What is the Renaissance?

Transcription

1 What is the Renaissance? 20/04/2015 3:18 PM Unit: Topic: Period Characterization French for rebirth French historian gave it name, there is another Italian name Educated people were patron. Period different from time that came before. Medieval times before (1000 years) o This isn t our concept o Wanted to ignite philosophy, reconnect with medieval past Europe was deeply Catholic at time, not Protestantism Chose to see the world of the ancients as moral/virtuous o Modern renaissance philosophy would surpass ancient world. o Rebirth leads to unparalleled heights. Focus more on natural world (empiricism) than spiritual Emphasis on thinking, rational man was preoccupation of time Lorenzo Ghiberti- sculptor, artist, architect o Florence o Sacrifice of Isaac, baptistery of Florence o history of art, drew on Classical remains Baptistery- baptize as Christians and as Florentines o Octagonal, four great sets of doors o Ghiberti won the competition 1401 Ghiberti o bad time for arts, destruction of sculpture as pagan arts o painting and sculpture seized to exist until Goto Gates of Paradise o gilded bronze doors he also designed on the baptistery o self-portrait on door, very different from Medieval artists o sense of self as significant figure Renaissance- new prestige fro the artist Prior to that time, fine arts were seen as the mechanical arts (crafts, artisans) just as blacksmiths, bakers, etc. Seen like other artisans, as manual laborers. No intellect required o Ex: signatures were not seen until modern period What changed this? Rediscovery of linear perspective geometric procedure to show space on a seemingly flat surface

2 Application of geometry to the arts. Not laborer, but thinker 1 point perspective Perugino- Christ Giving Keys to St. Peter 1481 Can see lines, used like a crutch or signal People in foreground , this is important Georo Vasari Wrote book near end of Renaissance looking back at greatness Revised in 1568 that included portraits of artists 1300 (beginning), then divided into 3 periods- 1300s, 1400s, 1500s Middle Ages saw a disastrous decline, it has reached perfection in our own time 2 he considered great: Raphael, Alba Madonna, 1510 and Michelangelo, David, ) artist of the renaissance had mastered principles of ancient art 2) had mastered naturalistic representation, looked convincingly natural 3) had given great disegno (design, drawing, concept) o signals the intellectual ability to perceive, select, filer through manual practices o takes perfect parts of nature, untie intellect and material He lived in the period, knew the artists, sought information 3 rd century book on philosophers lived influenced him, statesmen, saints rise in status of the artist at beginning, stiff/lazy Byzantine o ex: comparison of Byzantine icons from 6 th century and 13 th century o shows similarities between icons, artist individuality not important frontal, no interest in naturalism, little human warmth based on prototype, not creativity and natural world o ex: Madonna enthroned 13 th century vs Madonna 1510 Giotto- Arena Chapel 1305 Fresco 3 levels, different scenes

3 Fifteenth-Century Florence 20/04/2015 3:18 PM Unit Topic: Place Florence Identified as the birthplace of the Renaissance Geography of Italy o Long peninsula, separated by the Alps and sea o Protected Italy from barbarian invasions o Mountain ranges that run down the center and go east/west o Not easy to unify, relatively late development o Favored development of a town culture, cities had deep roots Florence was huge at the time, 100,000 peeps City was walled, on a river Compact, 2.5 square miles Powerful families that built towers Most powerful city in Europe o Monopoly on sale of fine silk and wool cloth o Banking center, power over a vast territory! Bankers to the popes o International monetary standard o Double entry bookkeeping Medici Family o Wealthy family, involved in banking o Produced many of the popes of the time o Greatest patrons of the arts o de facto rulers by 14 th century! not aristocratic Republic o Freedom that Florentines valued, almost lost it to Milan o Only powerful men could be elected Guilds o Associations of master craftsmen and tradesmen o They were the fundamental civic unit o Religious activities, charitable activities, financial activities o Orsanmichele, Florence, ! 3 story building

4 ! originally a grain market, but in the 14 th century it was transformed into a Church and headquarters for the cities guilds! each guild was given a niche on the outside, where they could put a statue of their patron saint! explosion of commission for sculpture! became a lab for the arts! 2 bronze sculptures at Orsanmichele (bronze much more valuable): " St. John the Baptist, 1414, Lorenzo Ghiberti The patron saint of the city of Florence plus the patron saint of the merchant guild Over-life size, not monumental Treated in a decorative way, swoops of drapery not naturalistic, look at beard Little sense of the body beneath Late gothic aesthetic " St. Mark, , Donatello More advanced in how we define renaissance First statue since antiquity capable of standing by itself- Jansen What does this mean? o Look at ancient Greek art o Greek kouros 6 th century BCE! Unnatural way of movement o Doryphoros 5 th century BCE! Naturalistic standing pose Drapery follows his body, more naturalistic St. Mark was patron saint of linen draper guild Contraposto pose o View of Florence from San Miniato, Thomas Cole, 1832 o Santa Maria del Fiore, dome by Filippo Brunelleschi

5 20/04/2015 3:18 PM The Catholic Church Unit: Topic: Patron Most artists created works for a patron, not just for funzies Detailed contracts between artists and patrons Status in using higher grade colors (ex: ultramarine blue) Perugino, Crucifixion, ca What were religious works supposed to do? 3 reasons for putting religious images in Churches o For the instruction of simple people (the illiterate) o So that the mystery of the incarnation and the examples of the saints may be more active daily. Or if we see them over and over again, we will be reminded of the great mystery of the Church. o To excite feelings of devotion. Template for devotions but not to interfere Perugino, Madonna & Child, Madonna & Child with Saints, 1493 Artist was creating types, interchangeable types Boring faces on characters, done on purpose Botticelli, Annunciation, ca Robert Campin, Merode Altarpiece, 1433 Triptych In the center, scene of the annunciation. To the right, joseph in his carpenter shop, on the left, the donor figures of the painting new attentiveness to the world donor panel: o outside of a doorway, within a walled gardener with another doorway with a cityscape. o The figures face is strongly individualized, it is a portrait of the commissioner. The woman is more generalized. o Pilgrim in the background, his presence shows that work has something to do with pilgrimage.! In 1450, rome received pilgrims a day Right panel: o Background shows late medieval city

6 Mannerism: Makin it Weird from /04/2015 3:18 PM Unit 1: Topic: Style or Movement Key terms: figura serpentinata- serpentine/curved line anti-classicism- moving away from techniques/ideas of the classic painting Perugino, Christ Gving the Keys to St. Peter, More emphasis on linear perspective Convergence point in the center of the painting Atmospheric perspective in terms of the mountains Figures get smaller in a proportionate way Orderly, rigid, symmetrical Like looking into a window Uniform lighting Appeal to intellect Joachim Wtewael and workshop, Raising of Lazarus, c Asymmetrical, warmer, dramatic, compressed Heads and bodies turned different directions giving motion Figura serpentinata- figures become contorted Figures on the left and right stand perpendicular with extended arms as if they are trying to break through the plane of geometric perspective Light has symbolic function, directing your eye to what you look at, makes it more dramatic Appeal to emotion Parmigianino, Madonna of the Long Neck, Elegant color scale Proportions of the figures o Ginormous child, Madonna has long neck o Scale of man on right. Very tiny, but seems close. Not logical depth. o Compare her hand, head and knee. Knee seems bigger than her head.

7 Column in background is mysterious. Size in relation to man and Madonna is strange as well. Parmigianino, Vision of St. Jerome, 1527 Figure has a sense of divinity based on the lighting surrounding her and the child Man on ground makes it seem like there is depth, but light from Madonna makes it push her forward New subject matter: vision/apparition. Rendered in such a way that they seem to be in natural space. Pontormo, Deposition (Descent form the Cross), 1528 Vibrant, bright, not naturalistic color Compressed space, the figures are not symmetric and are intertwined, very small background Spiritual intensity with facial expressions. Jesus has no rosy cheek More idealized/stylized figures Feel much more distant from the painting Insistent/internal movement o Look at body of Jesus leans on guy, but above there is elbow turned away from her points us in the opposite direction, which then stops at Mary, but green color on women above. Leans from right to left. o Through organization of color and shape, we are compelled to keep moving Bronzino, Allegory with Venus and Cupid, c Not religious, more frivolous Was purchased by king of France, based on classical mythology Shallow space Foreground brighter and background somber colors and figures Distorted proportions, look at her foot Old creepy man is time and the effects of the passing of time Crazy grey women on the left- either jealously or the effect of syphilis