Palladio in Venice
by
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Editorial Reviews
At a time of particular interest in Andrea Palladio's life and works, this book illustrates in detail the great cycle of his Venetian projects and completed masterpieces. The artistic career of one the most influential architects of the Western world is presented in relation to the last thirty years of his life, which were concentrated in large measure on his activity in the city of the Lagoon. His efforts to be accepted by the Venetian committenza, his initial defeats, the decisive friendship with the illustrious Barbaro brothers and, finally, the projects that culminated with the luminous monastic complex of San Giorgio Maggiore and the imposing church of the Redentore, are assessed not only as majestic expressions of Palladio's classical language; but also as architectural creations that needed to conform with the regulations imposed by the Counter-Reformation. This book was completed by the analysis of the Palladian opus I Quattro Libri dell'Architettura as well as a survey of major religious wCustomer Reviews
A Beautiful Book on a Beautiful Subject, 2006-05-19
by Foo Daddy (Arlington, VA USA)
This is a stunning, beautiful book. It is graced with gorgeous photographs of Palladian Venice - really breathtaking views always illumined by just the right light rendered in perfect color registers.
The production, by the famous art publishing house, Vianello (Ponzano, Trevisio), is absolutely painstaking, with no expense spared in rendering the richly conceived catalog of photographs. From richly atmospheric exteriors, to glowing interiors, to photographs of contemporaneous landscape paintings each photograph (maybe 130 of them) pulls you racing through the book.
Particularly interesting as examples of the scholarship-production symbiosis are the "zenithal" shots of some of Palladio's larger compositions. These are shot from directly above the buildings, in bright sunlight as near to noon as possible, rendering a very interesting, almost schematic view showing the rythyms and scale of the work.
The zenithal shot of the church and monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore is a great example of the expertise embodied in this book. The two-page spread is shot from an altitude of about 1200 ft. with a medium telephoto lense. The glare of the white roof of the basilica is very well managed next to the variagated earthen tiles on the roofs of the surrounding compound. Individual tiles are clearly resolved while, within the glare of the basilical roof (so easy to let it wash out), you can make out the seams of each concourse. It is a production standard that is really hard to achieve but which is evident throughout this book.
The eye-candy quotient being as high as it is, it takes a pass or two to appreciate the scholarship of Weissmuller's work. I found myself needing to pull back to appreciate what the zenithal shot of San Giorgio Maggiore was showing about the geometric rythyms of Palladio's design - so hard to explain, but so easy to see from this angle.
All of these photographs work to illustrate Weismuller's well studied observations of Palladio's aesthetic. The narrative portion of the book covers Palladio's work from a biographical perspective with a particular emphasis on the municipal (as in city-state!) politics of his era. Of all artists, the master of monumental architecture most requires political clout to see his ideas expressed in brick and stone. Weimuller's thoroughly researched history of Palladio's patronages is very informative and an important element in the understanding of his development.
The production, by the famous art publishing house, Vianello (Ponzano, Trevisio), is absolutely painstaking, with no expense spared in rendering the richly conceived catalog of photographs. From richly atmospheric exteriors, to glowing interiors, to photographs of contemporaneous landscape paintings each photograph (maybe 130 of them) pulls you racing through the book.
Particularly interesting as examples of the scholarship-production symbiosis are the "zenithal" shots of some of Palladio's larger compositions. These are shot from directly above the buildings, in bright sunlight as near to noon as possible, rendering a very interesting, almost schematic view showing the rythyms and scale of the work.
The zenithal shot of the church and monastery of San Giorgio Maggiore is a great example of the expertise embodied in this book. The two-page spread is shot from an altitude of about 1200 ft. with a medium telephoto lense. The glare of the white roof of the basilica is very well managed next to the variagated earthen tiles on the roofs of the surrounding compound. Individual tiles are clearly resolved while, within the glare of the basilical roof (so easy to let it wash out), you can make out the seams of each concourse. It is a production standard that is really hard to achieve but which is evident throughout this book.
The eye-candy quotient being as high as it is, it takes a pass or two to appreciate the scholarship of Weissmuller's work. I found myself needing to pull back to appreciate what the zenithal shot of San Giorgio Maggiore was showing about the geometric rythyms of Palladio's design - so hard to explain, but so easy to see from this angle.
All of these photographs work to illustrate Weismuller's well studied observations of Palladio's aesthetic. The narrative portion of the book covers Palladio's work from a biographical perspective with a particular emphasis on the municipal (as in city-state!) politics of his era. Of all artists, the master of monumental architecture most requires political clout to see his ideas expressed in brick and stone. Weimuller's thoroughly researched history of Palladio's patronages is very informative and an important element in the understanding of his development.
Book Details
| Pages | 168 |
| Edition | 1 |
| ISBN | 8872001749 |
| Publisher | Grafiche Vianello Srl |
| Publication Date | 2006-08-04 |
| Sales Rank | #1211914 |