The Renaissance Bazaar: From the Silk Road to Michelangelo
Author(s): Jerry Brotton (Author)
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication Date: 1 Aug. 2002
Edition: First Edition
Language: English
Print length: 256 pages
ISBN-10: 9780192802682
ISBN-13: 9780192802682
Book Description
The Renaissance stands as one of the defining moments in world history. Between 1400 and 1600, European perceptions of society, culture, politics and even humanity itself emerged in ways that continue to affect not only Europe but the rest of the world. This wide-ranging exploration of the Renaissance sees the period as a time of unprecedented intellectual excitement and cultural experimentation and interaction on a global scale. It guides the reader through the key issues that defined the period, from its art, architecture and literature, to its advancements in the fields of science, trade and travel. In its incisive account of the complexities of the political and religious upheavals of the period, the book argues that Europe’s reciprocal relationship with its easter neighbours offers a timely perspective on the Renaissance as a moment of global inclusiveness that still has much to teach us today.
Editorial Reviews
Review
“a lively, sharp and well-written book”. — Times Literary Supplement
“concise survey of the arts and trades that made the Renaissance” —
The Independent
Brotton offers some impressive fresh evidence —
Independent , 25 May, 2002
clearly and concisely written, richly illustrated and beautifully produced —
Financial Times, 25-26 May, 2002
engaging and alluring … a readable and mind-broadening account —
Sunday Times, 19 May 2002
From the Author
This book argues that Islam, and the cultures to the east of mainland Europe, were equal players in the development of the European Renaissance, which took place between 1400 and 1600. The book was completed just weeks after the events of September 11, 2001. The subsequent anti-Islamic sentiment that flooded the media only confirmed the wider historical argument of the book, that the West assumes its cultural superiority over and above all other cultures, and especially at defining moments like the Renaissance. My own research led me to appreciate that this period was in fact a time when Europe looked to the east for most of its goods, ideas and creativity. The book offers a broad introduction to the Renaissance by placing the development of culture in Turkey, Egypt, Persia and North Africa alongside the more familiar figures of the European Renaissance, like Leonardo, Michelangelo and Shakespeare. The result is, hopefully, an unfamiliar version of the European Renaissance, which looks far more global and plural than most readers will have imagined.
The book is also a general introduction to the topic, and provides readers with a general understanding of the key issues relating to the Renaissance. These include an explanation of the term Renaissance, an exploration of the meaning of humanism, religion and the rise of Lutheranism, the art and architecture of the Renaissance, travel and discovery, and the development of science and literature. I hope that it captures the excitement of the time, whilst also registering the darker side of the Renaissance, and its history of slavery, religious intolerance and international warfare.
About the Author
Jerry Brotton is a Lecturer in English at the University of London. He is the author of Trading Territories: Mapping the Early Modern World and Global Interests: Renaissance Art between East and West (with Lisa Jardine).
Jerry Brotton is a Lecturer in English at Royal Holloway, University of London.
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