The Italian Renaissance by
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.
Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo and the Renaissance in Florence by
The book outlines the historical context of the Florentine High Renaissance and then discusses drawings, paintings, and sculpture in turn. Focusing on major artists and their contemporaries and allies, the authors demonstrate the great importance of drawing during this period and show that there was a consistency in the brand of creativity found in such artists as Michelangelo, Fiorentino, Cellini, and Bronzino. The authors question the relevance of terms like High Renaissance and Mannerism, and they contend that, contrary to commonly held assumptions, there was no strong stylistic division between art produced in Florence before and after the death of Raphael in 1520.
Michelangelo by
This first book in a two-volume history of the great artist covers his rise to prominence, an era during which he created the statue Pietà, the giant marble David, the Sistine Ceiling frescoes, the new sacristy and library for the Medici family at San Lorenzo, and the monumental tomb for Pope Julius II in Rome.
Michelangelo by
In this vividly written biography, William E. Wallace offers a substantially new view of the artist. Not only a supremely gifted sculptor, painter, architect, and poet, Michelangelo was also an aristocrat who firmly believed in the ancient and noble origins of his family. The belief in his patrician status fueled his lifelong ambition to improve his family's financial situation and to raise the social standing of artists. Michelangelo's ambitions are evident in his writing, dress, and comportment, as well as in his ability to befriend, influence, and occasionally say "no" to popes, kings, and princes. Written from the words of Michelangelo and his contemporaries, this biography not only tells his own stories but also brings to life the culture and society of Renaissance Florence and Rome.
Mirror of the Gods by
Tells the revolutionary story of how the great artists of Western Europe--from Botticelli and Leonardo to Titian and Rubens--revived the gods of ancient Greece and Rome. Each chapter focuses on a different deity and sheds dazzling new light on such familiar figures as Venus, Hercules, and Bacchus. Bull draws on hundreds of illustrations to illuminate the ancient myths through the eyes of Renaissance and Baroque artists, not as they appear in classical literature. When the wealthy and powerful princes of Christian Europe began to identify with the pagan gods, myth became the artist's medium for telling the story of his own time. The Mirror of the Gods is the fascinating and extraordinary story of how Renaissance artists combined mythological imagery and artistic virtuosity to change the course of western art.
The Patron's Payoff : Conspicuous Commissions in Italian Renaissance Art
Building on three economic concepts--signaling, signposting, and stretching--the book develops the first systematic methodology for assessing the meaning of art patronage and provides a broad and useful framework for understanding how works of art functioned in Renaissance Italy.
Keywords to consider when using the online catalog Library Catalog
What's a Catalogue Raisonné? 
An artist's catalogue raisonné is a book about each of the works by a particular artist. Written by an expert on that artist, it is more than a mere "catalog" of objects - a catalogue raisonné will also lead you to more sources (books, articles, essays, etc.) that will help you understand the scholarly discourse on his/her work.
A catalogue raisonné usually contains:
• Photograph(s) and description of each work
• Medium, size, condition, provenance, and location of each work
• A literature review (a bibliography of the primary and secondary sources which have discussed the work!)
• Often features essays on the artist and short essays on each individual work
• Example signatures
• Questionable (spurious) or unsigned works, and attributions
Catalogues raisonnés are generally placed in a library's book collections. They are usually shelved in a library's stacks with the rest of the art books.
The International Foundation for Art Research has compiled an online database of catologues raisonnes, searchable by artist. Full publication information and summaries are provided for each text. Explore this site for lots of information on "authenticity, ownership, theft, and other artistic, legal, and ethical issues concerning art objects."
Michelangelo : self-portrait
The Lives of the Artists by 
A Documentary History of Art : Michelangelo and the mannerists : the baroque and the eighteenth century by 
Italian Art, 1500-1600 by 
Renaissance Art Reconsidered by 