This volume investigates the intersection between early Italian Renaissance humanism and the development of pictorial composition through the lens of contemporary critical writing. Michael Baxandall, a renowned art historian, analyzes the writings of Petrarch and his contemporaries to determine how their rhetorical training and linguistic frameworks shaped the perception of visual art. By examining the vocabulary used by these humanists, the author argues that their intellectual environment provided the necessary conceptual tools for painters to evolve their craft.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for understanding the intellectual history of art criticism. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which requires a strong background in Renaissance history to fully appreciate the author's arguments.