From the late 1500s to the mid-1700s, Italy gave the world some of the liveliest and most imaginative structures in the history of architecture. This profusely illustrated book is the first comprehensive study in English of the works that emerged throughout the Italian peninsula during this critical period.  "If Renaissance architecture was to be contemplated on an intellectual level," John Varriano writes, "Baroque architecture was to be experienced with the emotions and the senses." The grandiloquent projects of the Baroque age were generally sponsored, either directly or indirectly, by the Catholic Church, but as Varriano notes, their appeal has always transcended the immediate self-promotion of their patrons and held powerful sway over people of diverse cultural and religious backgrounds. Coming from an era when architecture was considered a true art, the best Baroque buildings are capable of provoking universal human responses.  Italian Baroque and Rococo Architecture offers chapters on the key architects of the time--Gianlorenzo Bernini, Francesco Borromini, Pietro da Cortona, Guarino Guarini--as well as detailed treatments of the work of many less well-known architects who were active from Sicily to Venice. More than half of the 190 photographs and illustrations were made expressly for this book or have not previously been published. These pictures wre chosen to convey the actual experience of the site.  About the Author:  John Varriano is Professor of Art History at Mount Holyoke College. He has published numerous articles in his field and is the co-author of Roma Resurgens: Papal Medals from the Age of the Baroque.  The first comprehensive study of a key era in architectural history

Italian Baroque and Rococo Architecture

Arts & Photography

Varriano, John

History & Criticism

Oxford University Press

A study of the architecture in these styles throughout Italy and Sicily between 1575 and 1750, including such major figures as Bernini, Borromini, and Pietro da Cortona.

The dramatic realism of Caravaggio’s art has fascinated viewers since the seventeenth century. Yet no prior monograph presents the thorough investigation of Caravaggio’s “realism” ventured in John Varriano’s remarkable book. Forgoing the “life and works” format of most earlier monographs, Varriano concentrates on uncovering the principles and practices—the intellect and the imagination—that guided Caravaggio’s eye and brush as he made some of the most controversial paintings in the history of art.Caravaggio’s irascible personality, libertine sexual preferences, and lawless, even murderous, behavior have attracted as much heated commentary as his realism. Varriano sheds important new light on these disputes by tracing the autobiographical threads in Caravaggio’s paintings and framing these within the context of contemporary Italian culture. Ultimately, Varriano links Caravaggio’s aggressive persona and innovative methods to changes taking place throughout seventeenth-century Europe. Caravaggio: The Art of Realism begins with a highly original investigation of the artist’s studio practices. In subsequent chapters, Varriano discusses Caravaggio’s response to the material culture of his day, his use of gesture and expression, and his eroticism and violence as well as other issues central to the painter’s legendary realism. Caravaggio: The Art of Realism will appeal to students and the general reader as well as to specialists in the field. Varriano has a gift for presenting complex scholarship in a clear, accessible way. The book contains numerous color illustrations that will help readers experience Caravaggio’s art and follow the author’s informative discussion of such famed paintings as Love Victorious and David with the Head of Goliath.

Caravaggio: The Art of Realism

Penn State University Press

The dramatic realism of Caravaggio’s art has fascinated viewers since the seventeenth century. Yet no prior monograph presents the thorough investigation of Caravaggio’s “realism” ventured in John Varriano’s remarkable book. Forgoing the “life and works” format of most earlier monographs, Varriano concentrates on uncovering the principles and practices—the intellect and the imagination—that guided Caravaggio’s eye and brush as he made some of the most controversial paintings in the history of art.
Caravaggio’s irascible personality, libertine sexual preferences, and lawless, even murderous, behavior have attracted as much heated commentary as his realism. Varriano sheds important new light on these disputes by tracing the autobiographical threads in Caravaggio’s paintings and framing these within the context of contemporary Italian culture. Ultimately, Varriano links Caravaggio’s aggressive persona and innovative methods to changes taking place throughout seventeenth-century Europe. 
Caravaggio: The Art of Realism begins with a highly original investigation of the artist’s studio practices. In subsequent chapters, Varriano discusses Caravaggio’s response to the material culture of his day, his use of gesture and expression, and his eroticism and violence as well as other issues central to the painter’s legendary realism. 
Caravaggio: The Art of Realism will appeal to students and the general reader as well as to specialists in the field. Varriano has a gift for presenting complex scholarship in a clear, accessible way. The book contains numerous color illustrations that will help readers experience Caravaggio’s art and follow the author’s informative discussion of such famed paintings as Love Victorious and David with the Head of Goliath.

Rome, the Eternal City; it is here, perhaps more than anywhere else, that the visitor is conscious of the echoes of antiquity. Artists, writers, historians, poets--all have included Rome in their travels; and their reactions--whether amazement, adulation, or surprise--have added to the city's allure. James, Isben, Dickens, Goethe, Woolf, and Wilde are among those who have written with passion about Rome, and through them we rediscover a city of grandeur and intimacy, as vibrant and sensual as ever. Arranged as a series of walks through the city, this book is both an illuminating guide for the visitor to Rome and a delight to read at home for those who love the city and want to enrich their knowledge of it.

A Literary Companion to Rome: Including Ten Walking Tours

Literature & Fiction

St. Martin's: Griffin

Fruits and vegetables as erotic metaphors in still life paintings, the Florentine Baptistry replicated in sausage and cheese by Andrea del Sarto, a recipe for fish molded in the shape of a goat, the discovery of an Ovidian scene at the bottom of a soup bowl. A feast for the mind and eye, this beautifully illustrated, compellingly readable book is a rich exploration of the little examined interplay between art and cuisine during the Italian Renaissance. Exploring a dazzling array of art works, and drawing from period recipes and menus, John Varriano considers the many, often surprising, ways that cooks and artists converged and drew from each other's worlds. Among other topics, he considers the significance of culinary images in Renaissance art; traces parallels in the use of ingredients such as eggs and oil in kitchens and in studios; examines centerpieces by artists that were made of food; looks at the emergence of the celebrity cook and celebrity painter; and much more. Woven throughout with the flavors and colors of the era, this book of Renaissance temptations expands our understanding of the traditional boundaries of creative expression.

Tastes and Temptations: Food and Art in Renaissance Italy

University of California Press

Tastes and Temptations: Food and Art in Renaissance Italy (Volume 27)

Rome: A Literary Companion

Travel

Europe

John Murray Pubs Ltd

A literary guide to the sites of Rome for both the tourist and armchair traveller alike

Rome: Ten Literary Walking Tours

Chameleon Books

As one of New York's most celebrated restaurants, The Four Seasons is well known for its celebrity clientele and power lunchers. But it is also famous for an amazing selection of delectable cocktails created by legendary bartenders who have provided their tastiest recipes in this indispensible guide. Elegantly designed, it includes all the classics plus scores of new favorites, along with bartending tips and fascinating Four Seasons lore. And because every drink deserves an accompanying dish, there's a Bar Bites” section from the restaurant's kitchen!

The Four Seasons Book of Cocktails: Tips, Techniques, and More Than 1,000 Recipes from New York's Landmark Restaurant

Cookbooks, Food & Wine

DuBose, Fred

Connolly, Greg

Corpion, Charles

Beverages & Wine

Sterling Innovation

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Varriano, John. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Varriano, John

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Varriano, John. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Italian Baroque and Rococo Architecture

Italian Baroque and Rococo Architecture

Caravaggio: The Art of Realism

Caravaggio: The Art of Realism

A Literary Companion to Rome: Including Ten Walking Tours

Tastes and Temptations: Food and Art in Renaissance Italy

Tastes and Temptations: Food and Art in Renaissance Italy (Volume 27)

Rome: A Literary Companion

Rome: Ten Literary Walking Tours

The Four Seasons Book of Cocktails: Tips, Techniques, and More Than 1,000 Recipes from New York's Landmark Restaurant