Giambologna, the complete sculpture /

In spite of his importance in the history of the Italian Renaissance, and the fame of certain work such as his Mercury, Giambologna (Jehan Boulogne) is not a household name. Avery, one of today's best authorities on Renaissance sculpture, has written a beautiful, and much needed, comprehensive study of this great master whose work bridges the period between Michelangelo and Bernini. The only previous major study of this artist in English was the 1983 reprint of the 1959 dissertation by James Holderbaum, The Sculptor Giovanni Bologna. Avery discusses Giambologna's career from his birth in 1529 in Flanders to his death in 1608 in Florence. The splendid text is accompanied by 342 photographs (including 16 in color) by David Finn, a well-known photographer of sculpture. The volume includes appendixes with excerpts from four contemporary texts, a complete bibliography, and a chronology of the artist's career. Highly recommended for all libraries.-J. Howett, Emory University

Imagine a late Renaissance sculptor who could do religious scenes with the epic grandeur of Michelangelo and then turn to extremely realistic animal figures or sensuous bronze female nudes. Giambologna (1529-1608), the quick, prolific court sculptor to Medici dukes, later a protege of Roman emperors and popes, is not well-known today though he rated a profile in Vasari's Lives. Born Jean Boulogne in what is now northern France, he migrated to Italy where he tried to break the impasse of Cellini's inbred mannerism with a sometimes glib style that drew on his earthy Flemish roots as much as it did on Greco-Roman antiques. Best known perhaps for his flying Mercury, Giambologna has a dramatic, fleshy style that seduces even when it is superficial. River-gods, allegories, reliefs and fountains are among the works surveyed in this elegantly produced study. Avery is a director at Christie's, London. (November 30) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

This is an exemplary book for both general reader and scholar. Avery, formerly of the Victoria and Albert Museum and curator of its great exhibition on Giambologna (Jean Boulogne, 1529-1608) in 1978-79, here distills his knowledge of the Franco-Fleming who became court sculptor to the Medici and the most important sculptor in Europe between Michelangelo and Bernini. The text is well organized and clearly written, the critical apparatus thorough and self-effacing, and the illustrations copious, though even those specially taken for this book vary in quality. The only caveat regarding this highly recommended book is that it is too heavy for its binding. Jack Perry Brown, Ryerson & Burnham Libs., Art Inst. of Chicago (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.