Table Of Content

L uxury Arts of the Renaissance L uxury Arts of the Renaissance MARINA BELOZERSKAYA THE J. PAUL GETTY MUSEUM LOS ANGELES Contents Abbreviations vi Acknowledgments vii Prologue 1 I The Demise of Luxury Arts 13 Rank,not Genius 14 Art Academy as Social Strategy 17 Vasari’s Imaginary Lives 21 “Art and Nature Play with One Another” 22 The Eighteenth Century: A Turning Point or Continuity? 30 The Age of Public Museums and Art Education 38 Back to the “Period Eye” 44 II The Powers of Gold and Precious Stones 47 The Spiritual Aura of Gold and Gems 50 The Magical Powers of Metals and Gems 56 Geography and Learning 58 Goldwork and Diplomacy 64 Gold,Automata,and the Culture of Wonder 69 The Royal Table 79 The Language of Personal Adornment 84 III Woven Narratives of Rule 89 Princely Art par Excellence 98 The Language of Allegories 102 Tapestries as Gifts and Competition 115 Tapestries for Social Climbing 117 Making and Marketing 121 IV Armor: The High Art of War 135 The Ubiquity of War,the Practicality of Armor 139 Chivalric Displays 147 Parade Armor: The Theater of Supremacy 157 Garnitures 168 Leading Armorers of the Day 170 Production and Techniques 176 Decorations 179 V Sweet Voices and Fanfares 187 Sacred Polyphony 191 Secular Songs 203 Instrumental Music 208 Dance 214 Court Festivities and Music 222 VI The Seduction of All Senses 227 The Wedding of the Century 229 The Ephemeral War 240 Civic Pride and Private Ostentation 249 The Final Journey and Perpetual Memory 256 Notes 263 Bibliography 267 Index 274 Abbreviations attr. attributed to ca. circa ch. chapter cm centimeter diam. diameter ed./eds. edited by/editors edn. edition exh. cat. exhibition catalogue fl. flourished ft. foot/feet h. height kg kilogram lbs. pound(s) m meter r. ruled rmn Réunion des Musées Nationaux,France trans. translated/translator w. width wt. weight vi Acknowledgments To my parents and grandparents The luxury of writing this book in one uninterrupted stretch was made pos- sible by the Bunting Fellowship at the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study,where I spent two wonderful years in a most supportive and inspiring environment. I am espe- cially indebted to the enthusiastic encouragement of Rita Brock and to the kindness of Charles Cohen, Mary Dunn, John Oliver Hand, Joseph Leo Koerner, James Marrow, and Irene Winter. For inspiration early in this project I am grateful to Pat Berman,and for fruitful conversations and generous sharing of knowledge and information to Martha Buskirk, Alice Donohue, Eric Garberson, Graham Larkin, Miranda Marvin, Mark Meadow,Andrew McClellan,Stephanie Schroeder,Jeanne Vanecko,and Thomas Willette. Michael Vickers’s thorough reading of the manuscript was most helpful and encouraging. Benedicte Gilman,with her eagle eyes and extraordinary efficiency,trans- formed the raw manuscript into a clean and consistent copy. She has also offered a great deal of enthusiastic support throughout the production process. Louise Barber’s close proofreading caught some important discrepancies. Karin Lanzoni, Aria Cabot, and Marcia Reed provided valuable assistance with gathering images. Kurt Hauser made the book into a marvelous work of art. And Mark Greenberg and Kara Kirk gave it life at Getty Publications. Every thought and word that went into this project have been enriched by the sharp mind and loving heart of Kenneth Lapatin,my greatest treasure. My parents’and grandparents’pride and affection,as well as timely offers of wisdom and moral support,are cherished gifts,and to them I dedicate this book. vii