Renaissance Siena : art for a city /

Building on Syson's extensive publications on early Italian Renaissance art, this exhibition is a fascinating look at Siena's complex blending of civic and devotional art. Following an introduction by Syson (National Gallery, London), four essays frame the important topics of civic identity (F. Nevola), patron/workshop relationships (A. Angelini), Sienese style and its implications (Syson), and Pandolfo the Magnificent as patron (P. Jackson). Although narrower in scope than Diana Norman's survey Painting in Late Medieval and Renaissance Siena (1260-1555) (CH, Apr'04, 41-4441), the catalogue effectively roots Siena's Renaissance artistic development in the city's medieval efflorescence, exploring the conscious evocation of trecento style and subject matter and charting Siena's balance of artistic innovation with reliance on tradition. It also examines the impact of non-Sienese artists, most notably Donatello, in a nuanced and informative manner. Expanding on the last major exhibition on this topic, the Metropolitan's fine 1988 exhibition, Painting in Renaissance Siena: 1420-1500, this exhibition also includes sculpture and drawing. All works are well documented in substantial and exhaustively researched entries. The catalogue's organization along thematic lines, each section with an introductory text, will ensure its usefulness to general readers. The book is beautifully illustrated with color photographs, including the majority of figures illustrating the essays. Summing Up: Essential. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty/researchers; general readers. A.C. Weislogel Cornell University