The Measure of Man: Liberty, Virtue, and Beauty in the Florentine Renaissance

Florence experienced a remarkable surge of creativity between 1390 and 1537, producing masterpieces and reimagining the political and ethical basis of their world. Lawrence Rothfield's book, The Measure of Man, brings this era to life with memorable individuals and audacious risk-takers, capturing the cultural heights of republican idealism, aesthetic flowerings, and civic vicissitudes.

Format: Hardback
Length: 216 pages
Publication date: 17 May 2021
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

The period between 1390 and 1537 witnessed a remarkable surge of creativity in the history of civilization, particularly in Florence. During this time, Florence produced an astounding array of magnificent artworks, including masterpieces such as Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa, Michelangelo's David, and Botticelli's Primavera. However, Florentines were not only focused on creating art; they were also driven to reimagine the political and ethical basis of their world. They explored the meaning and possibilities of liberty, virtue, and beauty, and their quest for knowledge and understanding led to profound changes in society. This era is vividly captured in Lawrence Rothfield's book, "The Measure of Man," which offers a highly readable account of the city's history. Rothfield's cast of characters includes book hunters and book burners, devout Christians and assassins, humble pharmacists and arrogant oligarchs, all caught up in a dramatic struggle that spans the cultural heights of republican idealism in the early fifteenth century, the aesthetic flowerings and civic vicissitudes of the age of the Medici and Savonarola, and the brooding meditations of Machiavelli and Michelangelo over the fate of the dying republic.

Weight: 486g
Dimension: 161 x 238 x 24 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781538143360