the renaissance - yontz stac classes · vitruvian man, leonardo da vinci, ... in this lecture we...
TRANSCRIPT
LASTWEEKLastclassItalkedaboutthebeginningoftheChris<anEra.ItbeganinthelateRomanEmpire(330CE)whenConstan<nemadeChris<anitythe‘official’religionoftheRomanEmpire.Duringthe1000+yearsbetweenthefallofRomeandtheEarlyRenaissanceEuropewasrebuilding.Welookedatsomeofthatartworklastweek.Nolongeraretheremanygodsandgoddesses,thereisonegod.ManysaytheVirginMaryemergedbecausethepeoples<llneededafemaledeity.Regardless,shebecameamajorfigureofworship.ThemainotherfemaleimagewasEve.
ThefemaleinChris<anArt---SaintsorSinners.WeseemanyimagesofEveandtheVirginMary.Imagesofwomenandrolesforwomenarelimited.
THEMIDDLEAGESDuringtheMiddleAgesTheCatholicChurchhadenormouspower.AlmostallartworkwasChris<anthatwascommissionedbytheChurch.Thereligious,socialandpoli<calstructureswereGodcentered.ItwasbelievedthatGodwasresponsibleforeverythingandthepopewashisinstrumentonearth.ManyoftheadvanceswesawinGreeceandRome(philosophy,mathema<cs,medical,etc.),theknowledgewaskeptaliveintheEasternpartoftheEmpirebutlosttotheWest.ArtworkfocusedonChurchsanc<onedChris<anthemes.ItwasoWenhighlyemo<onal.
VirginwiththeDeadChrist(Rö3genPietà),fromtheRhineland,Germany,ca.1300–1325.Paintedwood,2’101/2”high.RheinischesLandemuseum,Bonn.
THERENAISSANCETheRenaissanceisaperiodinWesternhistorythatfollowstheMiddleAges.WeseearevivalofinterestinclassicallearningandideasofancientGreeceandRome.TheRenaissanceinventeditsownversionofhumanismfromtheRomanHumanitas.Inaddi<ontorevivalofthehumani<esfromGreeceandRome,thebeliefin,“thegeniusofman…theuniqueandextraordinaryabilityofthehumanmind”.Ar<stsdevelopedtheuseof‘linearperspec<ve’inpain<ngtoshowdepthandtheillusionof3dimensionalform.
VitruvianMan,LeonardodaVinci,1490.Leonardowasconsideredtheul<mate“RenaissanceMan”ashestudiedawiderangeoftopicsincludinganatomy,geology,botany,hydraulics,flightandweapons.
THERENAISSANCETheperiodbetween1450and1650wasa<meofrevolu<onaryculturalchange.Religiouschange,thegrowthofempires,educa<onaldevelopments,socialmobility,theater,art,theprin<ngpressandmedicaladvancesreshapedthehistoryoftheWest.Inthislecturewelookatartworksthathighlightchangesinthoughtaboutreligion,sexualityandrace.LeonardodaVincididtwoversionsofthispain<ng,TheMadonnaoftheRocks.Inthisone,from1483-6,MaryisshownwithherarmaroundSt.JohntheBap<st.TheChristchildisblessinghimwhileanangelpointstowardthechild.Gonearethehaloesandthrone,Leonardostrivedtoshowdivinitythroughidealgraceandbeauty.
LeonardodaVinciisoneofthemostfamousar<stsinWesternhistory.Wealsoknowthathelovedtosurroundhimselfwithbeau<fulyoungmen.Vasari,whowroteahistoryofar<stsintheRenaissance,confirmsLeonardo’ssexualpreferences.
IMPORTANTHISTORICALEVENTSThingsthathappeninhistoryarealwayscomplicated.Thewaywetellwhathappenedmustbesimplifiedinordertogettothepoint.JustknowthisasIspeakaboutthingsthatareinfluencingchange.EventsthatcreatedsignificantchangeinEuropeandespeciallyItalyinthe1400s:1.TheOkomanTurksofficiallyendedtheByzan<neEmpire(lateRoman)in1453withtheconquestofConstan<nople.Byzan<nescholars,whohadkeptGreekandRomanknowledgealive,migratedWest.TheybroughttoWesternEuropeknowledgeofGreekciviliza<onwhichledtotheRenaissancedevelopmentofhumanismandscience.
MosaicoftheByzan<neEmperorKomnenos,11thCentury.
Moreevents:2.WiththerebuildingofRomepeoplediscoveredandbecameentrancedbytheartandarchitectureoftheClassicalGreekandRomanciviliza<ons.3.AnewclasswasemergingoutoftheFeudalMiddleAges,amerchantclass,providingpeoplewithwealthandpowerwhocouldrivaltheChurchinthecommissioningofart.
WeseethedevelopmentofothersubjectsinartbesidesjustChris<anones.NowweseeportraitsofwealthypeopleandartworkaboutGreekandRomangods,goddessesandmyth.
TheDuchessBanstaSforza(DuchessofUrbino),PieroDellaFrancesca,1465-1472ThereisalsoafacingportraitoftheDuke.
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ITALYAROUND1400It’simportanttorememberthatItalywasn’taunifiedcountryasitisnow.Itwasacollec<onofcitystates.Florence,Rome,MilanandVenicewerethemostpowerful.SomeoftheearliestachievementsoftheRenaissancehappenedinFlorenceasaresultofthepatronageofthepowerfulMedicifamily.
CosimodeMedicisupportedtheartsandhumani<esinFlorence.TherewerealsofourMedicipopes.
ReturntoClassicalStyleDonatello’sbronzestatueofDavid,commissionedby,Cosimode’Medici,wasthefirstnudesculptureintheroundsinceClassicalRome.Revolu<onaryforit’sday,thestatuereflectedde’MedicitasteforGreekandRomanartaswellasDonatello’sownsensibili<es.WhilewehavenorecordofDonatello’ssexualpreference,muchaken<onisgivetothesensualityoftheyoungDavid.InthisbiblicalstoryofDavidandGoliath,Davidisnolongerrepresentedasakingbutasaninnocent,youngman.No<cethesimilari<esanddifferenceswiththeGreekstatue.
DONATELLO,David,late1420s–late1450s.
Bronze,5’2¼“.Florence.
POLYKLEITOS,(SpearBearer).RomanmarblecopyfromPompeii,Italy,aWerabronzeoriginalofca.450–440BCE
SANDROBOTTICELLI,BirthofVenus,ca.1482.Temperaoncanvas,approx.5’8”x9’1”.GalleriadegliUffizi,Florence.
AlsocommissionedbytheMedici,thethemeforthispain<ngcomesfromtheRomanpoet,Ovid’sMetamorphoses.Thebookcontainsover250mythsandchroniclesthehistoryoftheworldfromcrea<ontotheendofJuliusCaesar’sreign.InthisstoryVenusisbeingbirthedfromthesea.Standingonaseashell,ontheleWthepersonifica<onofwindblowsherdryasamaidenwaitstocoverherbody.
MythologyinRenaissanceArt
GreekMythologyinRenaissanceArt
SANDROBOTTICELLI,BirthofVenus,ca.1482.Temperaoncanvas,approx.5’8”x9’1”.GalleriadegliUffizi,Florence.
AndRomancopyofGreekstatueofVenus.OneverysimilarwasownedbytheMedicifamily.
Ihopeyoucouldalreadymaketheconnec<onbetweentheposeoftheVenusinBoncelli’spain<ngandtheearlierGreekone.
Thepain<ngcanalsobeenseenasanodetothewealthyMedicifamily.
As we have already studied, these Roman copies of Greek originals of Venus, the goddess of beauty were some of the first nude representations of women in Greek art since the Greeks
did not consider the female body either beautiful or perfect in the way they viewed the male. These images however, became the model for representations of the female body in art.
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MASACCIO,ExpulsionofAdamandEvefromEden,BrancacciChapel,SantaMariadel
Carmine,Florence,Italy,ca.1425.
Fresco,7’x2’11”
TheChurchwasalsocommissioningartintheRenaissance.ThestoryofAdamandEvecon<nuedtobehighlyrepresented.
ReligioninRenaissanceArtThe‘idealized’bodyisnowusedtorepresentstoriesfromthebible. Durer,,
AdamandEve,1504,engraving.
TITIAN,VenusofUrbino,1538.Oiloncanvas,approx.4’x5’6”.GalleriadegliUffizi,Florence.Thispain<ngispaintedwithoilpaint.Theearlieronesareeitherfresco(paintonplaster)ortempera(pigmentineggbinder).Theydonotallowthismuchnaturalism.
CommissionsandMeaningThispain<ngbyTi<an,wascommissionedbytheDukeofUrbinoforhiswife.The<tletellsusshe’sVenus,agoddess.However,ifweanalyzethepain<ngweseesomethingnewhappening.Ti<anwasaveryfamousVene<anpainterknownforsmoothbrushworkandabilitytocreatetheillusionoflife.OneofthewaysRenaissancear<stswereabletocreatesuchsensi<veillusionstoreallifewastheinven<onofoilpaint.
TITIAN,basedhisgestureonanearlierpainKngbyhisteacher,Giorgioni,whichdepictedVenussleepinginalandscape.
CommissionsandMeaningTheearlierGreekstatueisnowreclining,witheveryaspectofherbody,includingsymbolsinthepain<ng,aboutero<cism.Fromthispointforwardwewillseemanymanypain<ngswithrecliningnudefemalefigures.The“idealized”femalebodyhasbecomeanobjectofmaledesire,acommodity,ero<cizedandobjec<fied,andnooneeverreallytalkedaboutitinArtHistoryun<lsecondwavefeminisminthe1970s.
RAPHAEL,MadonnaintheMeadow,1505.Oilonpanel,3’81/2”x2’101/4”.KunsthistorischesMuseum,Vienna.
TheChurchandCommissionsTheCatholicChurchwass<llcommissioningalotofartwork.Infact,theyfeltitenhancedtheirpowertoworkwithfamousar<sts.Manypain<ngsoftheVirginMarywithChristwerecommissionedastheVirginneverlostpopularity.ButbecauseofHumanism,thehaloesbegintodisappear.TheHolyFamilyappearsmorelikerealpeople.Allpain<ngsoftheMadonnaandChristnowfollowtheleadsetbyLeonardoaswesawearlier.Representedmorelikeafamily,withhumanquali<esandposes.
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FRA FILIPPO LIPPI, Madonna and Child with Angels, ca. 1455. Tempera on wood, approx. 3’ x 2’ 1”. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence. ANDREA DEL SARTO, Madonna of the Harpies,
1517. Oil on wood, approx. 6’ 9” x 5’ 10”. Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence.
I’mmen<oningthisbecausethisideaofthear<stasgenius-creator,inven<ngthingsoutofnothing,followesusthroughhistory.Importantly,un<lrecentlytherewasnoroomforwomeninthisviewof‘crea<on.’Menweretheac<veones.Womenwerepassive.Someofthisissimplycon<nuingAristotle’sideasyoulookedatlastweek.
TheBirthoftheAr<stAr<stssuchasLeonardodaVincibegantoseekhighersocialandculturalsocialstatusfortheirprofession.
Leonardoarguedthatpain<ng,sculptureandarchitecturerequirednotjustcraWbutintellectualknowledge--Knowledgeofanatomy,op<cs,mathema<cs.
Healsoequatedartwithagod-likeact…likeGodcrea<ngtheuniversefromthevoid,thear<stinventsapersonorlandscapeoutofnothing.
Atrulyblessedar<stisapar<cipantinthedivineprocessofcrea<on.
Caravaggio,TheCrownofThorns,1602In1517Mar<nLutherakackedtheCatholicChurchforit’scorrup<on,greedandabuseofpower,andini<atedamovementthattransformedreligious,poli<calandartofEurope.Protestantscri<cizedChris<anartforwhattheythoughtwerecultimages.
RenaissancetoBaroqueRenaissanceartwasaboutrevivingclassicalideasandform.Ra<onality,order,logicwerefollowedinallthings.AswemoveintoLateRenaissancetoBaroqueArtstylesbecomemoreemo<onalandmorediversesubjectsaredepicted.Baroqueartisdefinedbyit’suseoflight.BecauseofthegrowthofMar<nLutherandtheProtestantReforma<on,theCatholicChurchencouragedvisualartthatwouldguidethefaithful.Inordertomoredirectlyengagetheviewer,powerfulanddrama<crealism,accentua<ngcontrastoflightanddarkand<ghtlycroppingcomposi<onsenhancedemo<onalimpact.Artworkshouldinstruc<onandinspire.
Oneofthesefemalear<stswas,ArtemisiaGen<leschi.Self-portraitastheAllegoryofPainKng,1638-9.
WomeninRenaissanceandBaroqueArtBeforethe1970stherewerenowomenar<stsmen<onedinanyWesternArtHistorybooks.Therewerenopeopleofcoloreitherbutwe’llgettothatabitlaterinthesemester.EmpoweredbytheideasoftheFeministMovement,femaleArtHistoriansbegantochallengewhatwascalled“thecanon.”Thecanonwasatone<meconsideredfixed.Itwasthebodyofartworksconsideredtobethebestexamplesofastyleorgenre.Theartworksinthecanonwereconsideredthe‘masterpieces’andthisiswhatwasstudiedinart.Ques<onsaboutthecanonledtodiscoveriesofwomenar<stsinhistorywhohadneverbeforebeenconsidered.
JudithBeheadingHolophernes,ArtemisiaGen<leschi,1614-20.
WomeninRenaissanceandBaroqueArtArtemisiaGen<leschiwasapainterwhofollowedCaravaggio,afamousBaroquepainter.Mostofherpain<ngsfocusonheroinesfromtheBible.Inthispain<ng,Judith,atradi<onalexampleofvirtueandchas<ty,isshowndecapita<ngHolophernes,whohadplannedtodestroyhervillage.Shehasseducedhimandisnowshownviolentlybeheadinghimbecomingthesaviorofherpeople.Thispain<ngwasprobablycommissionedbyCosimoIIde’MedicibutduetotheviolenceitwasplacedinadarkcornerofhisPalaceandGen<leschiwasnotpaidun<laWerhisdeath.
WomeninRenaissanceandBaroqueArtThestoryofJudithwasverypopularinart.AlotofdiscussionhasbeengiventotheviolenceinGen<leschi’spain<ng.Herearlytrainingwasfromherfather,afamouspainter.WhenshewasrejectedfromartacademiesshestudiedwithAgos<noTassi,herfather’sfriend.In1612,herfatherbroughtchargesagainstTassiforrapinghisdaughter.Ahighlypublicizedtrialendedwithnoconvic<on.However,thistrauma<ceventisthoughttohaveaffectedthetoneofthepain<ng.
Thesearetwomorepain<ngsofthesamethemebymalear<stsCaravaggioand
PhilipvanDijk.NeitherhastheviolenceofGen<leschi.
WomeninRenaissanceandBaroqueArtJudithLeysterwasinfluencedbytheDutchar<stFransHalsandmuchofherworkhadbeenakributedtohim.Mostofherworkwascreatedbeforehermarriage.Inaddi<ontoraisingherchildrenshemanagedthefamilybusinessandassistedwithherhusband’sart.Awell-knownar<stinherlife<me,shewaslargelyforgokenun<l1893whenherini<alswerefoundunderafalsesignatureof“FransHals.”Thisledtorenewedresearchonherasanar<st.Atone<meitwasthoughttherewerenowomenintheArtHistoryCanonbecausethereweren’tanygoodones.Wehavelearnedthiswasnotthereason.
SelfPortrait,JudithLeyster,1630
HowWomenRepresentThemesAnotherissuesthatisdiscussedwithregardstothegenderofthear<stishowmaleandfemalear<stsapproachsimilarsubjects.WesawthatwithGen<leschiandlet’slookatitagain.Thispain<ngisonebyamalear<stvanBaburenthatrepresentsanotherpopularthemeinBaroqueart—brothelscenes.Itshowsthreefigures,apros<tuteontheleW,theclientinthemiddleandtheprocuresspoin<ngtoherpalmtoindicateexpectedpayment.Theclientisholdingacoin.Inthisversion,vanBaburendepictsthepros<tuteasatemptress,herbreastsprominent.She’sintheprocessofseducinghim.
DirckvanBaburen,TheProcuress,1622SincereligiousartwasnotbeingproducedinthisDutchcountryitisthoughtthatgenrescenes(scenesofeverydaylife),likethisoneservedtoins<llmorality.
HowWomenRepresentThemesThisisapain<ngbyJudithLeysterofasimilartheme.Herewehavearichlydressedmanofferingcoinstoawomenwhoisquietlyengagedinmending.Insteadofshowingthewomanasunrestrainedandsinful,heresheishardatwork,themodelofvirtue.
JudithLeyster,ManOfferingMoneytoaWoman,orTheProposiKon,1634
RaceinEuropeanRenaissanceTheMediterraneanwasacross-culturalandinter-ethnicareafromthemid-15thcenturyon.ClassicalculturewaspartlyrevivedbytheideasbroughtbyArabs.BlackAfricansregularly,andinsignificantnumbersenteredEurope.Intercon<nentalnaviga<onhelpedreshapeEurope’spopula<on.However,thesemainsetofprejudicesexistedaboutAfricans:• Generallyiden<fiedasnaked• Mu<latethebodywith
scarifica<on,piercingsandtakoos• Consideredlazyandsexually
promiscuous• Physicallystrong• Goodmusicianordancer
TheSupperatEmmaus,Veni<anAr<st,1530-40.InthisoWenrepresentedeventinthelifeofChristweseetheinclusionofaBlacksoldier,iden<fiedasEgyp<anbyhisredhat.MostlikelyincludedtosignifyChrist’suniversalpromiseofsalva<on,healsoindicatestheantudesaboutracialdifference.
RaceinEuropeanRenaissanceWeseenobleimagesofdarkskinnedpeopleshowingupinReligiouspain<ngsofthis<me.However,KateLowe,authorofBlackAfricansinRenaissanceEuropeargues,theroleofblackpeoplewasconstructedasacounter-imageof‘whitness’andciviliza<on.Manyoftheserotypesweseeplayingoutinhistorywereestablishedatthis<me.AdoraKonoftheMaji,FlemishAr<st,1599Bythe15thad16thcenturies,thousandsofimagesdepic<ngBlack(Moorish)kingswhofollowedastartowitnessthena<vity(theBirthofChrist)werepainted.Theyoungestofthethreewisemeninthena<vitystory.
RaceinEuropeanRenaissanceSt.MauricewasthoughttohavebeenaleaderoftheRomanarmyinthe3rdcentury.HewasmartyredforrefusingtoslaughterChris<ans.Manypain<ngsweredoneofhimduringtheRenaissance.
Thereisadifference
betweentheimagesweseeofMoorishBlacksinChris<anartandideas
aboutSaharanAfricans.
St.Maurice,MakhiasGrunewald,c.1510
St.Maurice,LucaCranachtheElder,1520-25s
NEXTWEEKInthe15thCenturyweseetheriseofintercon<nentalnaviga<onbysea.Europeancountriesbeginsendingshipsaroundtheworldtoexploreandconquer.Portugueseexpedi<onsbringEuropeanshipsinregularcontactwithSaharanAfrica.TheyinauguratedtheAtlan<csalvetrade,soonjoinedbySpainandBritain.ChristopherColumbus’conquestoftheCaribbeanvirtuallywipedouttheindigenousculturesthere.Slaveryhasbeenaroundeversinceciviliza<onsbegan.Butnowthere’saracialelement.
Moreaboutthisnextweek.
MAINPOINTSFORTHISWEEK• The Renaissance from about 1400-1600 is the
revival of ideas and styles of Greece and Rome.
• The Catholic Church is still very powerful and there is much Christian art created.
• In addition, a rising merchant class with Classical taste, commission artwork with different themes, like mythology and portraits.
• Invention of oil paint allows more naturalism. In addition the development of linear perspective makes painting a strong illusion of the natural world.
• Paintings of the idealized female figure become undeniably eroticized.
• Women artists emerge.
• The construction of Race