Idols & Rivals
Read More
Found a better price? Request a price match
Idols & Rivals
Latest News
A Seven Sharp Visit and a Huge Thank You!
It's been a busy last week at Rawiri Place before our big move, with a...
What I Read (and Played) in Bali
I always read more when I travel. There’s the flight over, the hotel breakfast where...
A Puzzle for Every Season: Why I Love Seasonal Puzzles
From spooky Halloween puzzles to floral spring scenes and Christmas favourites we bring out every...
The Book Briefing - September 16th
This week there are so many exciting new book announcements out and about with covers,...
Every crime/thriller Novel Lizzy has read this year (so far!)
Lizzy is sharing her crime and thriller reads for 2026 so far and giving you...
See moreCompetition is one of the driving forces of our time – everything can suddenly turn into a challenge or a contest. Art, on the other hand – that which is outside the art market – can be seen as a free space in which something genuinely unique emerges.
That this construct is a historical exception is revealed by a fresh look at the early modern period: here, the principle of competition was thought to be decisive for artistic work. What is more, the competitive habitus of imitation, competition, and surpassing – imitatio, aemulatio and superatio – was supposed to bring about cultural progress as such. Even Leonardo knew that "good envy" spurs high performance.
Hence, some of the most famous works of the Renaissance and Baroque periods emerged from the competitive battles that artists in early modern Europe fought among themselves, as well as with long-dead models from antiquity. This splendid catalogue reveals mutual inspiration and cooperation, but also sheds light on the dark side of competition for prestigious commissions – envy, intrigue, and slander.
Idols & Rivals explores these themes, offering insights into the fascinating dynamics that shaped artistic creation during these pivotal periods in history.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9783775753999
Publisher: Hatje Cantz
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 24 November 2022
Country: Germany
Imprint: Hatje Cantz
Illustration: 244 Illustrations
Contributors:
- Text by Wencke Deiters
- Text by Hana Gründler
- Edited by Gudrun Swoboda
- Text by Karin Leonhard
- Text by Wolf-Dietrich Löhr
- Text by Fabian Jonietz
- Text by Henrieke Haug
- Text by Jana Graul
- Text by Marco Campigli
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Width: 240.0mm
Height: 280.0mm
Weight: 1580g
Pages: 296
Collections
More from Arts & Culture
View allWhy buy from us?
Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!
Service & Delivery
Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.
Auckland Bookstore
We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.
Our Gifting Service
Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.
Arts & Culture lists from the team
Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!


















