Download or read book Wealth and the Demand for Art in Italy, 1300-1600 written by Richard A. Goldthwaite and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 298 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Wealth and the Demand for Art in Italy represents a departure from previous studies, both in its focus on demand and in its emphasis on the history of the material culture of the West. By demonstrating that the roots of modern consumer society can be found in Renaissance Italy, Richard Goldthwaite offers a significant contribution to the growing body of literature on the history of modern consumerism--a movement which he regards as a positive force for the formation of new attitudes about things that is a defining characteristic of modern culture.