Marks of Opulence : The Why, When and Where of Western Art 1000-1914

Tracing art history from the discovery of silver in the Harz mountains to the magnificence of papal and royal courts in the 16th and 17th centuries, Platt (formerly history, U. of Southampton) demonstrates the ways that art has been used to bolster political power and self-esteem. Arguing that the acquisitive instinct is central to the history of Western art, Platt follows the spread of art collecting from the aristocracy to merchants, bankers and industrialists. The text contains many lavish color plates of the art works under discussion. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR