Gardens of the Renaissance Painters

Extract

The land of Italy is itself a garden.' From this opening statement of a book which is itself a garden, Mrs. Kennedy proceeds to survey the work of masters from Giotto to Belotto for their interest in lawns, sweet herbs and blossoms. A development from lectures prepared for Toledo garden clubs, the book generously shares a sensitive scholar's appreciation of details which as often as not go unnoticed in even the better known paintings of the Italian Renaissance. It is the work of a penetrating critic and historian on a sort of sabbatical, and the result is properly refreshing.