Patronage in sixteenth-century Italy Book

An authoritative guide to renaissance art, and specifically the relationship between artists and patrons. I read this book for some research on a book I am currently writing and found it useful.

Overall, I found the author tries to find the right balance - not really being for a specialist art historian, but more for the interested and educated layman. Generally, it achieves this, although it can be quite dry at times with long passages listing patrons and artists. I think it might have been better if the author packed in a little less, but explored a few individual stories a little more to give more colour. Where the book is at its best is when it shows the relationship between the historical events and trends of the period and the types of art, artists and what the patrons where trying to achieve by investing in it. It might also be helped by a few colour plates - I know this adds to the cost of a book, but as a book about art its always helpful to see that art.

In summary, if you are interested in the art of this period and wonder why it takes the forms it does, or in patronage, then a worthy if occasionally dry read.