Masterpieces of Italian Design is an overview of the past two centuries in Italian design and manufacturing. This new title documents the 110 most pioneering designs to come out of Italy, and explains why, with stunning images (including rare archival photographs, illustrations and patent drawings) and explanatory texts.

"This book introduces, for the first time in English, a fascinating yet strangely neglected aspect of Italian Renaissance art. During the quattrocento painting became more popular and probably more beautiful than at any time before or since. House interiors and furniture were painted with exotic stories and symbols, one of the most fashionable possessions in the grandest room in the palazzo being the painted cassone or marriage chest." /

Art history need not be dry or dull, as O'Reilly's book shows. Featuring 90 full-color photos of many of the masterpieces of the movement, the book delves into the work of such masters as Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, and Fra Angelico. Full-color photos and illustrations.

Beginning with Florence in the first half of the fifteenth century, Painting in Renaissance Italy travels through the regions of Italy and the different periods of the Renaissance, explaining the different physical and intellectual milieus in which the artists worked. By placing the artists and their work in context, this volume offers a more complete understanding and appreciation of the paintings of the Renaissance."--BOOK JACKET.