Used. Paperback. Michael Baxandall’s brilliant classic brilliantly bridges the gap between high art and everyday habits, proving that fifteenth-century Italian painting was deeply shaped by everything from local dance steps to the geometry of gauging wine barrels. By examining how patrons and painters shared a distinct visual vocabulary, this essential volume unpacks the cognitive baggage of the early Renaissance without a shred of academic stuffiness. You will never look at a Botticelli or a Lippi quite the same way once you realize their canvases were mirrors for a remarkably bustling, mercantile society. Grab a copy and brush up on your period optics before your next gallery stroll.