In my continuing research for my novel, Rosaria of Venice, and its sequels, I came across an interesting
book. It is titled, simply and appropriately, The Italian Renaissance, and is authored by J.H. Plumb. So far, it
is at once the most concise and comprehensive resource I have found on the time
period.
I find its description of the forces behind the
Renaissance’s flowering of art especially interesting. Several factors,
apparently, contributed to the rise of the artist in Renaissance Italy. The
rediscovery of ancient Greek and Roman works, and the technique behind them, is
an obvious one. Likewise, the spread of education played a role. But one of the
most important factors was wealth, including that of newly successful
merchants.
