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Article: The Mirror of the Gods Classical Mythology in Renaissance Art.(Book Review)
- Article from:
- Apollo
- Article date:
- December 1, 2005
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2005 Apollo Magazine Ltd. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Malcolm Bull's survey of the role of classical mythology in renaissance art is a tour-de-force in every way, writes Michael Hall, and it will be discussed and debated for years to come.
If the crowds are anything to judge by, The Birth of Venus and Primavera are without question the most popular paintings in the Uffizi: today, subjects from classical mythology seem central to what we understand that elusive concept 'the renaissance' to mean. Yet in the period usually taken to be defined by the concept of the renaissance, 1400-1530, classical subjects are represented in only a tiny fraction of artistic output, in Italy as well as the rest of Europe. Art was ...