The commonwealth of nature: art and poetic community in the age of Dante

Abstract

"The Commonwealth of Nature explores the role of Tuscan visual culture in the poetic construction of a commonwealth. For Campbell, "commonwealth" should be viewed not only in the context of abstract political theory but also as a living reality, dependent upon the very processes of art making. The book focuses on four exceptional works: Brunetto Latini's didactic poem, the Tesoretto; a unique illustrated manuscript of the same; and Simone Martini's Maesta and Ambrogio Lorenzetti's Allegory of Good and Bad Government, both painted for the Palazzo Pubblico in Siena."--BOOK JACKET.

Contents

Introduction. The Poetry of Commonwealth -- 1. Brunetto's Treasure and Its Revelation in Script and Pictures -- The Invention of Secrets -- The Sharing of Secrets in Strozzi 146 -- 2. Municipal Verse, Vernacular Poetry, and Simone Martini's Maesta -- Brunetto's Failure and Dante's Goal -- Simone's Maesta and the Advent of Nature's Commonwealth -- 3. Ambrogio Lorenzetti and the Poetry of Peace -- Conclusion: New Clothes and the Rebirth of the Commonwealth.