Classic Art

Description

Heinrich Wölfflin was a pioneering critic who introduced new and rigorous methods of formal analysis into the study of art. Classic Art, first published in 1899, is itself a classic that has exercised a profound influence on the way people have looked at and thought about art.

As an appraisal of the great artists of the Renaissance it can hardly be surpassed. Once again available in its elegant original format, it is an indispensable addition to any library.

Heinrich Wölfflin was a Swiss art historian who developed new methods of interpreting art works that profoundly influenced generations of art scholars and critics. He studied under Jacob Burckhardt at the University of Basel, and in 1893 succeeded him in the Chair of Art History. Wölfflin wrote extensively on Renaissance and Baroque art.

“Wölfflin’s Classic Art has done more than any other volume to promote an understanding of High Renaissance art. His interpretation of the styles of Leonardo, Raphael, Fra Bartolommeo, Andrea del Sarto and Michelangelo should induce a new generation of art lovers to look at the achievements of these artists with fresh eyes.”—John Pope-Hennessy