Overview

Looking at Andrea Mantegna s Parnassus in the Louvre, one might ask: Why does criticism point to Mercury instead of Perseus as the character holding the reins of the horse? Why does Pegasus have a precious breastplate and a curious goat beard? Who, really, is that delightful couple who dominates the scene below and what does it represent? The author tackles these and countless other questions with compelling arguments, grounded in a painstaking examination of classical tradition and mythology. The result is that Mantegna s work is fully restored to us in its historical context and in all its cultural and moral values values that, unfortunately, are often underestimated or even silenced by a largely aesthetic criticism, aimed at highlighting shape, structure, colour, etc., instead of emphasising the iconographic and symbolic aspects of the images. The author also takes on such Renaissance masterpieces as Botticelli s Primavera, Bronzino s Allegory of the Triumph of Venus and Caravaggio s Amor Vincit Omnia. Readers will find themselves drawn into the author s passionate and thorough research, eager to share his exciting discoveries.

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9781398429499

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Giuseppe Alfano was born in Pompeii in 1946. At a very young age, he started painting, and one of his early works, Eden, received critical acclaim in 1969 in the competition for the 400th anniversary of the Lombard painter Francesco Mazzucchelli (the Morazzone ). On a visit to the National Gallery, he saw Bronzino s Triumph of Venus and Cupid and was fascinated by its allegorical and mythological content, until then not highlighted by critics. This represented a decisive turning point and he began meticulous research for the correct interpretation of mythological symbols in Renaissance art, which he now wishes to share with readers.

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