Book excerpt: Sixteenth-Century Italian Art is a first-rate collection of the major classic and contemporary writings on the Italian Renaissance. Taking a thematic approach, the book exemplifies the traditional concerns of the field and presents arguments in a clear, accessible way. A stellar collection of 23 classic and recent essays on the art and architecture of this fascinating period in art history Brings together in a single volume, important literature on sixteenth-century Italian art from the last half century, highlighting major topics of recent art historical studies Introduces major topics and debates in the field, including pagan mysteries, nature and artifice, the art of the body, and “reformations” of art, theory and practice Includes new translations of texts never previously published in English Organized thematically, and features substantial editorial introductions, making this anthology ideal for course use.