Brunelleschi in Perspective

Book excerpt: The great period of Early Renaissance art in Italy was initiated by the architectural, technological, and sculptural achievements of the renowned fifteenth-century Florentine artist Filippo Brunelleschi. Brunelleschi was famous in his own time and has remained so in all succeeding generations, but perpectives on the significance of his accomplishments and on his historical personality have shifted during the six centuries of varied criticism. The selections in this volume, many available in English for the first time, provide a critical panorama of Brunelleschi literature.