Francisco de Holanda Author

The author, Francisco de Holanda (c. 1517-84), was a distinguished Portuguese painter and writer who had been sent to Rome as the artistic envoy of the Portuguese king John III. His Dialogues are a polished and thoughtful evocation of intellectual society in sixteenth-century Rome. Unavailable for many years, they are presented here in the classic translation by Charles Holroyd, painter, engraver, art historian and director of the National Gallery. The introduction by David Hemsoll situates the Dialogues in the context of Michelangelo's career and the artistic world in Rome. 16 pages of illustrations include some of the finest drawings currently on show at the British Museum. David Hemsoll, a Renaissance art and architectural historian who works at the University of Birmingham. Among other specialities, he is an expert on Michelangelo and his artistic theory.