Only Connect: Art and the Spectator in the Italian Renaissance (Bollingen Series Book 1988)

**A leading art historian's plea for a more engaged reading of Italian Renaissance art**__Only Connect__ constructs a history of Renaissance paintings and sculptures that are by design completed outside themselves by the spectator, that draw the spectator into their narrative plot or aesthetic functioning, and that reposition the spectator imaginatively or in time and space. John Shearman's concern is mostly with anterior relationships with the viewer--that is, relationships conceived and constructed as part of a work's design, making, and positioning. He proposes unconventional ways in which works of art may be distinguished from one another, and in which spectators may be distinguished as well, and enlarges the accepted field of artistic invention. __Only Connect__ challenges us to recognize the presuppositions of Renaissance artists about their viewers, shining a light on the process of discovery by some of the most inventive and intellectual artists of the period. John Shearman makes the plea for a more engaged reading of art works of the Italian Renaissance, one that will recognize the presuppositions of Renaissance artists about their viewers. His book is the first attempt to construct a history of those Renaissance paintings and sculptures that are by design completed outside themselves in or by the spectator, that embrace the spectator into their narrative plot or aesthetic functioning, and that reposition the spectator imaginatively or in time and space. He takes the lead from texts and artists of the period, for these artists reveal themselves as spectators. Among modern historiographical techniques, Reception Theory is closest to the author's method, but Shearman's concern is mostly with anterior relationships with the viewer--that is, relationships conceived and constructed as part of the work's design, making, and positioning. Shearman proposes unconventional ways in which works of art may be distinguished one from another, and in which spectators may be distinguished, too, and enlarges the accepted field of artistic invention. Furthermore, His argument reflects on the Renaissance itself. What is created in this period tends to be regarded as conventional, or inherent in the nature of painting and sculpture: he maintains that this is a careless, disengaged view that has overlooked the process of discovery by immensely inventive and visually intelllectual artists. John Shearman is William Door Boardman Professor of Fine Arts at Harvard University. Among his works are Mannerism (Hardmondsworth/Penguin), Raphael's Cartoons in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen and the Tapestries for the Sistine Chapel (Phaidon), The Early Italian Paintings in teh Collection of Her Majesty the Queen (Cambridge). and Funzione e Illusione (il Saggiatore). The A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, 1988 Bollingen Series XXXV: 37 Originally Publsihed in 1992 The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905. John Shearman makes the plea for a more engaged reading of art works of the Italian Renaissance, one that will recognize the presuppositions of Renaissance artists about their viewers. His book is the first attempt to construct a history of those Renaissance paintings and sculptures that are by design completed outside themselves in or by the spectator, that embrace the spectator into their narrative plot or aesthetic functioning, and that reposition the spectator imaginatively or in time and space. He takes the lead from texts and artists of the period, for these artists reveal themselves as spectators. Among modern historiographical techniques, Reception Theory is closest to the author's method, but Shearman's concern is mostly with anterior relationships with the viewer--that is, relationships conceived and constructed as part of the work's design, making, and positioning. Shearman proposes unconventional ways in which works of art may be distinguished one from another, and in which spectators may be distinguished, too, and enlarges the accepted field of artistic invention. Furthermore, His argument reflects on the Renaissance itself. What is created in this period tends to be regarded as conventional, or inherent in the nature of painting and sculpture: he maintains that this is a careless, disengaged view that has overlooked the process of discovery by immensely inventive and visually intelllectual artists. John Shearman is William Door Boardman Professor of Fine Arts at Harvard University. Among his works are Mannerism (Hardmondsworth/Penguin), Raphael's Cartoons in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen and the Tapestries for the Sistine Chapel (Phaidon), The Early Italian Paintings in the Collection of Her Majesty the Queen (Cambridge). and Funzione e Illusione (il Saggiatore).The A.W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts, 1988Bollingen Series XXXV: 37Originally Publsihed in 1992The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905 John Shearman makes a plea for a more engaged reading of art works of the Italian Renaissance, one that will recognize the presupposition of Renaissance artists about their viewers. His book is the first attempt to construct a history of those Renaissance paintings and sculptures that are by design completed outside themselves in or by the spectator, that embrace the spectator into their narrative plot or aesthetic functioning, and that reposition the spectator imaginatively or in time and space. He takes his lead from texts and artists of the period, for these artists reveal themselves as spectators; among modern historiographical techniques, Reception Theory is closest to the author's method, but Shearman's concern is mostly with anterior relationships with the viewer - that is, relationships conceived and constructed as part of the work's design, making, and positioning. Shearman proposes unconventional ways in which works of art may be distinguished one from another, and in which spectators may be distinguished, too, and he enlarges the accepted field of artistic invention. Furthermore, his argument reflects on the Renaissance itself. What is created in this period tends to be regarded as conventional, or inherent in the nature of painting and sculpture: he maintains that this is a careless, disengaged view that has overlooked the process of discovery by immensely inventive and visually intellectual artists A leading art historian's plea for a more engaged reading of Italian Renaissance art Only Connect constructs a history of Renaissance paintings and sculptures that are by design completed outside themselves by the spectator, that draw the spectator into their narrative plot or aesthetic functioning, and that reposition the spectator imaginatively or in time and space. John Shearman's concern is mostly with anterior relationships with the viewer--that is, relationships conceived and constructed as part of a work's design, making, and positioning. He proposes unconventional ways in which works of art may be distinguished from one another, and in which spectators may be distinguished as well, and enlarges the accepted field of artistic invention. Only Connect challenges us to recognize the presuppositions of Renaissance artists about their viewers, shining a light on the process of discovery by some of the most inventive and intellectual artists of the period. Frontmatter LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS (page ix) INTRODUCTION (page 3) I. A MORE ENGAGED SPECTATOR (page 10) II. A SHARED SPACE (page 59) III. PORTRAITS AND POETS (page 108) IV. DOMES (page 149) V. HISTORY, AND ENERGY (page 192) VI. IMITATION, AND THE SLOW FUSE (page 227) SOURCES OF ILLUSTRATIONS (page 263) INDEX (page 265) The author makes a plea for a more engaged reading of art works of the Italian Renaissance, one that recognizes the presuppositions of Renaissance artists about their viewers. He challenges the view that work during this period was conventional and unimaginative.