Renaissance Profiles

by J.H. Plumb

Spanning an age that witnessed great achievements in the arts and sciences, this definitive overview of the Italian Renaissance will both captivate ordinary readers and challenge specialists. Dr. Plumb's impressive and provocative narrative is accompanied by contributions from leading historians, including Morris Bishop, J. Bronowski, Maria Bellonci, and many more, who have further illuminated the lives of some of the era's most unforgettable personalities, from Petrarch to Pope Pius II, Michelangelo to Isabella d'Este, Machiavelli to Leonardo. A highly readable and engaging volume, THE ITALIAN RENAISSANCE is a perfect introduction to the movement that shaped the Western world.

Genres: History, Nonfiction, Renaissance, Italy, Art, Art History, European History

161 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

Reviews

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book divided, augmented: first half by Plumb, second half, chapter biographies by Origo on Pius II, Kenneth Clark on Michelangelo, Bronowski on Leonardo. Origo writes like a Renaissance humanist, “Success comes most swiftly and completely not to the greatest or perhaps even the ablest men, but to those whose gifts are most completely in harmony with the taste of their time”(241). Plumb's chapter on Renaissance Florence notes it was dominated by "the sword and the florin": banking, and to build that, military defenses against neighbors. Earlier, by the 13C, the guilds grew central: the lanuoli (wool), sete (silk-weavers), notaio (notaries, still overpayed in modern IT), and bankers (including money-changers, with a balance). For fascinating maps of where each guild tended to live, see online my neighbor Burr Litchfield's "Florence Ducal Capital 1530-1630." For example, the shoemakers tended to live all over the city, all men, whereas the hosiers concentrated toward the center city, most on the Via di Calzaiuoli between Piazza Signoria and the Duomo. Probably the stockings were made by women all over the city, at home.

Plumb's chapter on the Image of Man covers from Alberti's sense of grandeur to Aretino's bisexual amorality. Still, Aretino was such a good writer that he was summoned to Rome by the man he had supported for the papacy, the second Medici pope, Clement VII. He entertained the Papal court until he got into a terrible fight with the husband of a wife he had seduced, and the Pope sent him away. Of course, Aretino filled his house in Venice with women and boys--evidently he had asked the Duke of Mantua to send him a boy he fancied (120). Even if we disapprove his life, we must approve Aretino's death: "in his sixties he roared too vehemently at a bawdy joke, had apoplexy, and died"(121).

Clark's Michelangelo is rich. Turns out M was the only Renaissance artist from aristocratic roots, his father claiming lineage from the Duke of Canossa, and strongly objecting to his son's becoming an artisan/ artist. Even when his son had obtained great fame (and always sent him money), the father considered his work with "bewildered incredulity" (194). Having grown up in Florence, making sculptures like the Greek, he was noticed by Lorenzo Medici; and, he grew up knowing Leo X, Lorenzo's son. But he also knew his predecessor Julius II, for whom he made a famous tomb featuring Moses with horns, a Vulgate mistranslation from the Hebrew for beams of light. When the sculptor returned to Florence, the city magistrates ordered something to stand outside the Palazzo Vecchio to do justice to the city. The David resulted.
What do American cities order to exhibit their pride? Where I taught for 35 years had a fireworks display every August 15, Feast of the Assumption, but since it couldn't be called that, it was named for the city. Boston may consider the Marathon its true face. Maybe Kansas City Missouri, so filled with public sculptures, ordered a sculpture. Urra if they did.

Plumb’s own essay on Florence recaps my year of post-doc study under Tony Molho, an economic historian of Italy; his seminar produced an international scholar in criminal history at John Jay and Padova, a college president, a prominent art historian at Notre Dame, a couple other scholars in the south, and me. Plumb notes that wealth alone allowed Florentine survival, so the bankers, the Medici and Acciaioli with their international branches, anchored the Republic which became a Dukedom, with banker-dukes, because of the money loaned by the bankers. (Beware indebtedness, Oh Republic!) One of Tony’s guest speakers, Brown colleague Burr Litchfield (now my neighbor), is a specialist on Renaissance Florentine neighborhoods, where the various guilds and primates lived—the lanuoli, the sete, the notai, the Signorie. The heads of government, the Priors of the Signorie, only ruled for two months, which both diminished and augmented the battles to achieve that eminence, and thereby control the only manipulation in a mostly-free market capitalism.

Pietro Aretino wrote unbridled satires on anyone who would pay to suppress them, from business giants to Cardinals; he developed the tamer pasquinades posted on a statue near Piazza Navona—near Giordano Bruno’s raised three centuries later. Aretino satirized Cardinal Medici's competitors for the Papacy after the death of Leo X. He himself had varied sexual tastes, asked the Duke of Mantova to send him a boy who struck his fancy. The humanists, after all, knew Plato and Jove’s love of Ganymede.(120). Aretino grew rich from “extracting money from the entrails of the rich,” lived on Venice’s Grand Canal; Titian did several portraits, and the satirist wrote explicit poems illustrating a series of 16 obscene drawings by Giulio Romano (the only painter mentioned by Shakespeare). Most delightfully, Aretino literally died laughing, roaring at a bawdy joke. This is a cautionary tale since I am a laugher myself--my laugh scares infants.
Here’s one of his verses I translated for a colleague’s retirement, his "Dubbi Amorosi 14":

Lawyer Pataffio, to lower his taxes, and raise
His son’s reputation, married him to Denise.
But after feasting, the boy didn’t have enough vigor
To plunge his arrow into her virgin quiver;
Whence, to keep from shame and dishonor,
The old gentleman jumped back upon her
And showed the customary sheets: The question:
Can he claim a deduction for his full contribution?

The Decision

You must recall all kinds of distinctions
Between exemptions, exclusions and extinctions.
In this case, since the old man passed sixty-five,
He deserves an exemption for being alive.
Yet to Portia, he can’t claim a contribution
Unless she’s a non-profit institution:
But, he can claim the total depreciation
For the cost of the sheets, plus inflation.

[David Withun · Rating 4 out of 5]

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[Peter van de Pas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all, the text by Professor Plumb makes up only half of this edition. At a meager 150 pages this cannot be but a superficial introduction to the Italian Renaissance, which is exactly what it is. Not more than 15 pages are spent on themes as broad as 'The Arts', 'Women of the Renaissance' etc. Dividing up such a short book into 10 chapters each devoted to a single topic only accentuates the lack of depth. The writing, however, is fluent and engaging.
The other half of this book is filled with mini-biographies of significant persons from this age, all written by different writers. The best of these is, in my opinion, Morris Bishop's essay on Petrarch. He makes Petrarch really come to life and made me take out my as yet unread volume of his 'Song Book'. The rest of the essays vary in quality, the worst being a rather incoherent text on Beatrice and Isabelle d'Este by Maria Bellonci.
All in all, some good essays and an amusing if superficial introduction to the Italian Renaissance. If you just want a quick introduction to this period you should pick up this book but if you prefer some headier fare, don't bother.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book! The writing is engaging and interesting, bringing the reader right into the thoughts and minds of the people discussed. This text provides a fantastic introduction to those seeking more information on the Italian Renaissance period without being too vague or trying to cover too much. The book is divided into two sections, the first being a general overview of the Renaissance period in Italy, followed by the second part which is a collection of writings from various authors on key figures of the Italian Renaissance, such as Lorenzo de' Medici, Leonardo da Vinci, and Niccolo Machiavelli.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good introduction to the history of the Italian Renaissance and of some of its major figures. J. H. Plumb wrote the first half of the book, including sections on Florence, Rome, Milan, and Venice. The second half of The Italian Renaissance concentrates on nine major figures of the Renaissance, each written by a different specialist.

The fact of the matter is that the Italian Renaissance is a highly diffuse subject, as there were numerous city states and other political entities involved, and each went through several phases.

[Mark Singer · Rating 3 out of 5]

This history of the Italian Renaissance was originally written in 1961 for the general reader, and is helped by Plumb's writing style. My only complaint is that there is no bibliography or suggested further reading. In the Mariner paperback edition, Plumb's narrative ends at page 157. The second half of the book is a series of biographical sketches on assorted figure like Petrarch, Machiavelli, Michelangelo, and others by various authors. As in the first half, there are no notes as to what books the skecthes are from.
I would recommend this only if you know nothing about the period.

[Paul Pellicci · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a "can't put down" book for me. I really found interesting how Italy was made up of many city states which most of the time could not get along. The contimual wars, the large death tolls and the diplomacy.

This book goes through the various states and their customes. Venice, ruled in an interesting way. How they picked their rulers and how they relied on every citizen to be a spy.

I would recommend thid book for the reader who is interested in Art, Politics and the Italian way.

[Marcus Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Italian Renaissance is a very good book and very descriptive and is packed with a lot of information I enjoyed reading and I bet you will. to.

[Shae Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some was interesting, but mostly it read like a textbook. I would have enjoyed more and learned more had the author included anecdotal stories of historic events.

[Mel Bossa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting essays on Machiavelli and Michelangelo...

[Ashton Cluff · Rating 4 out of 5]

In The Italian Renaissance by J. H. Plumb explores how Italy transformed from the medieval world into a center of art, politics, and human thought that reshaped Europe and influenced the world. Rather than telling a single story about the time, Plumb brings together the lives of artists, rulers, and thinkers to show how cities like Florence, Venice, and Rome became centers of cultural change. Reading the book was somewhat difficult as it does have some complex themes and vocabulary that is unique to the topic but the book was very nice to read and very well written. Plumb thoroughly explains how figures like the Medici family used wealth and power to sponsor art while quietly controlling politics, which showed the renaissance was driven by real human ambition and not just creativity. I really enjoyed his discussion of humanism and how scholars turned back to classical Greek and Roman texts to challenge medieval thinking and expand their thinking. However, the book can feel heavy with names and concepts, and at times I wished for more focus on everyday people instead of elites and well known figures. Overall, this book was a challenging but rewarding read that helped me understand how culture, power, and ideas collided to spark the italian renaissance. I would recommend this book to students or history lovers who want a serious and thoughtful introduction to the Renaissance and are willing to slow down and think about the concepts they are reading about, I would rate this book a 4 out of five stars.

[Edgar Moran · Rating 5 out of 5]

J.H.Plumb book on the Italian Renaissance may serve as a compendium of information on the way the Renaissance came to be. Its phenomenal apparition on the political, social, and civil life of Europe and then its export to Americas, created our way of life. The first part describing the background of the major city-players Florence, Venice, Milan, and Rome is important for our understanding the transition from the Middle Ages. Of note, I want to emphasize that we don't have a single event that might explain the appearance of the Renaissance beauty during a bellicose world.
The second part, written mostly by historians, brings solid information on the major players in the Renaissance: Petrarch and Machiavelli, Lorenzo de' Medici and Pope Pius II, the sublime Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo, as well the surprising Federigo da Montefeltro and the sisters d'Este, play a beautifully written and informative part. The correct interpretation of the philosophy of Machiavelli is of vast importance to contemporary readers to dispel the negative views facilitated by the past hypocritical interpretations. Federigo da Montefeltro emerges as the true Renaissance man.

[Madeleine Church · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are curious to learn about the Renaissance but are unsure where to start, this is the place. This book is a great introduction to the Italian Renaissance. The structure makes it accessible, the information is presented in a very exciting and engaging way, and the authors' enthusiasm for the topic really shines through. It presents the characters of the Renaissance in a tangible, real, and colorful way. The book is cohesive and easy to read, perfect for one who is totally unfamiliar with the topic.

[Efguirguis · Rating 3 out of 5]

Comprehensive

Would have made an excellent read but for the flowery language. Though each section was attributed to a different authority yet the text was obviously written by the same author throughout. It would have been more interesting had each section been written by its original contributor.
Overall a fairly comprehensive description of the era described through its most prominent persons.

[Joe Gartman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part One of the book is Dr. Plumb's scholarly but surprisingly readable narrative of how the Renaissance in Italy developed. He describes and illustrates how art, politics, religion, literature, philosophy and daily life evolved from medieval norms into a startlingly different zeitgeist that we call humanism. Part Two contains nine character studies of major Renaissance figures, from Petrarch to Isabella d'Este, all by different well-known writers.

[Regina Mastrogiacomo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found the book very informative and a little dull. It was great to read about the people that represent the Renaissance and how all that money and power had help the painters, sculptures, architects and writer become masters.of there time.
However with all the growth came the destruction of the very empires that sustained the arts and put an end to the growth.

[Zack Hudson · Rating 3 out of 5]

(read for class)
I quite enjoyed this book. It doesn’t really give a narrative of Italian history, but is more like a piecemeal sampling; an effort to capture the flavor of the Renaissance through a few representative topics and figures. Turns out folks were pretty ruthless back in the day.
Kenneth Clark’s chapter on Michelangelo was particularly good.

[Cora P Bartemes · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Italian Renaissance Revealed

Unbelievably readable. This book makes the Renaissance come alive and describes this complicated period in terms and description that shed light and meaning to today’s reader of history.

[Leslie Buck · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you know nothing about the Italian Renaissance, this would be an excellent introduction. If you want a deeper discussion of the philosophy of humanism, the achievement of perspective, or the advances in architecture, this is not the book for you.

[Donald McAlpin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Less a history than a flavour of the period. Entertaining nonetheless.

[Sekhar N Banerjee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good read

Concise but very logical depiction of Renaissance period of Italy. I very much enjoyed reading it, particularly the later chapters on personalities.

[Julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good information with difficult syntax - could have used an editor with a better ear.

[Beauregard Bottomley · Rating 3 out of 5]

History should be exciting. This book was not. It read as if it was a text book and all of the great stories that take place in this time period and the reason why it was so important for the reformation, enlightenment and today's times are not told within this book. Little context and no narrative is provided.

The author looks at each of the major Italian cities and describes them separately, then looks at some of the importance of painting, art and architecture of the period, and very little of the beginnings of the humanist thought or philosophy is presented in this book.

Don't get me wrong on this review. If you start the book, you'll probably finish it, but you will only be getting a text book like presentation of an incredibly exciting period of time and might be better served with another book on the topic which brings the history alive and would keep you on the edge of your seat the way such an exciting period of time should be told. History should be fun and this book wasn't.

[Sam Ruddick · Rating 3 out of 5]

First half's by Plumb himself. Is good. Second half is made up of a bunch of essays by other folks: essays on particular personalities (Machiavelli, Petrarch, Sforza, so on). Is also good.

On the whole, it's a useful overview. Covers art, politics, and literature. Focuses on Florence, Rome, Venice, and Milan. The chapter on Rome is interesting in that it illuminates some of the reasons for the corruption in the Catholic Church. The Church wouldn't have survived that time period without said corruption. In order for the Church to be an independent power, not controlled by one state or another, it had to become a state in and of itself. Long story. Never mind. Read the book.

Unless you already know a lot about the Renaissance, you'll probably learn something new, even if it's just what and who else to read.

[Martha Alami · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a selection of articles on various persons, places and events that influenced the development of the Renaissance in Italy. Having been to many of the places and seen many of the artworks, I found it to include a lot of interesting information. Some of the topics I had never heard of so the perspective was very informative. The book is not written by the late historian J. H. Plumb but includes various authors and scholars. They were all well researched and easy to read, however, I found myself looking up many of the names, places and artworks mentioned to gain more understanding. Although I found it interesting, if you want more detail and explanation, this is not the book.

[Pam · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a good, very approachable yet (I believe) comprehensible overview of the flow of the Renaissance in Italy. It certainly helps if one knows something of this already, which I did but was looking for something to put the parts together into some unit. This nice little book did the job w/ some not generally very good essays by other author/scholars in the second half of the book.

I'm glad to have it in my library. It confirms to me that I enjoy going into depth on particulars, as I've been doing - this will do for a reference point that is good enough, for me.

[Mike · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a tough short book to get through. It is a series of essays on important figures from Renaissance Italy. The essays were generally vague, random, and never had a focus on a particular aspect of its subject. There was no introduction or reason for the particular order of the essays. Often, I found that if I didn't have a knowledge background for a particular figure, I was completely lost as to what the author was talking about. I felt like I did get a decent impression of what Renaissance Italy looked like, but there are certainly better books out there that I could have read.

[Scotty Cameron · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great brief overview of the renaissance. It is written two parts. The first being a quick breakdown of the factors that contributed to the renaissance. Then part two is a collection of essays by other authors about individual facets of the renaissance.

It's a great book for those that want a quick window to what was going on in Italy during a magnificent period In human civilization.

Scotty Cameron

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is interesting, but a little difficult to follow. Instead of a chronological history of the Renaissance, the book is divided into over a dozen different independent reads, any of which could probably exist without the other. Similar to Wallace K. Ferguson's "The Renaissance," this book tends to rely on broad generalities and has few thoroughly told stories about major events.

[Richard Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Renaissance - A Short and Excellent History

The book is not the work of one author, but many. Mr. Plumb chose wisely when he chose authors of each chapter. In some, even most respects, The Renaissance WAS Italy as much as Italy was The Renaissance. My notes, when I download them, will look like Cliff Notes for an exam.