MARY MCCARTHY VENICE OBSERVED & THE STONES OF FLORENCE TWO BOOKS TWO TREASURES

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MARY MCCARTHY VENICE OBSERVED & THE STONES OF FLORENCE TWO BOOKS TWO TREASURES:
$150.00

This is a package consisting of two wonderful books about the art treasures of Venice and Florence which were written by Mary McCarthy in the 1950s when Italy was just being rediscovered by the American traveler after the ravages of World WarTwo. VENICE OBSERVED was published byG. &R. BERNIER (PARIS LAUSANNE) REYNAL & COMPANY (NEW YORK) in 1956 and this isthe second edition dated March 15, 1957. There are comments on Venitian Civilization and notes on the plates by Andre Chastel. The color photographs of paintings are by Hans Hinz and Claudio Emmer while the photographs of Venice are by Inge Morath. As stated on the flap of the dust jacket this is \"a magnificent survey of the art, life and history of Venice with 60 pages in full color and numerous illustrations in black and white.\" It goes on to say that Mary McCarthy has \"caught the magic of the city, that her brilliant prose recreates its wonders, its quirks, its glories and its foibles.\" The book is in near fine condition with just slight wear at the tips of the spine. The dust jacket has several ripped edges but is overall in good condition. THE STONES OF FLORENCE, also by Mary McCarthy, was published by HARCOURT, BRACE AND COMPANY of New York and, although no date appears, we believe this is the first edition of 1959. It has photographs by Evelyn Hofer and others - 128 black and white photographs and 12 color plates. Just as Florence is very different from Venice, this book is very different from VENICE OBSERVED but it is a fascinating story of the city considered as the successor to Athens in Western civilization - \"a radical, clear-sighted outpost on the dangerous frontier of thought and vision\" as you will read on the flap of the dust jacket. This book is also in near fine condition with just some age related browning to the edges of the pages. The dust jacket does have several ripped edges but the overall condition is good. These two books should go into the private library of a serious reader/student of Italy, particularly her art and history, and they will give a lifetime of intellectual satisfaction.