Art in Venice

Library Journal

In more than a millennium of history, Venice has been graced with an array of art and architecture unsurpassed in the Western world. Now it exists as virtually a monument in itself. The achievement of this lavish coffee-table tribute is to proffer an intelligent sampling from the entire art history of the city through a selection of some 500 chronologically arranged color reproductions. Here, we are given not only a sumptuous conspectus of the paintings, sculpture, and minor arts made for or found in the city's palaces, churches, and museums but also a superb selection of the famous and less well known buildings that create the unique urban fabric of the Serene Republic. Although the illustrations are barely complemented by a sketchy text and plate captions, their quantity and quality plus the volume's modest price are sufficient to overcome any criticism and more than justify its acquisition. Recommended especially for public libraries in need of visual resources or serving potential travelers.--Robert Cahn, Fashion Inst. of Technology, New York Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.\