Art of the Italian Renaissance

Some work contributed by Susan Pojer

Art and Patronage• Italians were willing to spend a lot of money

on art.– Art communicated social, political, and spiritual

values.– Italian banking & international trade interests

had the money.

• Public art in Florence was organized and supported by guilds.

Therefore, the consumption of art was used as a form of competition for social & political status!

2. Perspective2. Perspective

Perspective!Perspective!Perspective!Perspective!Perspective!Perspective!

Perspective!Perspective!Perspective!Perspective!

First use First use of linear of linear

perspective!perspective!

Perspective!Perspective!Perspective!Perspective!

The The TrinityTrinity

MasaccioMasaccio

14271427

What you What you are, I once are, I once was; what I was; what I am, you will am, you will

become.become.

3. Classicism3. Classicism

Greco-Roman influence.

Secularism.

Humanism.

Individualism free standing figures.

Symmetry/BalanceThe The “Classical Pose”“Classical Pose”

Medici “Venus” (1c)Medici “Venus” (1c)

4. Empasis on Individualism4. Empasis on Individualism Batista Sforza & Federico de Montefeltre: Batista Sforza & Federico de Montefeltre:

The Duke & Dutchess of UrbinoThe Duke & Dutchess of Urbino

Piero della Francesca, 1465-1466.Piero della Francesca, 1465-1466.

Isabella d’Este –Isabella d’Este – da Vinci, da Vinci, 14991499 1474-1539

“First Lady of the Italian Renaissance.”

Great patroness of the arts in Mantua.

Known during her time as “First Lady of the World!”

5. Geometrical 5. Geometrical Arrangement of Arrangement of

FiguresFigures The Dreyfus The Dreyfus

Madonna Madonna with the with the PomegranatPomegranatee

Leonardo da Leonardo da VinciVinci

14691469

The figure as The figure as architecture!architecture!

6. Light & 6. Light & Shadowing/Softening Shadowing/Softening

EdgesEdges

ChiaroscuroChiaroscuro

SfumatoSfumato

Lorenzo Lorenzo the Magnificentthe Magnificent

1478 - 15211478 - 1521

Cosimo de Cosimo de MediciMedici

1517 - 15741517 - 1574

Florence Under the Florence Under the MediciMedici

Medici ChapelMedici Chapel

The Medici PalaceThe Medici Palace

Filippo Filippo BrunelleschiBrunelleschi1377 - 14361377 - 1436

ArchitectArchitect

Cuppolo of St. Cuppolo of St. MariaMariadel Fioredel Fiore

Filippo Brunelleschi• Commissioned to

build the cathedral dome.– Used unique

architectural concepts.• He studied the

ancient Pantheon in Rome.

• Used ribs for support.

Dome Dome ComparisonsComparisons

Il Duomo St. Peter’s St. Paul’s US capital (Florence) (Rome) (London) (Washington)

David by David by DonatelloDonatello

14301430

First free-form bronze First free-form bronze since Roman times!since Roman times!

The Liberation The Liberation of Sculptureof Sculpture

DavidDavid

VerrocchioVerrocchio

1473 - 1473 - 14751475

• David• Michelangelo• 1502-1504• 16 feet high

David, 1409Donatello

• Madonna with Child and Angels

• 1426• Massaccio

• Andrea Mantegna• 1474• The Court of the Gonzagas

• Madonna and Child• 1510• Bellini

The Sacrifice of Isaac, 1401-3Brunelleschi

• Ghiberti• Sacrifice of Isaac• 1401-3

The Renaissance “Man”The Renaissance “Man”

• Broad knowledge about many things in different fields.

• Deep knowledge/skill in one area.

Able to link information from different areas/disciplines and create new knowledge.

The Greek ideal of the “well-rounded man” was at the heart of Renaissance education.

The Baptism of ChristThe Baptism of Christ Verrocchio, 1472 - 1475Verrocchio, 1472 - 1475

Leonardo Leonardo da Vincida Vinci

1.1. Self-Portrait Self-Portrait -- da Vinci, -- da Vinci, 15121512

1452 - 15191452 - 1519

Artist

Sculptor

Architect

Scientist

Engineer

Inventor

Leonardo, Leonardo, the Artistthe Artist

The Virgin The Virgin of the Rocks of the Rocks

Leonardo daLeonardo daVinciVinci

1483-14861483-1486

Mona LisaMona Lisa OROR da da Vinci??Vinci??

• Mona Lisa• 1503-06• Leonardo da Vinci

RefractorRefractoryy

Convent Convent of Santa of Santa

Maria Maria delle delle

GrazieGrazie

MilanMilan

• Close up of the Last Supper, 1498

• da Vinci

• Virgin and Child with St. Anne• 1510• Leonardo da Vinci

2.2. Michelangelo Michelangelo BuonarrotiBuonarroti

1475 – 15641475 – 1564

He He represented represented the body in the body in three three dimensions dimensions of sculpture.of sculpture.

The Sistine The Sistine ChapelChapel

MichelangelMichelangelo Buonarrotio Buonarroti

1508 - 15121508 - 1512

• Creation of Adam, 1512• Michelangelo• Ceiling of Sistine Chapel

The Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel DetailsDetails

The The Creation Creation

of the of the HeavensHeavens

The Sistine Chapel The Sistine Chapel DetailsDetails

The Last JudgmentThe Last Judgment

• Last Judgment• 1535-1541• Altar Wall of the

Sistine Chapel• Michelangelo

• Pieta • 1499• Michelangelo

• Moses• 1515• Michelangelo

• St Peter’s Basilica• 1546• Michelangelo

The School of Athens The School of Athens – – Raphael, 1510 -11Raphael, 1510 -11

Raphael

Da Vinci

Michelangelo

Naming of St. John the Baptist, 1434-35 Fra Angelico

• The Annunciation, 1450

• Fra Angelico

• La Primavera• 1478• Sandro Botticelli

La Primavera, Sandro Botticelli

• Fortitude• 1470• Sandro Botticelli

• Birth of Venus• 1486• Botticelli

Renaissance Art in Northern Europe

• Should not be considered an appendage to Italian art.

• But, Italian influence was strong.– Painting in OIL, developed in Flanders, was widely adopted

in Italy.

• The differences between the two cultures:– Italy change was inspired by humanism with its emphasis

on the revival of the values of classical antiquity.

– No. Europe change was driven by religious reform, the return to Christian values, and the revolt against the authority of the Church.

• More princes & kings were patrons of artists.

Characteristics of Northern Renaissance Art

• The continuation of late medieval attention to details.

• Tendency toward realism & naturalism [less emphasis on the “classical ideal”].

• Interest in landscapes.• More emphasis on middle-class and peasant

life.• Details of domestic interiors.• Great skill in portraiture.

Jan van Eyck (1395 – 1441)

• More courtly and aristocratic work.– Court painter to

the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Good.

The Virgin and Chancellor Rolin, 1435.

Van Eyck:

The Crucifixion

&

The Last Judgment

1420-1425

Van Eyck:

The Crucifixion

&

The Last Judgment

1420-1425

• Van Eyck• Last Judgment• 1425-1430

• Jan van Eyck• Arnolfini Wedding• 1434• Under the mirror• It says:

“Jan van Eyck

was here”

• Close up of the mirror

The End