Secret Language
of the Renaissance
Decoding the Hidden Symbolism of Italian Art
The Da Vinci Code has a lot to answer for. It brought new excitement back to the art scene, particularly among Italian art works.
Art lovers are well aware that among some of the most noted artworks are symbols that palpitate with meaning to the educated viewer. Some are
of the artist's personnel views, such as the tired Michelangelo, painting Saint Bartholomew's shedded skin bearing the artist's face in one of the Sistine
Chapel's frescoes.
The Secret Language of the Renaissance recognizes that the symbols that were one everyday are meaningless to the untutored viewer
and that is the point of the book.
It begins with a review of literature correctly pointing out that it was thanks to Dante, Petrarca and Boccaccio
that we learn much of the Renaissance set in perspective.
Dante's three books that form The Divine Comedy each contain 33 cantos. Added to the canto of introduction the total is 100. In this simplest of examples
the poet follows the doctrine of symmetry, structure and order for which the Renaissance of Italian art was noted.
Of course not all artist's followed the patterns to the letter. Renaissance artists as a rule depicted human anatomy accurately. The Birth of Venus
is not an example of this edict.
Botticelli, while having no precedents to influence him other than what literature was available
at this time, for whatever reason painted one of
Venus's legs, the left, as longer than the other and her left shoulder apparently has collapsed.
Each page of The Secret Language of the Renaissance unfolds with beautiful images and intriguing descriptions of the background into
some of the most loved Italian Renaissance works.
It seems so unfair to reveal any of the 'secrets' here when it is such a pleasure to read, and
importantly view, the subjects while learning the special language of the Italian Renaissance artists.
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