15th century italian art

8/11/2019 15th Century Italian Art

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15th

Century Italy: 1400-1500

The idea of humanism that began in the 14th

century in Italy has now flourished in the 15th

century. Italians have now

placed emphasis on education and expanding knowledge (especially that of the classical antiquity), they encouraged the

exploration of the individual potential and desire to excel, as well as the commitment to civic responsibility and moral

duty. The artistic genius that developed in the 14th

century combined with the spread of humanism and the thriving

economic prosperity all nourished a new and expanded artistic culturethe Renaissance.

For the humanists, as we have previously discussed, the quest for knowledge began with the Greeks and Romans, the

writings of Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, and othersthe development of a common Tuscan dialect helped spread this

increasing knowledge as well as the German invention of a movable metal type (as briefly touched upon in 15th

century

Europe). Venice was one of the first cities to boast about this new movable type which helped print many thingssuch

as art prints and books. One of the first books to be printed was Dantes vernacular epic, Divine Comedy.

Humanist also acquired information in a wide range of subjects such as botany, geology, geography, optics, medicine,

and engineering. Leonardo da Vinci is an excellent example of a Renaissance Man with his range of knowledge in art,

architecture, aerodynamics, hydraulics, military science, among many others. The people of the Renaissance were more

focused more on the individual and had a more secular stance where as the people of the Middle Ages were more based

on great power and divine will.

The association of humanism with education and culture appealed to accomplished individuals of high status and

humanism had its greatest impact among the elite and powerful. These were the individuals who were in the best

position to commission art and as a result, humanist ideas permeate Italian Renaissance art.

The best known art patrons of the Italian Renaissance were the Medici of the Republic of Florence. Giovanni deMedici,

the father, established his wealth early in the 15th

century as a banker; his son Cosimo expanded his familys wealth

which led to political power as well. Their wealth and power did not go unchallenged and there was a time when they

were expelled from Florence, but when they returned in 1434, the Medici family used their tremendous wealth to

commission art and architecture on a scale that was rarely seen.

The Medici was a family of humanist and Cosimo started the first public library since the ancient world, and arthistorians believe that over the years, he and his descendents spent over the equivalent of 20 million dollars for

manuscripts and books. His grandson, Lorenzo the Magnificent was a talented poet himself and gathered a group of

artist and gifted men in a variety of subjects and expanded the library and revitalizing his academy for instructing artist.

The Medici family was such grand patrons of the arts that even to this day, when a considerable contribution is made,

the benefactor is often called a Medici.

Filippo Brunelleschi. Sacrifice of Isaac, competition panel for the east doors of the baptistery of Florence,

1401-2, gilded bronze relief

It began with a competition for the design of the east doors of the Florence baptistery. This was considered very

prestigious to artist due to the intended placement of the doors. From early on, the traits that characterized the

Renaissance were evident and included the new development of pictorial illusionism, patronage as both a civic duty as

well as self promotion, and the esteem increasingly accorded to artist. The rules were pretty simple, each artist

interested had to submit a relief panel depicting the sacrifice of Isaac. This story is often linked to the crucifixion because

of the father being told to kill his son, just as God did for mankind with his son Jesus. (Remember, at the last minute, and

angel stops Abraham from killing Isaac).

Those in charge of this contest and project selected seven semifinalists and only two of the sevens work is still in

existence today: Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo Brunelleschi. In 1402, the selection committee awarded the commission

to Ghiberti. Both of the artists used the French Gothic quatrefoil frames that Andrea Pisano (no relation to the Pisanos


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of chapter 19) had used for the baptisterys south doors and depicted the exact moment of the story in which the angel

is stopping Abraham.

In Brunelleschis panel we see a sturdy and vigorous interpretation of the theme with something of the emotional

agitation favored by Giovanni Pisano in his rendition of the Annunciation of the Nativity. It seems at this exact second,

Abraham has just gathered the courage he needs to put the knife to his sons throat and do what God told him. He

lunges forward with such might that his garment is flying. The angel, who matches his energy, darts in from the left

grabbing Abrahams arm to stop the killing.

Lorenzo Ghiberti. Sacrifice of Isaac, competition panel for the east doors of the baptistery of Florence, 1401-2, gilded bronze relief

Where Brunelleschi covered his panel with dramatic emotion, Ghiberti emphasized grace and smoothness. Here we see

Abraham in the familiar Gothic S curve and seems to contemplate what he is about to do, even as he draws his arm

back. The figure of Isaac recalls the Greco-Roman statuary and could be regarded as the first truly classicizing nude since

the antiquity. Unlike his predecessors, Ghiberti revealed an appreciation for the nude male form and a deep interest in

the muscular and skeletal structure and they make the body move. If you look closely at the altar in which Isaac appears

on, you will notice how the panel is decorated and adorned with a style that is commonly seen throughout the Roman

Empire in temple friezes. The classical references reflect the influence of humanism.

His panel was more convincing and presented a more convincing spatial illusion that Brunelleschis. The doors were

decided to be displayed on the North side of the baptistery after they were completed.

Lorenzo Ghiberti. The Gates of Paradise, east door, Florence Baptistery, 1424-52, gilt bronze relief

Ghiberti was one of the 15th

century artists who really embraced a unified system for representing space and did so by

using perspective. This is clearly seen on his creation of the east doors of the Florence Cathedral. Michelangelo later said

that these doors were so beautiful that they could pass as the Gates of Paradiseand thus a nick name was created for

them.

The Florence Baptistery has access on each side and the doors created for the entrances were done so by very talentedartist. Andrea Pisano created the doors for the south side between 1330 and 1335; Ghiberti created the ones for the

east side, but was later moved to the north side in 1409-1424; and Ghiberti also was commissioned for the doors on the

east side in 1425-1452.

In the Gates of Paradise, Ghiberti doesnt use the quatrefoil pattern that frames the ones on the north side. He also

reduces the number of panels from 28 to 10. Each panel represents a scene from the Old Testament and the complete

gilding of the reliefs creates an effect of great splendor and elegance.

The panels on the door give the illusion of space through the use of pictorial narrative. The background landscape and

architectural buildings are rendered in one point perspective while the foreground figures appear to be sculpted in the

round. The forms that appear lighter are suggested as deeper in space.

Ghibertis figural style mixes a Gothic patterning of rhythmic lines and classical poses and motifs, and a new realism of

characterization, movement, and surface detail. As in medieval narrative tradition, there are several scenes occurring in

the frame. In Isaac and His Sons (an image on the door) we see a group of women in the left foreground who attend the

birth of Esau and Jacob is in the left background. In the central foreground we see Isaac who sends Esau and their dog to

hunt game. And in the right foreground we see a kneeling Jacob and Rebecca who stands next to him in front of Isaac

who blesses them. The figures in this panel -especially that of Rebecca- are seen with some sort of inspiration from the

classical world. He studied the coins and antique bronzed sculptures for his work.


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Nanni di Banco. Quattro Santi Coronati, Or San Michele, Florence, Italy ca. 1408-1414, marble

This is an early 14th

century building that house the Orcagnas Tabernacle, and was the location of another major civic

art program. The buildings exterior niches were assigned to a specific guild (an organization of persons with related

interests) for decoration with a sculpture of its patron saint. By 1406 guilds had only occupied 5 of the 14 niches;

however, between 1406 and 1423 the remaining 9 niches were occupied with sculptures from Donatello, Ghiberti, and

Nanni de Banco. So, what sparked this sudden activity of complying with the original request for them to be filled? Well,

first of all, the city issued a dictum in 1406 requiring that the empty niches be filled like the original plan, and second,

Florence was under attack by Naples. Again, the city officials urged the people to stand up and defend their city, to

adopt the republican ideal of civil and political liberty associated with ancient Rome and to identify them with its spirit,

once again (Milan tried to take over the entire Italian peninsula in 1390 and they did this to rally the people). So, the

guilds probably saw this opportunity as their civic duty by rallying their fellow citizens while also promoting their own

self importance and position in their society.

Here we see Nanni de Bancos four life sized marble statues of the guilds martyred patron saints.The story behind these

four Christian figures is that they had defied an order from the Roman emperor Diocletian who asked them to make a

statue of a pagan deity. As a consequence for defying the order, they were put to death. Because they placed their faith

above all else, this was a perfect idea for the building seeing that the leaders of Florence had just told the people to

stand up for what they believed in.

This sculptor also attempted to solve the Renaissance problem of integrating figures and space on a monumental scale.

By placing them inside a deep niche and relating the figures to one another with such things like drapery and gestures,

Nanni arrived at a unified spatial composition. Notice the figure on the right is speaking and his right hand gesturesthe

men across from him look back into his gaze and listen to him speak while the man directly next to him ponders the

words he is hearing and is gazing out into space. Their nonverbal action is what connects them and this idea of a

psychological unity is what Leonardo de Vinci really exploits in his work.

The faces and poses too are reminiscent of ancient Roman statues. The two inner saints appear very similar to the stone

carvings of the third century CE while the bearded faces of the out saints are more of a second century CE imperial

portraiture. These Roman models served as an inspiration to the artist of this time, they did not copy them instead they

were more into the idea of giving each individual a specific attribute that defined that specific person. It is as if they

took the great ideas of the past and gave them personalizing characteristics of their time.

Donatello. St. Mark,Florence, Italy 1411-13, marble 7 p high. Modern copy in exterior niche Original

copy in museum of San Michele.

Here in Donatellos Saint Mark, we see the inspiration of Classical Greece and Roman principles. We see that Donatello

took a fundamental step towards depicting motion in the human figure by recognizing the weight shift of the body. As

his body moves, so does his drapery. It falls around the body and hugs the areas that would be pulled taut when walking

This gives the viewers the illusion that there is a figure underneath and it isnt just a basic column like form.

The figure of Saint Mark complete with his stirring limbs, weight shift, and moveable drapery gives off the idea of

movement outside the niche.

Masaccio. Tribute Money, Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine (Florence) c. 1427

Although Masaccio (Tommaso Guidi) had a teacher that worked in the International style of painting, he quickly moved

from it to a wide-open, unexplored territory. His inventive style that contributed so much to a new style in such a short

amount of time was cut short by his death at 27. Masaccio knew and understood the innovations of his contemporaries

and he introduced new possibilities for both form and content. In his painting of Tribute Money, we see a scene from

Matthew that is seldom seen in art. We see a tax collector who stops Christ at the city of Capernaums gates. Chirst then

instructs Peter to go to the water and get the money from a fishs mouth. We see him doing as he is told in the left


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background. We then see Peter paying the tax collector at the gate on the right foreground. Why this particular scene

was chosen is uncertain.

Masaccio determines that his light source isnt visible to the audience, but is coming from a location outside the picture.

This light source hits the figures at an angle and illuminates parts of the solids that obstruct the lights path and leaves

the rest in a shadow. This chiaroscuro gives the illusion of deep sculptural relief. Masaccios light has its own nature, and

the masses are only visible because they are exposed in the lights intensity it reveals some while conceals others.

Just as Donatellos Saint Mark, the figures here in Tribute Money all suggest muscles, bone, and the pressure and

tension of joints. The arrangement of the figures also is very inventive. No more are they in a strict plane around anobject; here we see them in a circular stance around Christ. There is also a lot of space between the figures and the

landscapeno shallow foreground and the landscape butting up right behind them (recall Bondones Lamentationin

14th

century Italy).

It has been realized that the light and air interposed between the viewers and what they see are two parts of the visual

experience called distance.

Masaccio. Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy,

1425. 7 X 2 11.

In this Adam and Eve fresco, we follow up with the experiments and discoveries made from Tribute Money. Note the

sharply slanted light of an outside source which creates a deep relief when seen on the body which is full of soft curves

(female) and sharp edges (male). The mixture of lights placed along darks together creates a unified agent and the body

is perfectly rendered. The atmospheric background gives no detail of exactly where they are but does suggest space

around the body. Adams feet hitting the ground marks the human presence on earth and the wails from Eve voices her

anguish. The angel doesnt force them out of Eden; rather they are led blindly by their own despair.

The fresco is a simple one with a simple message that the viewer cannot misinterpret.

Masaccio. The Holy Trinity, Santa Maria Novella (Florence) 1425, fresco

This piece of work combines two of the renaissances interest: realism based on observation and the application of

mathematics to pictorial organization in the new science of perspective. Here on the higher of the two grounds we see a

structure that is very reminiscent of a Roman triumphal arch. On the sides of the crucified Christ we see Mary and Saint

John the Baptist. God emerges from behind Christ and He is supporting the arms of the cross. The dove of the Holy Spirit

flies in between the head of Christ and God. Masaccio also incorporated the figures of Lorenzo Lenzi and his wife who

both commissioned this piece of work. Below the altar, on the lower ground, we see a tomb with a skeleton with the

inscription I was once what you are, and what I am you will become.

Although the subject matter might not be as stunning, the way he created it is. He used Brunelleschis principles of

perspectivein which he lined up to the foot of the cross. With this point being at eye level, viewers look up at the

trinity and down at the tomb. This adjustment of the pictured space to the position of the viewer was a step in the

development of illusionistic painting which inspired painters of the Renaissance and the later Baroque period.

Filippo Brunelleschi. Dome of the Florence Cathedral, 1420-36

It was said the Brunelleschi turned to architecture out of disappointment from losing the contest of the baptistery doors

Several trips to Rome sparked a deeper love with the ancient architecture and he developed his revolutionary system of

geometric linear perspective that the 15th

century artist eagerly adopted. Brunelleschi is the first acknowledged

Renaissance architect.

His inventiveness and knowledge of Roman construction helped him create the everlasting problem of the unfinished

dome on the Florence Cathedral. The problem originated because the space across the crossing beams was too large


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(140 feet) to use the more common method of a wooden centering. Nor was it possible to use buttressed walls because

of the crossing plan. The construction of the dome officially began in 1420, but Brunelleschi had already begun working

out how to solve the problem in 1417 and he as well as Ghiberti was awarded the commission for the dome (Ghiberti

retired from it and left the work to his assistants).

Not only did he come up with a brand new set of ideas for the creation of the dome, but he also invented the machinery

used to make it happen. Although inspired by the Romans and their use of a hemispheric shaped domes; he chose to

base his design around a more ogival (pointed arch) section. This actually works out better because it doesnt put as

much weight on the domes base. This dome is revolutionary because it is the first one to be built with a double shell

which also reduces the weight of the structure. On top, he designed a lanternhe died before it could be built, but it

was in his original designs.

Filippo Brunelleschi. Pazzi Chapel, Santa Croce, Florence, Italy begun ca. 1440

Intrigued by the compact and self-contained qualities of earlier central-plan buildings (the Partheon), this structure gave

Brunelleschi the opportunity to explore this interest. He began the design in 1440 and it was completed in the 1460s

long after his death. Given that, the exterior probably doesnt reflect his design, and the loggia (open air gallery) was

probably added on afterwards.

Although the structure is rectangular instead of square, it all is centered on the central dome-covered space.

Paolo Uccello. Battle of San Romano, c. 1455, tempera on wood

Paolo Uccello was a Florentine painter who was commissioned by the Medici to produce a series of panel paintings. This

is one of three panels (all with the same title) that were used as decoration for Lorenzo (the Magnificents) bed

chamber. Here we are witnessing the Florentine victory over the Sienese in 1432. The main figure, Niccolo da Tolentino

is seen leading the charge against them. He is perhaps the main figure due to his relationship with the Medici family and

the fact that he died because of it.

Although the main scene is a military one, we still see symbols that represent the Medici family. The bright orange fruit

in the left hand side of the panel were known as mela medica or medicine apples, the given name medici means doctothis fruit was a fitting symbol.

Given the fact that the Medici were humanist, they really were drawn to the work of Uccello and his use of perspective.

Perspective represented the rationalization of vision and the Medici pursued all facets of expanding knowledge.

Donatello. David, ca. Late 1420s late 1450s. , bronze 5 2

The Medici acquired art from a slew of respectable artist and they believed that Donatello was one worthy of their

commission. The statue of David was created for the Medici courtyard and was the first freestanding nude since ancient

times. During the Middle Ages, the representation if the nude figure was seen as indecent and frowned upon, if it was

seen, it was in reference to biblical stories such as Adam and Eve or in descriptions of sinners in Hell. Here Donatellodepicts the biblical character David who killed Goliath. He reinstated the classical nude but not as a god or a hero, rather

the symbol of the independent republic of Florence.

We see David is the classical contrapposto stance and the proportions of Greek Praxitelean godsall of which are

absent from the medieval figures.

Andrea del Verrocchio. David, c. 1465-70, bronze 4 1

Contrasting with Donatellos version of David, we see that Verrocchios is a sturdy young apprentice dressed in leather

clothing who stands with pride. He posses like a hunter with his kill yet his thin body shows how close Verrocchio read


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the Bible. He took the literal description of what David looked like and created his version. We see the thin adolescent

musculature with prominent veins all of which would be attributed to a young male.

After the Medici family was kicked out of Florence, this version was placed in Palazzo della Signoria and Donatellos was

moved from their courtyard to their as well.

Sandro Botticelli. Birth of Venus, ca. 1482, tempera on canvas

Botticelli remains one of the best known artists who produced work for the Medici family. The painting, Birth of Venus,

is just another example of the revival of the Greco-Roman characteristics in the Renaissance. We see here in the paintingZephyrus, the west wind, blows on Venus who was born of sea foam and carried to shore in a cockle shell to her sacred

island, Cyprus. There, awaiting her arrival is Pomona, a nymph who carries a mantle to cover her.

The nude figure of Venus is in itself very innovative. Recall in our earlier discussion that the nude, especially that of the

female had been shunned upon during the Middle Ages. Not to mention the fact that the model for this painting,

perhaps the Aphrodite of Knidos by Praxiteles could have drawn the charge of infidelity and paganism. The reason these

werent followed up upon was because workingunder the powerful Medici family, Botticelli was protected.

Botticelli seemed to have ignored the new experiments and discoveries that the time had brought, such as perspective

and anatomy, and instead went with his own beautiful and elegant style of painting. The Medici family was not opposed

to collecting any specific style of art; instead, they were interested in the art that was associated with humanistic values

(from mythology to math and science).

Sandro Botticelli. Portrait of a Youth, early 1480s, tempera on panel

Given the new emphasis on the individual and their achievements, it is not surprising that we see a revival of the

portraiture in the 15th

century. We have mostly seen portraits of the deceased on the covers of their tombs as well as

patrons commissioning artist to paint them, but now we are starting to see an eclectic group of people who are having

their portraits done. The profile pose was incredibly popular until about 1470 when the full face and three quarter view

started to replace it. This new way of posing gave the audience more information about the person whose portrait was

being taken.

Italian artist and patrons continued to favor an impersonal formality that concealed their private psychological person.

The exception to this rule was by Botticell i and his Portrait of a Youth. The tilt of his head, his hand resting on his chest,

and his facial expression are half musing as well as half insinuating.

This painting reflects his skill of creating his drawings with an outline and then adding light shading within his lines. He

was considered as a master of line.

Domenico Ghirlandaio. Giovanna Tornabuoni(?), 1488, oil and tempera on wood

Women were also the subjects of portraits, as seen here by Ghirlandaio, his subject is of an aristocratic young woman. It

is assumed this is the wife of Lorenzo Tornabuoni and member of the powerful Albizzi family. This portrait shows that

although she is in the traditional profile pose, there is a lot about her that one can learn. For example, she is a sensitive

and beautiful young woman, who died in child birthnote the epitaph on the wall behind her. It also reveals the

advanced state of culture in Florence, the value and careful cultivation of beauty in life and art.

Leon Battista Alberti. Santa Maria Novella (Florence) ca. 1458-1470

Although he entered the world of architecture later in his life, his contribution was astounding. Being that he was the

first Renaissance architect to have fully understood the Roman architecture in great depth. He advocated a system of

great proportions and argued that the central plan was the ideas form for a Christian church. He also considered the fact

that the Roman mixture of columns and arches was very inconsistent. In his opinion, an arch was a wall opening


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therefore should only be supported by other wall (a pier) and a column was an independent structural element thus

should be left that way. He also disposed of the medieval arcade that had been used for centuries (not totally, but with a

few exceptions).

Albertis own architectural style mixes that of the classical elements to contemporary buildings. On the Santa Maria

Novella, he took a cue from a Romanesque design, from San Miniato al Monte, and created his own new take on it. He

designed a small, pseudo classical, pediment-capped temple front for the faades upper part and supported it with a

broad base of pilaster-enframed arcades. The entire structures height is equal to that of its width as well. Also, he

designed it so it was full of proportionsfor example, the upper structure can be encased in a square one forth the size

of the main square. He was a firm believer in mathematical proportions and how necessary they were to create

beautiful buildings.

He shared his vision with Brunelleschi and believed that his fundamental dependence on classically derived mathematics

distinguished them from any other medieval predecessor. Together the two of them revived the true spirit of the High

Classical age of ancient Greece.

The faade of the Santa Maria Novella was an ingenious solution to a difficult design problem. One, it had precisely

expressed the organization to the structure it was attached to, and two it mixed the preexisting medieval characteristics

(like the large circular window) to a rigid geometric order that instilled the classical calm and reason. The faade also

introduces a feature of great historical consequencethe scrolls that unite the lower and upper levels. These scrolls areseen in literally hundreds of church facades in the Renaissance and Baroque periods.

Fra Angelico.Annunciationfrom San Marco (Florence), c. 1440-45

For some in the Renaissance, humanism was not a concern of relevancy. Fra Angelico was one of those artists whose

primary concern was to focus on the Roman Catholic Church. Angelico was asked by the Dominicans (review 14th

century

lecture notes) to create a series of frescoes for the monastery. Delivered with simplicity and serenity, we see his creation

of the ever popular theme, the Annunciation. The figures are painted in open air (plain loggia) and are rendered with

pristine clarity.

There is an inscription on the edge of the structure that reads: As you venerate, while passing before it, this figure ofthe intact Virgin, beware lest you omit to say a Hail Mary. Like the painting, it too reflects the artists simple and

humble character.

Andrea del Castagno. Last Supper, from the refectory of SantApollonia (Florence), 1447, fresco

Like Fra Angelico, Andrea del Castagno too accepted a commission to create a series of frescoes for a religious

establishment. This work of art is perceived as both a commitment to the biblical narrative as well as an interest in

perspective. Showing the scene of the Last Supper, one can tell that Castagno had an interest in perspective; however,

upon closer review one can see the inconsistencies. For example, in the rules of perspective, it is impossible to see both

the ceiling and the roof and the two side walls do not appear parallel.

He takes his accounts of the dinner from the Gospel of Saint John rather than from the more familiar version from Saint

Lukenote that Judas sits alone on the opposite side of the table. Although his perception of perspective is incorrect in

the creation of his work, it would still have inspired the nuns who ate dinner in the monastery of Sant Apollonia.

Perugino. Christ Delivering the Keys to the Kingdom, (Sistine Chapel, Rome) 1481-83, fresco

Religious art extended beyond the city gates of Florence, and due to the popes presence in Rome, it is no surprise that

we see religious art work there. Pope Sixtus IV summoned a group of artist to Rome to decorate the walls of the newly

completed Sistine Chapel. Pietro Vannucci, better known as Perugino, was amongst the group of artists who were

requested. The papacy had based its claim over the Roman Catholic Church on this biblical event. Here we see Christ


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handing off the keys to Saint Peter who together they stand amidst the 12 Apostles and Renaissance contemporaries.

Perugino cleverly breaks up the space with parallel lines and places people of varying sizes to further emphasize the

depth of his scene. The two triumphal arches were modeled very closely after Constantines which is symbolic because

of the close ties Constantine had with St. Peter and the great basilica that was built over his tomb.

In one single work of art, Perugino was able to incorporate the learning of generations. Christ and Peter flank the

triangles central axis, which runs through the temples doorway (the evanishing point). Therefore the composition

combines both the two and three dimensions of space.

Andrea Mantegna. Camera degli Sposi, 1474, frescoes

Like many other people of royalty thought, especially Ludovico Gonzaga, a beautiful and impressive palace was an

important visual expression of ones authority. One of the most elegant rooms in the Palazzo Ducale was the Camera

degli Sposi or the Room of the Newlyweds. This extensive fresco took almost nine years to complete for Andrea

Mantegna. The scenes on the walls depicted Ludovico and his family and reveal the activities and rhythm of courtly life.

Mantegna performed a triumphant feat of pictorial illusionism by producing the first completely consistent illusionistic

decoration of an entire room. His so called deceives the eye type of painting went far beyond that of anything

preserved in ancient Italy. All of the experimenting in Italy during his time led him to do some of his own and he created

the from below upwards illusion, or the perspective of the ceiling. An oculus is the center of the scene and allows the

viewer to become the viewed from the objects peering down from above. The ones looking down are an array of figures

from Cupids (sons of Venus), unidentified people, and a peacock that is associated with Junos bride who oversees lawfu

marriages.

This new perspective that was created is the climax of a centurys worth of perspective experimentalism.

Andrea Mantegna. Dead Christ, c. 1501, tempera on canvas

An image of overwhelming power, Dead Christ by Mantegna too shows a very good example of foreshortening.

However, after a closer look we see that the feet of Christ have been reduced in sizewhich would have covered up the

majority of the body had he created them closer to actual proportion.

We see the image of Christ who lies there obviously dead. This painting clearly strikes a chord of emotion which is even

more so emphasized by his harsh outlines. Mantegna presented both a harrowing study of a strongly foreshortened

cadaver and an immensely poignant depiction of a biblical tragedy.

Luca Signorelli. Damned Cast into Hell (Orvieto Cathedral), 1499-1504, fresco

From Urbino, Luca Signorelli was a great artist who took the interest of the body, more specifically muscles, and

developed a piece of work that involved the use of foreshortening in a variety of poses. In his work, Damned Cast into

Hell, he depicts the end of the world with a very strong psychic impact. We see Saint Michael who hurls the damned in

to the pits of Hell, then, the demons begin torturing the souls. Not since the Last Judgment by Gislebertus on the SaintLazare in Autun had such a graphic representation of hell been created.

The nude and very muscular figures are seen in every possible posture of anguish. His perfection of foreshortening is

astounding and his figures are represented in a very conceivable manner. The terror and rage pass through the victims

like a storm and the demons with their rotting flesh lunge at them in ferocious frenzy.

15th century italian art

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