The Renaissance architect and builder Andrea Palladio is arguable the most influential architect in Western history, and certainly the most beloved. His sixteenth-century villas in the Italian Veneto revolutionized the course of architecture, and the principles on which he based his work are still felt today. For the past several years, Italian watercolorist Giovanni Giaconi has devoted his talents to creating exquisite large-format pen-and-ink watercolor renderings of all thirty-two of Palladio's villas. Each drawing captures the timeless beauty of Palladian architecture and provides a detailed record of these masterpieces. Together with brief descriptions of each villa, samples of Giaconi's preparatory sketches, and where available, Palladio's own woodcuts, these works of art leave a deep impression of Palladio's oeuvre and give the reader an opportunity to compare the original designs with the actual buildings and their present state of conservation. This beautiful book is a must-have and the perfect gift for architects, travelers, and lovers of Italy and Palladio's architecture.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
A Must Have! This painstakingly precise and loving study of all of Andrea Palladio's 32 villas is a work of art in itself. In preserving the aspect of each one in watercolor, artist Giovanni Giaconi captures the villas in a very momentary way with the most transient of mediums... for me, this emphasizes even more the timelessness of one of the most imitated architects of all time. Whether you are a serious student or an admirer of neo-classical architecture, you will love turning the pages of this book over and over... more info
Pleased This book is a work of art. Anyone loving this genre of Italian architecture should have this book. I found a used copy in decent condition. I am very pleased.
BEAUTIFUL BOOK IF YOU APPRECIATE DETAILED DRAWINGS OF HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT STRUCTURES BY RENOWNED ARCHITECTS AND BUILDERS YOU WILL ENJOY THIS BOOK.
The Villas of Palladio De delivery was best. The price was reasonable, but the cover was missing of this book. This is the only thing that disappointed me.