There is an anecdote among art historians. Great Tamerlane had a bad right leg and a left arm. He invited three painters to make his portrait. The first painted him all intact. Tamerlane executed the painter. This was the birth of romanticism. The second painter depicted him as he was and was duly executed as well. This was the birth of realism. Finally, the third artist painted him in profile from the left side, so that his right leg was covered by the horse and the left arm -- by the shield. He was amply rewarded and this was the birth of socialist realism.
The brilliant book by Mary Hollingworth is an exercise in socialist realism in the above sense. The magnificence of the princes of the Renaissance, principally, d'Este, Sforza and Farnese families, as well as their patronage of the architectural and visual is shown all over the place. Their unbridled sadism, avarice and lechery is mentioned only in passing, frequently in elliptic terms. Even if the sufferings of the lower classes - the ones who built palaces, mixed paints, mercury ointments for their syphilis and gunpowder, fought their wars and died in epidemics under their rule - was not the goal of the book. Their wanton cruelty and serial rapes of both sexes by the rulers and prelates is glossed over. Inquisition and its excesses are barely present in the pages. The case of Princes of the Church who sired numerous illegitimate offspring from numerous mistresses for whose benefit they poisoned rivals, initiated wars, or engaged in profligate construction projects is mentioned only as a matter of fact.
But from the left side all looks splendid. The book is well organized and carefully, and insightfully, illustrated. My only regret is that that uppity British woman does not notice society beyond the highest nobility, not even such rank commoners as G. B. Alberti, Rafael, Leonardo and Michelangelo. Evidently, she considers them paid servants not worthy of research.
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