Art and Print Culture in Renaissance Venice at The Courtauld Institute of Art

Renaissance Venice was a global hub of information and communication. This position was strengthened in the late-15th century with the establishment of printing houses there. Venice was to become the most significant centre for the production of printed texts and images in Europe for a century. The rise of the printing industry provided opportunities for artists and architects working in the city. This involved not just book illustration and print-making but personal friendships with writers and publishers, cheaper and more varied source material and ultimately a more powerful position vis-à-vis their clients in a growing art market. The course focuses on how artists and architects responded to this radically new order.