Raffaello Borghinis Il Riposo (1584) is the most widely known Florentine document on the subject of the Counter-Reformation content of religious paintings. Despite its reputation as an art-historical text; this is the first English-language translation of Il Riposo to be published. A distillation of the art gossip that was a feature of the Medici Grand Ducal court; Borghinis treatise puts forth simple criteria for judging the quality of a work of art. Published sixteen years after the second edition of Giorgio Vasaris Vite; the text that set the standard for art-historical writing during the period; Il Riposo focuses on important issues that Vasari avoided; ignored; or was oblivious to. Picking up where Vasari left off; Borghini deals with artists who came after Michaelangelo and provides more comprehensive descriptions of artists who Vasari only touched upon such as Tintoretto; Veronese; Barocci; and the artists of Francesco Is Studiolo. This text is also invaluable as a description of the mid-sixteenth century reaction against the style of the maniera; which stressed the representation of self-consciously convoluted figures in complicated works of art.The first art treatise specifically directed toward non-practitioners; Il Riposo gives unique insight into the early stages of art history as a discipline; late Renaissance art and theory; and the Counter-Reformation in Italy.
#3265291 in eBooks 2006-02-15 2006-02-15File Name: B00519B5J0
Review
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful. more than green by designBy Marjorie R. BarlowRalph Knowles book has been a great help to my husband and me. as we plan a home for our empty nest. We are nearly 80 years old and wanting a house that is environmentally responsible. We also are deeply interested in integrating our lives. mentally-spiritually-physically-emotionally. A good home in rhythm with the world we live in has become a real focus. thanks to this book. We read it to each other in the early morning and become more awake and aware because of the ideas in Ritual House. So. we are including nature and the rituals we treasure in our house design. Thanks for a book with ideas and depth of soul.Marjorie R. Barlow. Ph.D.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Connecting architectural design with the rhythms of lifeBy AlThis book sheds light in a subject that has been eluded by mainstream architectural and developing practices. but that curiously enough includes an element that is in the core of how we experience architecture: The unavoidable overlap of natures cycles and human activities.As industrialization permeated culture. architecture loosen its ties to its surroundings. mechanical systems enable the capacity to keep spaces within comfort despite the outdoor environmental conditions. A by-product of that has been a state of deafness towards the dynamics an subtleties of nature.The book makes the point that the quality of our lives can be enriched and enhanced by giving attention and integrating to the variations and conditions brought by natures cycles into architecture. where change would subtly open possibilities and dictate routines that would make the journey or our lives more enjoyable and humane.In addition. a design framework and case-studies are provided as a way to have a clear notion of how the aforementioned integration would look like and how it could be achieved.1 of 1 people found the following review helpful. Profound and beautifully written.By SelectiveReaderA profound work that is imminently readable. Contains fresh perspectives for seasoned urban planners and architects and. at the same time. should be required reading for beginning students of city planning. architecture. and landscape design. From attention to the way humans adapt to their surroundings by migration. transformation. and metabolism. Knowles proceeds through the stages of land development in the USA from wilderness to metropolis. and the resulting rituals of living we create. He then addresses the question of increasing worldwide concentration of people within huge metropolitan nodes and offers a daring solution. based on his many years of university research. to the problem of reconnecting those lives to nature through the built environment. Deceptively simple. almost poetic. My only complaint is that the cover photo and title do not do justice to this book. This is not about single. stand-alone houses for the wealthy. as suggested by the cover. Also. I would re-title it "Ritual House; Ritual City" if I could. as the final chapters of the book address not only the single building. but how our buildings affect each other within our cities. Running throughout the book is a deep respect for nature and for the human spirit.
