Gombrich on the Renaissance

In the fourth and concluding volume of his classic series of essays on the Renaissance, Ernst Gombrich focuses mainly on individual artists, with illuminating studies of the works of some of the greatest masters - Giotto, Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Giulio Romano and Michelangelo. With the originality of mind and lucidity of expression that are his hallmarks, he re-examines texts and documents in order to throw new light on familiar works. Undogmatic in their approach to methods of inquiry, and demonstrating a profound concern with the standards and values of our cultural heritage, these essays are not only models of good art-historical writing, but they also represent a vitally important humanistic tradition in scholarship and criticism.