Medieval Bologna: Art for a University City

The first major study in English to explore the art made during the late Middle Ages in Bologna, home to the oldest university in Europe, is richly illustrated and provides a context for the nearly seventy works of art in the exhibition. The essays discuss the illustrious foreign artists called to work in the city, the devastating wake of the Black Death, and the political resurgence of Bologna at the end of the fourteenth century.

Format: Hardback
Length: 224 pages
Publication date: 01 September 2021
Publisher: Paul Holberton Publishing Ltd

Bologna, home to Europe's oldest university, was a hub of artistic activity during the late Middle Ages. Masters and students flocked to the city to study Roman law, creating an academic setting that fostered a unique artistic culture. Professors enjoyed high social status, and tombs carved with classroom scenes made for impressive lecture halls. Teachers and students created a tremendous demand for books, leading to the city becoming the preeminent center for manuscript production in Italy by the mid-thirteenth century. A major exhibition at Nashville's Frist Art Museum accompanies the essays by academics, curators, and educators in Medieval Bologna, creating a rich context for the nearly seventy works of art in the exhibition. Drawn primarily from American libraries, museums, and private collections, many of the works have never been studied or published before. The authors discuss the illustrious foreign artists called to work in the city, most notably Cimabue and Giotto, the devastating wake of the Black Death, and the political resurgence of Bologna at the end of the fourteenth century. This captivating illustrated tour of medieval Bologna shows us how the city became a center for higher learning and expands our understanding of art in the medieval world.

Dimension: 280 x 240 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781911300816