Stephanie Porras Livres

Focusing on the formative years of Albrecht Dürer, this book explores his significant drawings created between 1490 and 1495, particularly during his travels in Italy. It highlights the Courtauld Gallery's notable double-sided drawing and delves into Dürer's artistic development, examining his figure studies and the evolution of his individual style. Five expert essays provide insights into his motivations, self-portraits, influences from Nuremberg workshops, and the interplay between drawing and printmaking, enhancing the understanding of his early artistic journey.

Focusing on internet virality, this book analyzes how early modern artworks achieved global mobility and replication. It investigates the impact of artistic labor, gatekeepers, infrastructures, and social networks, offering a fresh perspective on the role of art in globalization processes. Through this lens, it reassesses the dynamics of art dissemination and influence in a connected world.

In this lucid account, Stephanie Porras charts the fascinating story of art in northern Europe during the Renaissance period (ca. 1400-1570). She explains how artists and patrons from the regions north of the Alps - the Low Countries, France, England, Germany - responded to an era of rapid political, social, economic, and religious change, while redefining the status of art. Porras discusses not only paintings by artists from Jan van Eyck to Pieter Bruegel the Elder, but also sculpture, architecture, prints, metalwork, embroidery, tapestry, and armor. Each chapter presents works from a roughly 20-year period and also focuses on a broad thematic issue, such as the flourishing of the print industry or the mobility of Northern artists and artworks. The author traces the influence of aristocratic courts as centers of artistic production and the rise of an urban merchant class, leading to the creation of new consumers and new art products. This book offers a richly illustrated narrative that allows readers to understand the progression, variety, and key conceptual developments of Northern Renaissance art.