Italian Renaissance Art. Patronage Florence was the leader in Renaissance art especially in the quattrocento (1400s) Giorgio Vasari (1511-74): The Lives.

Italian Renaissance Art

PatronageFlorence was the leader in Renaissance art especially in

the quattrocento (1400s) Giorgio Vasari (1511-74): The Lives of the Artists

Contemporary Renaissance art historian who left much valuable information about Renaissance artists and their works.

Massive patronage for the arts came from wealthy merchant-families (such as the Medicis) who commissioned countless worksIn essence, the wealth of Florence was mirrored by the

superb artistic output of the Renaissance A good example is Donatello‘s David which stood in the Medici

courtyard during the wedding of Lorenzo de Medici. In Milan, the Sforza‘s commissioned Leonardo‘s The Last

Supper

Patronagec. Patronage also came from local churches who

increasingly saw Renaissance art as a means of glorifying God. Some notable examples include Brunelleschi‘s Il Duomo built for the Santa Maria del

Fiore cathedral Ghiberti‘s two sets of doors for the baptistery opposite

Il Duomo Michelangelo‘s David was originally commissioned for

the cathedral (but was too heavy and thus placed elsewhere).

RomeBecame the center of the Renaissance in 1500s

(cinquecento)With the decline of Florence in the late-15th century,

Renaissance dominance shifted to Rome. Pope Alexander VI (r. 1492-1503): most notorious of the

Renaissance popes; spent huge sums on art patronage (e.g. Bramante‘s Tempietto)

A few of the notable works commissioned by the Church in this period include Michelangelo‘s dome atop St. Peter‘s Cathedral, his paintings on

the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, and the sculpture Pieta that is located within the cathedral

Raphael‘s The School of Athens (a fresco painting inside the papal apartments)

Bramante‘s Tempietto, a small church that is a masterpiece in classical architecture; and his floor plan for a newly rebuilt St. Peter‘s cathedral. (Much of his plans were altered after his death)

New artistic techniques Painting Perspective: 3-D effects on a 2-dimensional surface

Medieval works, in contrast, looked flat and two-dimensional Chiaroscuro: use of dark and light colors to create the

illusion of depth Faces of subjects expressed unique individual

characteristics (embodied Renaissance ideal of ―individualism) Also, more emotion was shown on human faces In contrast, medieval paintings tended to be more stylized

in their portrayal of human faces (i.e. more generic) Sfumato developed by Leonardo; a technique of blurring

or softening sharp outlines

1. Realism & 1. Realism & ExpressionExpression

Expulsion Expulsion fromfromthe Gardenthe Garden

MasaccioMasaccio

14271427

First nudes First nudes sincesinceclassical classical timestimes..

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.

PerspectivePerspective

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. Emphasis on 4. Emphasis on IndividualismIndividualism 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.

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

7. Artists as 7. Artists as Personalities/CelebritiesPersonalities/Celebrities

Lives of the Lives of the Most Most Excellent Excellent Painters, Painters, Sculptors, andSculptors, andArchitectsArchitects

Giorgio VasariGiorgio Vasari

15501550

SculptureRenaissance sculpture was often free-standing,

designed to be seen in the round Heavily influenced by ancient Greek and Roman

sculpture Contrast with medieval sculpture that largely was

done in relief Many sculptures glorified the human body and

many portrayed nude figures (like works in ancient Greece and Rome)

Like Renaissance painting, many Renaissance sculptures glorified the individual

Lorenzo Lorenzo the Magnificentthe Magnificent

1478 - 15211478 - 1521

Cosimo de Cosimo de MediciMedici

1517 - 15741517 - 1574

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

Leonardo, the SculptorLeonardo, the Sculptor

An An Equestrian Equestrian StatueStatue

1516-15181516-1518

DavidDavid

MichelangelMichelangelooBuonarottiBuonarotti

15041504

MarbleMarble

15c15c

16c 16c

WhatWhat

aa

differencedifference

aa

centurycentury

makes!makes!

The PietaThe Pieta

MichelangeMichelangeloloBuonarrotiBuonarroti

14991499

marblemarble

The Popes as Patrons The Popes as Patrons of the Artsof the Arts

Architecture Utilized ancient Greek and Roman forms such as

Greek temple architecture (with triangular pediments), Greek columns, Roman arches and domes (e.g. the Pantheon in Rome)

Simplicity, symmetry and balance. Contrasted sharply with the highly-ornamented

gothic style of the middle ages of pointed arches (as evidenced in numerous medieval cathedrals)

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.

Brunelleschi’s Brunelleschi’s DomeDome

Comparing DomesComparing Domes

Other Famous Other Famous DomesDomes

Il Duomo St. Peter’s St. Paul’s US capital

(Florence) (Rome) (London) (Washington)

A Contest to Decorate the A Contest to Decorate the Cathedral: Cathedral: Sacrifice of IsaacSacrifice of Isaac

PanelsPanelsBrunelleschi Ghiberti

Ghiberti – Ghiberti – Gates of ParadiseGates of ParadiseBaptistry Door, Florence – 1425 - Baptistry Door, Florence – 1425 -

14521452The Winner!The Winner!