audiobook Pandolfinis Wunderkammer: Die Fresken im Studiolo des Florentiner Palazzo Pandolfini (German Edition) by Anna Lisa Bertolini in Arts-Photography

Review

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. It is very highly recommended for many academicBy C. A. LajosThe gigantic marble statue of the biblical King David (c. 1501-1503) by the sculptor; painter; and architect Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) indisputably is one of the most famous statues in the world. Originally intended to stand atop one of the spurs of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence; Italy; for more than three hundred years it stood on a pedestal in Florencersquo;s Piazza della Signoria close to the door of the town hall known as the Palazzo Vecchio; where it became a political symbol of Florence and then of Italy. Now an artistic and popular icon of nearly worldwide import; David is acclaimed as a superlative example of Renaissance art created by one of the most gifted artistic geniuses who ever lived. Inspiring millions of people over the course of its centuries- long existence; Michelangelorsquo;s David also may be one of the most reproduced masterpieces the world has ever seen. In this publication; which was crowd funded and produced by means of the assistance of The Florentine Press; Coonin (James F. Ruffin Professor of Art History at Rhodes College; Memphis; TN; Ph.D; Art History; Rutgers University; the author of dozens of articles; essays; and catalogue entries as well as the editor of two books on Renaissance Art); a distinguished art historian who specializes in Italian Renaissance Art; writes the first ever ldquo;biographyrdquo; of Michelangelorsquo;s masterpiece; while attempting to answer the fundamental questions: What makes David so famous? Why does a 500-year-old statue of a religious figure continue to almost universally resonate with viewers? Examining his subject by means of a humanizing approach that adopts various methodologies and gives the statue and its history many lifelike qualities; the author covers the Origins; Adolescence; Maturity; Midlife Crises; and Golden Years of David. Beginning his story of the colossus long before Michelangelo secured its commission and continuing it into the 21st- century; Coonin recounts how what started simply as a monumental block of marble from a quarry in the mountains near Carrara; Italy; became in Michelangelorsquo;s hands an embodiment of human accomplishment; perfection; magnificence; and beauty. Before and following the death of the artist in 1564; the statue endured a precarious existence on the Piazza della Signoria in Florence until it was moved to Florencersquo;s Accademia Gallery of the Accademia delle Belle Arti during the summer of 1873; at which time it occupied what would become a specially- built space called the Tribune. During the 19th and 20th centuries; David came to be widely copied and reproduced. It appeared as and in various forms and media including casts; statutes; advertisements; body tattoos; and other commodities. Its imagery was appropriated; adapted; and/or modified by various groups; causes; and contemporary artists. Today while Michelangelorsquo;s statue has achieved iconic status; it still remains threatened by environmental; physical; social; and other phenomena. Retelling the complete history of Michelangelorsquo;s David up to present times; Coonin discusses all aspects of Davids life and many topics; not limited to the statuersquo;s predecessors; symbolism; and naturalism as well as the cultural; political; and social contexts in which it was viewed. He addresses many subjects about David and Michelangelo that still may be considered controversial such as their sexualities and the statuersquo;s nudity. The author also sets forth a considerable amount of information about Davidrsquo;s restorations and the perils that he continues to face into the future. Scholarly yet very accessible and engaging; this noteworthy; well-presented; cleverly- conceived; first publication of its kind to consider Michelangelorsquo;s masterpiece over the course of many centuries and in terms that humanize the statue and consider it as a living art object will be of significant interest to art lovers; students; scholars; and others. It is very highly recommended for many academic; special; and public libraries--C. A. Lajos; Art History; Architecture; Decorative Arts; Museum; and Visual Studies Book Review Blog; http://artbookreviewblogger.blogspot.com/1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. A look at the history and questions about Michelangelos most famous heroic marble nudeBy Jerry7171For all his fame (or infamy depending on your outlook) David by Michelangelo hasnt had many titles devoted to him like other works such as the Mona Lisa. This is surprising given how important he is to the history of Renaissance Art and Florence tourist business. This book sets out to fix that and does it well. Mr. Coonin approaches the background history of Florence; the life of Michelangelo and how a contest to create an architectural sculpture that was not meant to be seen easily from the ground metamorphosed into the first colossal male nude since antiquity; with the resulting excitement; both positive and negative that came with it. As usual; there were egos and politics playing into where David would end up when he was finished. Strangely; he then faded into obscurity with only rare mentions via passing travelers. Who knew? Not until David had begun to deteriorate and lean did anyone in Florence sit up and take notice of him in the late 19th century. Only by the turn of the century David finally began to get his due and his heroic nudity; the mystery of his lack of a circumcision (given that hes Jewish) and the odd proportions of his feet; hands and head began to arouse questions from curious people. This book addresses all those things and more. I purchased the Kindle version of the book and loved that it was quick and easy to download and read; but my sole quibble is that the illustrations seemed not so great. I cant speak to the quality for sure as they might look just fine in print. I also wish that the book had been more heavily illustrated. I know; I know; some people might be a little embarrassed about a nice book about a colossal marble statue of a naked Jewish guy whos about to use his slingshot to zap Goliath (hence the glare hes giving looking off to his left) but still; this is art; not pornography. Just the same; for the text alone; this book is well worth the price. Add it to your collection if you enjoy Renaissance Art or Michelangelo; or even if you like nude; heroic art.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. This is a wonderful book and an extraordinary accomplishmentBy Anita M.This is a wonderful book and an extraordinary accomplishment. Not only is it highly readable; being completely jargon-free and fully accessible to a general readership; with helpful explanations (such as "contrapposto") but it has so much valuable information even for the Renaissance sculpture specialist who may not be a Michelangelo scholar; that I; for one (who is such an art historian); am grateful for all the avenues and byways Coonin has explored. The author shows great skill in balancing scholarly information by way of extensive footnotes; with down-to-earth questions and answers. His knowledge of both the general and specialized literature is exhaustive; and his references to information found on various web sites very helpful. Following through on the metaphor of the title; this "biography" truly offers knowledge and insights into the history of this most iconic of masterpieces; with chapters devoted to origins; adolescence; maturity; midlife crises and the Golden Years. Like all good biographers; Coonin deals forthrightly with the many myths about the artist and his most famous statue while providing credible evidence for his conclusions. The book is a page-turner; because from chapter to chapter or section to section; he slyly hints at the still unanswered issues; or suggests what is to come next. For example; he ends the section on the controversy and decision as to where to place the finished statue; with the Loggia dei Lanzi on the Piazza della Signoria emerging as the favored spot; with the words; "But a funny thing happened on the way to the Piazza. David never made it to the Loggia;" all but challenging the reader to tune in to the next section. And he ends the section discussing the almost immediate fame of the statue upon its completion and unveiling with the words; "Still we know that the statue was not yet really `finished He was about to receive a makeover." Holy smoke--a "makeover"? Who could not continue reading after that intriguing statement. Professor Coonin forthrightly confronts important issues that many have wondered about but most are reluctant to ask publicly while rather few scholars have offered solutions; e.g.; why did Michelangelo decide to make the penis small relative to the figures other proportions?; why is David; the future king of the Israelites; not circumcised?; does the statue represent a homo- or heterosexual man; or is he a reflection of Michelangelos ambiguous (and chaste) homosexuality?; etc. Not only does Coonin explore every aspect of Davids origins; from the earlier fifteenth-century project to create a giant statue for a spur (the termination of a tribune buttress that would serve as its base) of Florence Cathedral; to the already partially carved block of marble entrusted to Michelangelo in 1501; to the particular carving technique employed by the sculptor; to the problems of its transportation from studio to installation site; he also offers information and insights into its reception over the 369 years that the statue stood in front of the Palazzo Vecchio (the city hall of Florence). Although almost universally esteemed; David did experience his moments of disdain and rejection; especially during the eighteenth century. During the nineteenth; however; during the decades surrounding the Risorgimento (Italian Unification); concerns about the preservation of cultural patrimony came to the fore. The effects of the statues exposure to the elements; including pollution from the newly industrialized state; led to a decision to take steps to provide greater protection for the David; possibly even by moving the work to a new location. Restoration practices; such as cleaning or removing or hiding dirt and other imperfections; alas; sometimes do more harm than good; and the earlier nineteenth-century interventions unfailingly--and these are alarming to read about--were botched. After much controversy; the David was finally moved; with great effort over a period of five days in 1873; to the Accademia di Belle Arti; where a new neo-classical space was to be built for its display. The final chapter records the ongoing reception; expropriation; and exploitation of the David during the 20th and 21st centuries for artistic; social; political and commercial reasons. These issues are dealt with in a fair and objective manner. Admitting to my personal biases against and disdain for pop fashions and fetishes; I have dismissed many of the kitsch as well as more serious examples based on Michelangelos statue; never having taken the time to analyze their social and political roles in modern society. I cannot help but admire Coonins wide-ranging investigation of the many meanings and messages the David is capable of conveying. I am grateful to the author for leading me; as he will many others I am sure; to a more open-minded assessment of "the provocative cultural themes" that modern and contemporary evocations; replicas; and inventive recreations have exposed. Certainly; I never would have dreamed that I might appreciate the marble David morphing into real flesh by way of the numerous tattoos of the statue in whole or fragments that have become popular among youth. And what a delightful way to end the main text of the book; with an image of a full-scale resin replica of David who himself is covered with playful and sexy tattoo designs. "The tattoos have the effect;" writes Coonin; "of further humanizing the great statue and updating his image...Through these tattoos David takes on various associations of a rebel; a womanizer; an individual; brave in the face of challenge and willing to venture outside societal norms." Bravo; Professor Coonin!