On the Threshold of Modernity: The Renaissance and Reformation (Bk. 3) (Humanistic Tradition) - Softcover

This text is part of a six-volume work which offers an overview of art, music, literature, history and philosophy. Book 3 explores the European Renaissance, the reformation and the global encounter. It looks at the 14th-century transitions, classical humanism, Renaissance artists, reforms and cross-cultural encounters in Africa and the Americas. The text focuses on the Western tradition, but also includes strong coverage of other cultures, setting the arts of the West in the larger arena of world cultures including India, the East, Africa and Native America. Throughout the chronological narrative there is a focus on universal themes, integrating ideas and issues that relate to the human condition. The coverage of literature, art, music and architecture is integrated into discussions of cultural and political influences, aiming to create a logical presentation of broad subject matter. The books of this third edition give increased attention to cross-cultural themes such as Japanese theatre, the transatlantic slave trade and Islamic literature. Science and technology boxes have also been added, which appear throughout the chapters and list key developments that have directly or indirectly affected the history of culture. Locator maps help readers to link specific cultural events with the geographic region in which they occurred. Updated coverage of the 20th century has brought new images from contemporary artists and new sections include the chaos theory, social conscience film and cyberart. Western readings include work by Alice Walker and Malcolm X.