Description
The City Painter
Book Summary
This work offers a detailed analysis of the role of the official city painter of Tortosa during the 14th and 15th centuries. Through a rigorous study, the reader will discover how this position, which was intermittent within the local administration, provided work for a notable number of artists in the late medieval period. The book is presented as an essential tool for understanding the organization of artistic work and municipal patronage in the Crown of Aragon.
What is it about?
The book is structured into three fundamental parts. The first provides an overview of the position of the city painter in Tortosa, analyzing its nature, functions, and the intermittency with which it was appointed. The second part focuses on a comparison with what occurred in other towns of the Crown of Aragon, especially in Barcelona, which allows for the contextualization of the Tortosa case within a broader framework. Finally, the third part delves into the specific artists who held the position, their work, and their role in the society of the time. It is, therefore, an investigation that combines local history with the history of art and medieval administration.
Main Themes
- History of medieval art in the Crown of Aragon.
- The profession of painter and its guild organization in the Late Middle Ages.
- Municipal administration and artistic patronage in Tortosa.
- Comparative analysis of artistic institutions in Barcelona and other cities of the Crown.
- The figure of the artist as a civil servant in the service of the municipal council.
Who is it recommended for?
This book is aimed at art historians, medievalists, scholars of the local history of Tortosa and the Terres de l'Ebre, as well as any reader interested in the organization of artistic work and municipal institutions during the Middle Ages. It will also be of great use to university students of art history and medieval history.
What this book contributes
- A comprehensive and pioneering study on a little-known municipal artistic position.
- A comparative vision that places the case of Tortosa in the context of the Crown of Aragon.
- Detailed information on the artists who worked for the Tortosa municipality.
- A deeper understanding of the relationships between local power and artistic production.
Technical Specifications
- Author: Vidal Franquet, Jacobo
- Publisher: Cossetània Edicions
- Language: Catalan
- Topic: Art History: Byzantine and Medieval Art c. 50, painting and paintings, regional and national history
- Collection: Fundació Duran-Marti
- Binding: Paperback
- Date of publication: January 2011
- Number of pages: 272
- Weight: 673 g
Editorial Assessment
This is a solid and well-documented research work that fills a gap in the study of local art history in Catalonia. Its comparative approach and academic rigor make it a must-have reference for specialists in the late medieval period. For the reader interested in the history of Tortosa or the organization of artistic work, this book offers a unique and detailed perspective that goes beyond simple artist biographies.