Embedded Files
A revelatory account of Renaissance automata that redefines the boundaries between art, science, and wonder.
Renaissance Automata of the Villa Pratolino: Magic, Mechanics, and Medici Ambition
Lily V. Filson
A vital new approach to the study of Renaissance automata and garden design, the book investigates how the Medici court used mechanical marvels to articulate philosophies of nature, divinity, and power. Moving beyond conventional histories of engineering, it situates the Villa Pratolino at the intersection of natural philosophy, Neoplatonism, and political spectacle. Drawing on an array of sources—from Renaissance treatises to eyewitness accounts and little-studied visual documentation—the book reveals how Francesco I de’ Medici’s automata embodied both the mechanical ingenuity and the magical worldview of their age.
"Filson's book provides a vibrant study of the lost marvels of the sixteenth-century Medici villa at Pratolino. Drawing both on the evidence of surviving sculptural components and upon a detailed and nuanced reading of period descriptions of the site, Filson brings these lavish hydrological and pneumatic automata to life for the reader."
Sean Roberts, Teaching Associate Professor, University of Tennessee, USA
About the Author
Lily V. Filson is an art historian specializing in the intersection of art, science, and technology in the early modern period. She earned her doctorate from Ca' Foscari University of Venice with support from a European Research Council grant and has taught art history at American universities since 2018. Her research, published in journals such as Studia Rudolphina and Society and Politics, explores the cultural and mechanical innovations of Renaissance Italy, with a focus on automata and architectural design.
BUY NOW
A groundbreaking, panoramic survey that expands the canon by integrating diverse cultures, innovations, and perspectives from prehistory to the early modern period.
An Expanded Global History of Art, Architecture, and Technology with a Preliminary Integration of South Arabia to the Canon
Lily V. Filson
An Expanded Global History of Art, Architecture, and Technology provides a sweeping, integrative account of human creativity from prehistory through modernism. Moving beyond Eurocentric narratives, it situates the history of art and architecture within a truly global framework, emphasizing technological innovation, cultural exchange, and cross-disciplinary connections. Designed for students and instructors alike, the book highlights both iconic monuments and overlooked traditions, encouraging readers to see the built and artistic environment as part of a dynamic, interconnected human story.
BUY NOW
Page updated
Google Sites
Report abuse