Thames & Hudson Pietre Dure and the Art of Florentine Inlay

‘Pietre dure’ are mosaic designs made from semi-precious stones. This richly illustrated, large format book brilliantly captures the beauty and craftsmanship of this ancient technique of ‘painting in stone’, looking at decorative stonework techniques from prehistory to the present day, but focusing in particular on the period from its rebirth in 16th-century Rome to the developments of the 19th century. Table of Contents I. The Eternal Fascination of Pietre Dure – presents the various kinds of mosaic using semi-precious stones and the different ways they have been used from prehistory to the present day • II. The Roman Renaissance and the Renewed Interest in Polychrome Pietre Dure – the rebirth of pietre dure in 16th-century Rome • III. Production in Florence under the Medicis – the most coherent and spectacular period in the history of European pietre dure • IV. The Success of Pietre Dure in Europe During the 18th Century – Royal Workshops throughout Europe • V. Glories of the Ancien Regime – Production under the Hapsburgs, Bourbons, Catherine II, Frederic II and the French Court • VI. From the Splendours of the Court to the Luxury of the Borghese – Florentine production in the 19th century.