In this fascinating study, Alison Cole explores the distinctive uses of
art at the five great secular courts of Naples, Urbino, Ferrara, Mantua,
and Milan. The princes who ruled these city-states, vying with each
other and with the great European courts, relied on artistic patronage
to promote their legitimacy and authority. Major artists and architects,
from Mantegna and Pisanello to Bramante and Leonardo da Vinci, were
commissioned to design, paint, and sculpt, but also to oversee the
court's building projects and entertainments.
The courtly styles that emerged from this intricate landscape are
examined in detail, as are the complex motivations of ruling lords,
consorts, nobles, and their artists. Drawing on the most recent
scholarship, Cole presents a vivid picture of the art of this
extraordinary period.