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Bonaventura Berlinghieri, Vita retable of Saint Francis, 1235, San Francesco, Pescia (early Renaissance)
Genre in which there is a saint in the middle surrounded by the details of his life.
Very stylized, no evidence of body under robe, face in nit detailed but rather indicated with lines, clothes look flat with repetitive folds, shown in a standard way.
Imposing presence, gold background, frontal view. Wounds on his body = stigmata = wounds of Christ. He felt stories so personally that he had a vision of Christ and experienced stigmata. Scenes from his life instruct the viewer about how he became a saint.
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Anonymous, Saint Francis Preaching to the Birds¸1290s (?), fresco from Basilica of San Francesco, Assisi (early Renaissance)
This is a scene from a fresco of his life on this church in town where St. Francis was born and buried.
Turning point from Gothic to Early Renaissance. It is naturalistic, can tell there is a body, volumetric (looks 3D), in profile, illumination from sun reflected on fabric, folds responding to shape of his body. He is smiling, situated and interacting with his environment. Scene is a narrative.
Makes sense that he was depicted as a real person because he wanted religion to be accessable to the everyday person. Bible in vernacular, people should be able to relate personally. He is accessible, relatable.
He seems like an ordinary person (he was renouned for being very close to nature).
fresco = painting directly on wet plaster. not expensive (realistic way to cover large areas of wall)
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Cimabue, Crucifix, c. 1260, San Domenico, Arezzo (Early Renaissance)
Cimabue was part of the naturalistic revolution.
Was placed inside a churh on a rued screen (divides church between lay people and important people). They lay people would be looking at this during mass.
Two crosses, same artist, different styles. Evolution of art or patron's request?
Sharply defined muscles, skin stretched tightly over body, strongly outlined. Can see god on top. Loin cloth is red with gold. Hunched shulders, sagging, suffering, not triumphant.
This was found in a dominican church. They are all about abstract spirituality and they would want the viewer to be aware that it wasn't actually Christ and they would want the viewer to reach a higher spiritual level while pondering it.
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Cimabue, Crucifix, c. 1280, Santa Croce, Florence (Early Renaissance
Was placed inside a churh on a rued screen (divides church between lay people and important people). They lay people would be looking at this during mass.
Two crosses, same artist, different styles. Evolution of art or patron's request?
Relaxed, muscles not as defined as skin, looks like a real body rather than delineated. Sheer loin cloth, can see the body underneath, vulnerable. Arms outstretched holding himself up a bit. Naturalism makes viewer feel more connected with Christ, make him seem closer to the viewer, one ought to feel empathy.
This was found in a Franciscan church, famous for evoking empathy in the viewer.
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Interior of Arena Chapel, 1305-1306, Padua, Italy
This was a private chapel for the man/family who owned this house. Enrico Scrovengi was a banker (lends money, makes interest). When he went to church the priest would talk about how being a banker will send you to hell. He hoped by making a structure in honor of god he would be forgiven for his sins.
This phenomena came about due to the rise of the merchant class. Suddenly lots of money is spent on religious art so the patron will honor god and won't go to hell.
This is by Giotto.
Hell on right and saved on left. Enrico is saved and holding a model of this chapel.
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Giotto, Christ Entering Jerusalem, 1305-1306, fresco, Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy (early Renaissance)
This is the narrative of when Christ was welcomed into Jerusalem and proclaimed king. People are taking off their cloaks and placing them on the ground. Christ is riding a donkey and is followed by his followers. Gulf between Christ's crowd and Jerusalem people to emphasize how important this moment is.
Volumetric representation, illuminating the side of the viewer and shadow away. There is a slight sense of depth, but the action is in the foreground to make viewer feel as if they are in the story.
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Giotto, Lamentation, 1305-1306, fresco, Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy (early Renaissance)
Christ is dead and being mourned over by his followers. His mother is holding him, angels are swooning and expressing their anguish. This scene is from devotional literature.
Compared to the last judgement:
Christ is an ordinary human being, dead, ling down, passive, naked. He is vulnerable; evokes empathy. Last judgement Christ is scary, large, triumphant, active, in charge, pointing and damning, fully clothed.
Every person is focused on Christ, fussing, each person has a different emotional response/relationship. Each angel has a different pose. People seem real. The event is happening before the viewer's eyes. Last judgement Christ is activating the people around him, and those people are rather non-individual.
This type of mural was to convey that these poignant stories from the past can have an affect on a Christian's real life.
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Baptistery, Florence
Filippo Brunelleschi invented linear/mathematical perspective in the early 15th centry. He painted the Baptistery so accurately that if one looked through its peephole into mirror and compared it to the real building it looked identical.
Leon Battista Alberti, De Pictura, 1435, translated into the vernacular as Della Pittura in 1435 = book that explained it mathematically
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Masaccio, Trinity, ca. 1425, fresco, Santa Maria Novella, Florence (Renaissance)
Scene of chapel that is beyond the wall, as if looking through a window.
Dove (ghost), god, Christ, Mary, John the Evangelist inside a barrel vaulted room with a coiffured ceiling. The patrons of the fresco are shown in front outside the scene to stress their piety (forgive my sins!).
Below is an alter with a coffin and skeleton "what I am now you soon will be" (momento mori = reminder of death)
Incomporates classical architecture, like romanesque does. Triumphant; alludes to eventual ressurection.
Vanishing point = all orthogonals lead to a single point. Masaccio was the 2nd guy to do this.
This was not just a stylistic reform. This began with religious reform that stressed that religious figures shouldn't be thought of as terrifying but instead as human beings.
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Masolino and Massaccio, Brancacci Chapel frescoes, c. 1425, Brancacci chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence (Renaissance)
Masolino and Massaccio were authors (masters of a group that are decorating). This type of partnership wasn't unusual.
Financed by Filippo Brancacci as a private chapel. He was a banker, and since lending money was considered usury and unnatural, he was conserned about going to hell. Hoped this would help god forgive his ways.
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Masaccio, The Tribute Money, ca. 1425, fresco, Brancacci Chapel, Florence (Renaissance)
Depicts moment from the Gospels when Christ is instructed to pay taxes to the city. Christ tells St. Peter to go to the sea of Gallalie where he will discover a coin in the mouth of a fish and they pay taxes with that.
Continuous narrative: see the same figure multiple times (St. Peter).
Linear perspective with vanishing point on Christ. Light and shade emphasize 3D of characters, volumetric. Atmospheric perspective = certain forms in the background are blurred blue or grey, suggesting they are far away (mountains in the distance).
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Masolino The Fall, c. 1425, Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence (Renaissance)
Masolino and Masaccio had radically different styles, and they recognized and took oadvantage of this. They were equally appreciated.
This one has graceful forms floating in space, not convincingly real. Their expression is slightly conserned.
This style is ideal for this moment because time doesn't exist at this point. It is before death and sinful attitude toward sexuality. This is the style and story of an unearthly paradise.
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Massaccio, The Expulsion from Paradise, c. 1425, Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence (Renaissance)
Masolino and Masaccio had radically different styles, and they recognized and took oadvantage of this. They were equally appreciated.
Figures are volumetric and grounded. Dramatic use of light and shade. Shadows. Convincing psychology: there is anguish in their expressions.
This is the moment when time begins, sexuality is now sinful, they can now die. This is when they become earthly. This is why it is appropriate that Masaccio's highly naturalistic style was used for this scene.
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Florence
The 5th largest city in Europe.
No monarchy, but a sort of corrupt democracy republic. Most things were run by guilds (organizations that represent certain professions). These guilds were responsible for upkeep and decoration of buildings. They were competing for power, and they wanted to be the most important and revolutionary art patrons. |
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Baptistery, Florence
Place where one is baptized and becomes a Florentine (they write your name down).
This was built by the wool guild. They held a competition for artists to make the doors. They were to make a quatrefoil of the sacrafice of Issac.
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Filippo Brunelleschi, Sacrifice of Isaac, 1401-1403, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence (Renaissance)
The sacrifice of Isaac was chosen because there is relevant political commentary in this story: Isaac is miraculously saved by the hand of god just like Florence was saved from the threat of Milaneese invasion because their tyran Visconti got sick.
This was an applicant for the contest of who gets to make the doors of the baptistry.
Action is on the top. Isaac is in the center, smaller, back to viewer, chest contracted, not representing his anatomy. Angel is close to Abraam, rushing in last minute to save Isaac. Shepherds are casual, one removing thorn from foot, donkey eating grass. There is no drama or tension in this moment because the angel has already arrived.
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Lorenzo Ghiberti, Sacrifice of Isaac, 1401-1403, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence (Renaissance)
The sacrifice of Isaac was chosen because there is relevant political commentary in this story: Isaac is miraculously saved by the hand of god just like Florence was saved from the threat of Milaneese invasion because their tyran Visconti got sick.
Action is in the upper right, Abraham is in the center. Isaac is exposed and vulnerable, body frontal, chest pushed out (classical). Abraham and Isaac are experiencing the moment together. There is context (rock and environment). Shepherds are shielded from the scene by rocks - makes more sense with the drama. There is suspense in this moment.
This one won. It was one piece of bronze, single cast (admirable). He got to do the north doors. |
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Lorenzo Ghiberti, Gates of Paradise, ca. 1435, Baptistery, Florence, today in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence (Renaissance)
Scenes from the Old Testament. He consulted with a group of humanists (educated in classical antiquity) about the story and classical nature. Shows the revival of interest in classical antiquity.
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Lorenzo Ghiberti, Story of Jacob and Esau, panel from the Gates of Paradise, ca. 1435, Baptistery, Florence, today in the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo, Florence (Renaissance)
When Isaac is tricked into blessing Jacob because of Rebecca.
Emotion: Rebecca is full of remorse. Ghiberti was the master of psycological interpretation.
Linear perspective, and figures in the back are in low relief, while the ones in front are in high relief. The checkerboard floor emphasizes 3Dness, leads to vanishing point. Arches give a sense of space receding backwards.
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Filippo Brunelleschi, Dome of Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), 1420-1436 (Renaissance)
Brunelleschi gave up sculpting and became an architect.
There was a contest to make a huge dome. Center of the universe, expression of piety. It would be so large that no scaffold could hold it up. Would be largest in the world. Contest.
Brunelleschi won with suggestion: smaller dome inside larger dome, looks bigger from outside. Dome holds itself up while it is built using herring bone method (vertical brick holds up next layer).
Was inspired from visiting Rome. Pantheon.
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Donatello, David, ca. 1420s-1460s, bronze, Museo Nazionale del Bargello, Florence (Renaissance)
David was an Old Testament hero: young shepherd boy defeated giant goliath. Reflects Milanese threat to invade Florence.
Represented in classical style: contrapposto (weight on one leg, other is bent, one side of the body stretched, other contracted), he is nude (nudity used to be for sinful peopl (eve), but now it means vulnerability, young boy rather than strong man, expression of his virtue as a Christian hero (idea comes from classical antiquity))
Commissioned by the Medici family = most politically powerful, quasai rulers who pretended to be elected to office (1430-1490s). They were important art patrons and they used it for political purposes.
They were often accused of being tyrants, so they commissioned David to show that they are in support of taking down "Goliath" tyrants. They support the underdog of the Florence republic.
It was in their private residence but was visible of the courtyard so everyone could see.
The rise of the middle class resulted in a lot of art patronage. They began competing with their art, showing that they are conoisseurs. This gives them social and political status.
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Botticelli, Primavera, ca. 1482, tempera on panel, Uffizi, Florence (Renaissance)
Commissioned by Lorenzo the Magnificent (Medici grandson). He was interesting in classical antiquity, collected coins and gems ect. He commissioned accurate manuscripts of classics. He was also really interested in Tuscan vernacular and local poetry. He wanted to elevate Tuscan culture so it would be as good as the clssical era (Golden Age of Florence!).
There isn't a classical text that contains all of these figures. The artist and humanist advisor studied different classical texts and brought together different texts and placed them in the same context, reflecting Lorenzo's interest in classical antiquity.
Tuscan influences: Venus, Flora wearing 15th century festival costume dresses (old fashioned). Mercury is wering parade weaponry (not classical armory).
This piece updates a classical subject by translating it into a vernacular context.
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