The Makers of Florence (Oliphant)

Definition

The Makers of Florence is a romanticized account of medieval and early modern Italian art history by the prolific Scottish novelist and critic Margaret Oliphant. First published at the end of 1876, the book went into four editions by 1884 and received a generally positive critical reception. While Oliphant made no claims to be engaging in original historical scholarship, she offered an engaging biographical overview of some of the major Florentine artists and writers, including Dante, Giotto, Donatello, and Michelangelo.

Introduction

The Makers of Florence, first published in 1876, was one of three books that the Scottish novelist and critic Margaret Oliphant (1828–97) wrote about Italian history and culture; its later companion volumes were The Makers of Venice (1887) and The Makers of Modern Rome(1896). Covering the period of roughly 1265 to 1564 – that is, from the birth of the poet Dante Alighieri (1265–1321) to the death of the painter and sculptor Michelangelo...