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by Bernard Aikema (Author), Fernando Checa Cremades (Author)
A groundbreaking, richly illustrated art history volume that rewrites the conventional narrative of the Renaissance by focusing on the era's dark, surreal, and monstrous imagination.
When we think of the Renaissance, we recall harmony, humanism, and classical perfection. But what about the nightmares?
This essential book dives deep into the unsettling, fantastic world of Hieronymus Bosch--the enigmatic master of monsters--and argues that his dark vision was not an anomaly, but a vital, vibrant thread running through the art and culture of the 16th century.
This is a must-have volume for art historians, students of the grotesque, and anyone who appreciates the dark, complex, and beautiful side of historical art. It is the definitive guide to understanding the other Renaissance--the one defined by devils, demons, and dreams.
The Unseen Renaissance:
- Beyond the Ideal: Explore how artists across Europe--including contemporaries of Raphael and Michelangelo--were captivated by the grotesque, the satirical, and the terrifying, often using monsters and strange creatures to express moral, social, and political anxieties.
- Bosch's Enduring Legacy: Analyze the profound influence of Bosch's apocalyptic visions and nightmarish hellscapes, particularly The Garden of Earthly Delights, on subsequent generations of painters, printmakers, and artisans.
- The Power of the Print: Discover the crucial role of printmaking in spreading these fantastic images--from demonic folklore to fantastical hybrids--to a wider audience than ever before, capturing the popular imagination for centuries.
- A New Context for the Grotesque: The book draws on theology, folklore, and emerging science to place these visual horrors in their proper historical and intellectual context, revealing why these creatures held such fascination for the minds of the period.
Author Biography
Bernard Aikema, author and co-editor, is a professor of modern art history at the University of Verona, and a great expert on the artistic relations between European countries in the modern era. Fernando Checa Cremades, author and co-editor, is an art historian and former director of the Prado Museum in Madrid. Essays are contributed by Joaquim Oliveira Caetano (Portugal), Juliette Ferdinand (Italy), Thomas Dalla Costa (Italy), Giulia Zanon (Italy), Claudio Salsi (Italy), Paula Findlen (United States), Ralph Dekoninck (Belgium), David Zagoury (Switzerland), Florike Egmond (The Netherlands), Daan van Heesch (Belgium), Concha Herrero (Spain), Noelia Garcia Perez (Spain), and Bertram Kaschek (Germany).
