A narrative monograph on Fra Filippo Lippi (c.1406-69), one of the greatest artists of early Renaissance Italy
Contains an absorbing and penetrating examination of Lippi's life and work, and his place in the history of Renaissance art
Outstanding colour illustrations of all Lippi's major works
Includes full notes and bibliography, and a checklist of all Lippi's works
Originally published in 1993, as a catalogue raisonné, also published by Phaidon, this abridged edition has been reissued as an introductory volume for a wider audience
Fra Filippo Lippi (c.1406-69) is one of the greatest artists of the early Renaissance in Italy. A pioneer of psychological realism, he developed unique and daring means of representation, discarding medieval traditions about the role of colour in painting. His intensely personal, richly expressive characters are a compelling revelation of Renaissance attitudes towards human experience.
Jeffrey Ruda's work, first published in 1993, was the first full-scale study of Lippi to be published for many years, and provided an important reassessment of his life and work. It also attempted to define the nature of Lippi's greatness as a portrayer of the subtleties of human feeling, and to place his achievement in the wider context of early Renaissance art.
Ruda's landmark survey - still an invaluable work of reference - is now being reissued in an abridged paperback format, so that those who do not require the full art-historical analysis of the original catalogue section can enjoy its beautiful colour plates and fascinating narrative text at an amazingly competitive price.
