Il Gigante: Michelangelo, Florence, and the David 1492-1504 - Softcover

Gill has a good feeling for the political sweep of the period, and breezes through Medici rule, the rise of Savonarola, the Borgia to tell a story of papal corruption and political instability, which attempts to locate Michelangelo himself in the midst of a rapidly changing world. However, this is an old story, of both the Renaissance and Michelangelo. Even as an introduction to both the period and the artists, Il Gigante is breathtakingly general, with absolutely no concern with or reference towards the recent generations of classic books written on Florentine politics and art. As a result, Gill's story loses sight of Michelangelo's remarkable statue, which could do with a readable new study of its origins and creation. Sadly Gill's book does not achieve this. It is old-fashioned and ill informed, even for a reader new to the topic. --Jerry Brotton

"There is certainly nothing rushed about this excellent account of the world's greatest sculptor... Through Gill's sensitive and accessible reading of the David in particular we can perhaps feel a little closer to [Michelangelo]... It would be well-deserved if this book is as successful as those by [Dava] Sobel and [Ross] King - Gill is a perceptive and accessible critic" --Sunday Herald

"A few pages into Anton Gill's new book and any readers who have never seen a Renaissance painting or sculpture will be packing their bags and heading for Italy. Not a page goes by without the excitement and drama of this period catching at your imagination... A compelling story that is well told." --Country Living

"Gill's project may be ambitious, but his style and approach are aimed firmly at the general reader. In this he succeeds admirably and as an introduction to the Italian Renaissance Il Gigante could hardly be bettered." --Daily Mail