Bronzino

Christ in Limbo, 1522

Quotes earlier renaissance artists

Bronzino Exposure of Luxury/Lust; Allegory with Venus and Cupid, c. 1546

-gift for the King of France, Fancis I.

cupid is the son of Venus, perverse and sensuous embrace

figures in curveing S-shape

subject matter=complex

girl on right has reversed hands, lower half of body is a snake

father time at top right is angryà time reveals Venus and Cupid

“time exposes the crime of incest” “incest as a violation of time”: denies the generational gap between mother and son

no space, very shallow, full of figures

1520’s- 1580’s style that dominates 16^th century, Derives from Italian word “mañera” that came to be applied to art: came to describe highly sophisticated aesthetic system

1. taste for difficulty

2. effortless

3. conscious exploitation of technical virtuosity

4. grace and elegance

5. taste for the bizarre

Parmigiano Madonna of the Long Neck, 1531

•  
  • Jarring open space on right side, open space on left
  • Jumps of scale are illogical/dramatic
  • Again the S-shape
  • Virgin wearing a very revealing drapery/dress
  • Alluring leg of angel up against the front plane
  • Christ Child is very elongated and weird
  • No brush work evident, very slick/smooth

Gimbologna

-Flemish artist that worked in Italy

Rape of the Sabine Woman, 1579-83

•  
  • Serpentine, spiral composition
  • TOUR DE FORCE
    • Three different kinds of figures, different poses
  • Not named until the work was finished: not about the emotion

El Greco 1541-1614

Born in Crete and trained there as a Byzantine Icon painter, left Crete in  1567 and went to Venice, then ten years later arrived in Spain

-strongly influenced by Titian’s late style

-profoundly spiritual, reflective of Spain’s fervent catholosism

-denies mimesis 

Assumption of the Virgin, 1577

•  
  • First commission in Spain
  • Influenced by Titian’s assumption, and Michelangelo’s figures
    • Cf. Titian’s Assumption:
      • T’s more dynamic, more energy
      • Greco even more painterly than Titian
      • More abstract

El Greco Disrobing of Christ, 1577-79

- hung in the vestry, meant for the eyes of the priests as they dressed

•  
  • triple meaning
    • alludes to disrobing of Christ during Passion
    • alludes to what’s coming (impending crucifixion)
    • foreshadows ressurection: christ’s upward gaze, light rays shining down
  • uses human emotion to tell the story
    • Roman’s look grotesque
    • EXCEPT the roman next to Christà converted in that moment
  • Christ depicted alone in his won transcendental sphere
  • Wearing red, depicted in hieratic scale
  • Construction of space:
    • Other figures form a vertical wall that leads viewer’s eye up
  • What style is this? What representational techniquies are in use here?
    • Some traits of mannerism, used here to different ends: spaceà mannerist

El Greco Burial of the Count of Orgaz, 1586-88, Toledo, Stao Tomé

Narrates the story of a miracle that occurred at the patron’s death: two saints appeared to lower his body into the grave

•  
  • Composition divided into two levels, the earthly and the heavenly realm
    • In EARTH realm we see contemporary people from Toledo accompanied by Saints
    • Super reality effects
    • In HEAVENLY realm, technique/style is totally different
    • Figures become elongated and angular, reality is dissolved
    • No logical space, no logical scale
    • More shot color, almost acidic looking colors
  • Cf. Raphel, Disputa
    • Composition is Raphael
    • Brushwork is TITIAN

El Greco Agony in the Garden 1590-95

•  
  • Angel offers Christ the bitter cup (crucifiction) and he accepts
  • Apostles abandon him at the crucial moment
  • Space is illogical, figures are elongated
  • Secondary scene of Judas in yellow, leading the Romans to crucify Christ

El Greco Resurrection of Christ, 1600-08

•  
  • No gravity
  • Christ’s ascent seems to force down other figures
  • Cylindrical composition
  • Tombà where is it? NO TOMB=not interested in thenarrative; intellectualized ideas