but also unpublished lectures, a review, and other revealing addenda to his life and legacy. The essays focus on Michelangelo's sculpture (particularly the Pietà, Medici Madonna, and attributed Cupid in New York) but also included and important are Steinberg's writings about his method of looking at and writing about art. Schwartz's preface, an introduction by art historian Richard Neer (Univ. of Chicago), and a lengthy chronology help make the man just as fascinating as his writings, here listed in a comprehensive bibliography. Schwartz has produced a respectful and erudite trove for all students and scholars interested in art. These writings, and those in forthcoming volumes in the series (the next release will be Michelangelo's Paintings, 2019), will have inestimable value for anyone willing to take the rewarding plunge into Steinberg's mind. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals; general readers. --A. Victor Coonin, Rhodes College