Title: Wealth and commerce stimulate art and luxury
Review: Although a good book with a valid and interesting point, the subtitle "A New History of the Renaissance" is too pretentious. Jardine convincingly argues that the astounding rebirth in the arts and in knowledge in general during the Renaissance was in god measure a byproduct of renewed trade, a commercial revival, and the lust for wealth and social recognition. Also very interesting is the demonstration that the artist as a solitary, bohemian genius who faces the world by expressing in his work his internal emotions, dates back only to the Romantic period. Before the late XVIII century, artists were basically employees or entrepreneurs eager to put their talents (oten as sublime as those of Michelangelo or Raffaello) at the service of the highest bidder or patron. It is a valuable book if only for the seldom-made link between the "new rich" and the progress of knowledge.
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