Publisher's Synopsis
This book represents the culmination of years of hard work and intense passion. It celebrates the love of beauty as it is manifested in the art collection introduced in the volume. The works catalogued encompass around one fifth of Alanas entire Italian Old Master collection. It is the product of work and research, of numerous visits to different countries and cities in order to see the original works of art, visit art fairs, and seek the advice of a variety of specialists. The collection covers the period that goes from Italian Gothic to Italian High Renaissance art. Alanas aim has always been to build a collection that considers not only the great masters, but also those who followed in their footsteps and added their personal contributions alongside the achievements of the major figures. Alanas ambition has been to chart the history and evolution of the different Italian schools, the ways in which they inspired one another, and ultimately created so many distinctively beautiful works of art. In order to do this, this collection has been conceived as a living one, which continues to improve, evolve and welcome new works. A private and artistic history of each master is given, as well as rich visual reproductions, basic information, and a thorough technical explanation of both the most important masterpieces (those in color) and the ones that are relevant to the style or period (those in black and white). The volume concludes with a table noting the names and locations of the works mentioned in the book, as well as an extensive bibliography.
