The Renewal of Pagan Antiquity: Contributions to the Cultural History of the European Renaissance (Texts & Documents)

Bibliophile, scholar, founder of what would become the Warburg Institute, Aby Warburg (1866-1929) ranks as one of the most original and brilliant art historians of this century. Warburg looked beyond iconography to more psychological aspects of artistic creation, and in particular he contemplated the meaning of the re-use of ancient motifs. His scholarship--published in German in 1932 in two volumes encompassing all of his published essays along with manuscript notes in his working copies--has had a crucial influence on the work of twentieth-century art historians. Now, with the publication of this new translation of The Renewal of Pagan Antiquity , these seminal volumes are available in their entirety in English for the first time. Cover 1 Contents 8 Introduction 12 Acknowledgments 87 Note on the Text 88 Editorial Foreword 92 VOLUME ONE 100 Antiquity in Florentine Bourgeois Culture 100 Sandro Botticelli's Birth of Venus and Spring (1893) 100 Sandro Botticelli (1898) 168 The Picture Chronicle of a Florentine Goldsmith (1899) 176 On Imprese Amorose in the Earliest Florentine Engravings (1905) 180 The Art of Portraiture and the Florentine Bourgeoisie (1902) 196 Francesco Sassetti's Last Injunctions to His Sons (1907) 234 Matteo degli Strozzi (1893) 274 The Commencement of Building Work at the Palazzo Medici(1908) 276 An Astronomical Map in the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo in Florence (1911) 280 The Emergence of the Antique as a Stylistic Ideal in Early Renaissance Painting (1914) 282 Exchanges between Florentine and Flemish Culture 286 Artistic Exchanges between North and South in the Fifteenth Century (1905) 286 Flemish Art and the Florentine Early Renaissance (1902) 292 Flemish and Florentine Art in Lorenzo de' Medici's Circle around 1480 (1901) 316 Rogier van der Weyden's Entombment in the Uffizi (1903) 320 On a Florentine Painting That Ought to Be in the Exhibition of French Primitives (1904) 322 Peasants at Work in Burgundian Tapestries (1907) 326 Antiquity and Modern Life in Renaissance Pageantry 336 Two Scenes from King Maximilian's Captivity in Bruges on a Sheet of Sketches by the So-Called Master of the Housebook (1911) 336 Airship and Submarine in the Medieval Imagination (1913) 344 Piero della Francesca's Battle of Constantine in the Watercolor Copy by Johann Anton Ramboux (1912) 350 Medicean Pageantry at the Valois Court in the Flemish Tapestries of the Galleria degli Uffizi (1927) 354 The Theatrical Costumes for the Intermedi of 1589 (1895) 414 Contributions to the Cultural History of the Florentine Quattrocento (1929) 414 VOLUME TWO 564 Italian Antiquity in Germany 564 Durer and Italian Antiquity(1905) 564 The Gods of Antiquity and the Early Renaissance in Southern and Northern Europe (1908) 570 Church and Court Art at Landshut (1909) 572 The Olympian Gods as Astral Daemons 574 Italian Art and International Astrology in the Palazzo Schifanoia, Ferrara (1912) 574 On Images of Planetary Deities in the Low German Almanac of 1519 (1908) 604 Pagan-Antique Prophecy in Words and Images in the Age of Luther (1920) 608 Astrology under Oriental Influence (1926) 710 Occasional Writings on Public Cultural Issues 714 American Chapbooks (1897) 714 The Mural Paintings in Hamburg City Hall (1910) 722 Art Exhibitions at the Volksheim (1907) 728 A Specialized Heraldic Library (1913) 730 A Newly Discovered Fresco by Andrea del Castagno (1899) 732 Speech on the Opening of the Kunsthistorisches Institut at the Palazzo Guadagni, Florence, 15 October 1927 (1927) 734 In Memory of Robert Munzel (1918) 736 The Problem In Between (1918) 738 List of Illustrations 790 Bibliography 800 Index 826 A Collection Of Essays By The Art Historian Aby Warburg, These Essays Look Beyond Iconography To More Psychological Aspects Of Artistic Creation: The Conditions Under Which Art Was Practised; Its Social And Cultural Contexts; And Its Conceivable Historical Meaning. Sandro Botticelli's Birth Of Venus And Spring -- Sandro Botticelli -- The Picture Chronicle Of A Florentine Goldsmith -- On Imprese Amorose In The Earliest Florentine Engravings -- The Art Of Portraiture And The Florentine Bourgeoisie -- Francesco Sassetti's Last Injunctions To His Sons -- Matteo Degli Strozzi -- The Commencement Of Building Work At The Palazzo Medici -- An Astronomical Map In The Old Sacristy Of San Lorenzo In Florence -- The Emergence Of The Antique As A Stylistic Ideal In Early Renaissance Painting -- Artistic Exchanges Between North And South In The Fifteenth Century -- Flemish Art And The Florentine Early Renaissance -- Flemish And Florentine Art In Lorenzo De' Medici's Circle Around 1480. Rogier Van Der Weyden's Entombment In The Uffizi -- On A Florentine Painting That Ought To Be In The Exhibition Of French Primitives -- Peasants At Work In Burgundian Tapestries -- Two Scenes From King Maximilian's Captivity In Bruges On A Sheet Of Sketches By The So-called Master Of The Housebook -- Airship And Submarine In The Medieval Imagination -- Piero Della Francesca's Battle Of Constantine In The Watercolor Copy By Johann Anton Ramboux -- Medicean Pageantry At The Valois Court In The Flemish Tapestries Of The Galleria Degli Uffizi -- The Theatrical Costumes For The Intermedi Of 1589 -- Contributions To The Cultural History Of The Florentine Quattrocento -- Dürer And Italian Antiquity -- The Gods Of Antiquity And The Early Renaissance In Southern And Northern Europe -- Church And Court Art At Landshut. Italian Art And International Astrology In The Palazzo Schifanoia, Ferrara -- On Images Of Planetary Deities In The Low German Almanac Of 1519 -- Pagan-antique Prophecy In Words And Images In The Age Of Luther -- Astrology Under Oriental Influence -- American Chapbooks -- The Mural Paintings In Hamburg City Hall -- Art Exhibitions At The Volksheim -- A Specialized Heraldic Library -- A Newly Discovered Fresco By Andrea Del Castagno -- Speech On The Opening Of The Kunsthistorisches Institut At The Palazzo Guadagni, Florence, 15 October 1927 -- In Memory Of Robert Münzel -- The Problem In Between. Aby Warburg ; Introduction By Kurt W. Forster ; Translation By David Britt. Originally Published In 1932 As The First Two Volumes Of A Planned Set Of Complete Works. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 789-813) And Index. The first English translation of the collected works of bibliophile, scholar, library founder, and art historian Warburg.