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Home , 15th century, Andrea Mantegna, Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Brancacci Chapel, Classicism, Filippo Brunelleschi

Chapter 21 15th c. – The in Italy

FLORENCE Key Ideas y The revitalization of classical iddleals in literature, , and had its impact on the fine y Renaissance courts were influenced by the spirit of , which stressed the secular alidlongside the reliliigious. y Artists created realistic three-dimensional based on the newly rationalized theories on linear . y is marked by a greater understandi ng of human ; there is a revival of large-scale works. y emphasizes open light spaces in a balanced and symmetrical environment. Italian Princely Courts & Artistic y No singypygle rule in Italy; independent -states bred pgypower hungry elites – “” y Princely court – power relationship between and inhabitants of their territories: employment, favors, protection, prestige, and leadership. y Princes commissioned numerous artworks and buildings. They selected “court artists” for their individual as well as their ability to work collaboratively. Princely courts gradually turned away from religious subjects to secular concerns, in a spirit today defined as humanism. y Court artists’ benefits: guaranteed salary, living quarters in , liberation for , sometimes status in prince’s inner circle or even knighthood. y Until 16th artists had limited status – same class a small shopkeepers and petty merchants. At court dinners, they usually sat with the salaried – tailors, cobblers, barbers, and upholsterers. y Arti sts also des ig ne d tapestries, seat covers, , mas ks, decorations for festivities, and expensive gifts for visiting nobles. Renaissance

y Most great Quattrocento artists and scholars had Medici patronage. Early in the the banker Giovanni di Bicci de’ Medici (ca. 1360 – 1429) established the family fortune. His son, Cosimo (1389 – 1464) a great patron of and learning, donated the equivalent of $20,000,000 to establish the 1st public since antiquity. Cosimo’s grandson, Lorenzo (1449 – 1492), called “the Magnificent,” was a member of the Platonic Academyypyg of Philosophy and gathered artists and gifted men in all fields around him. y By 1464 there was a press near and by 1469 established one. ’s epic, Divine , was one of the first to be published and had widespread popularity. y Humanists “Renaissance men,” also avidly acquired information on botanyyg, geology , op tics, medicine, and eng ineering . y Medieval people believed divine will determined events. Renaissance people were more secular. They thought that they could achieve and excel througgph hard work which was a moral imperative. A number of factors made the RiRenaissance possible: y Increased political stability in the y A desire by the papacy to rebuild Rome to its former glory (resulting in the excavation and discovery of many ruins and works of art) y The opening of the Byzantine and the arrival in Italy of many Greek scholars with knowledge of ancient texts y The of antiquities by rich and powerful patrons that acted as acknowledged standards of excellence for artists Important Artistic Elements to Observe

y Attention to the human form and depicting anatomy correctly, including the return of classical nudity and – influence of classical Roman statues y Subjects selected from classical history or mythology y The revival of portraiture and other self-aggrandizing forms of patronage y Discoveryypp and codification of linear perspective to create the illusion of three- dimensional space, usage of aerial perspective – these values were important to classical y Use of to forms, use of single light source – greater y Paintings that have balanced, symmetrical compositions, often using pyramidal composition y Classical forms are incorpp(p,orated more into architecture (triumphal arches, , coffers, harmonious geometric relationships) y Citizens’ extensive participation in civic and commissions ORDER =

HARMONY +PROPORTION +

=

Man is the measure of all things , FORESHORTENING

From the side, we From the front, the arms & Finger length is see the full length of legs are foreshortened – the determined by the arms & legs. hand is larger in proportion to point of view. L the face. The right arm is hand is full view. R nonexistent. arm is hands are shorter than realityyg. No legs foreshortened – can be seen. look at size of pinkie finger. ƒEarliest important artistic commission sponsored by Florence’s merchant guild for east of portal of the of San Giovanni that faced the Ca the dra l o f San ta Mar ia de l Fiore. ƒKey Renaissance elements: guild patronage as civic imperative and self-promotion, esteem to artists, new pictorial . ƒ7 semifinalists, but only 2 survived. Entrants submitted panels depicting sacrifice of in similar French Gothic frame as Pisano’s (1330 – 1335). ƒ’s willingness to sacrifice Isaac prefigures (prophetic forerunner) ’ . Both refer to covenants btbetween GdGod an d humans similar to a . •One dense group, great between the masses •Figures of weight and substance; dramatic tension , Sacrifice and rigor of Isaac, competition panel for •Immediacy of the ; makes it just in bappytistery, Florence, Italy , 1401–1402. time Gilded , 1’ 9” x 1’ 5” •Figures spill out over the of the quatrefoil ƒBrunelleschi’s image – violent movement and high emotion ƒGhiberti’s –Isaac regarded as 1st classical nude since antiquity. in how muscular system and skeletal structure moves body. with acanthus scrolls. Classical references reflect influence of humanism. ƒGhiberti’s panel is cast in 2 pieces (reducing amount of bronze needed) •Ghiberti’s is the winninggp panel design • asks Abraham to prove his love by sacrificing his son; Abraham is about to comply when an angel reveals this is only a and a ram should be sacrifice d ins tea d •Gothic quatrefoil pattern; matches panels of another set of Gothic doors already on Florence Bappytistery , •Influence of the style in the SfSacrifice of Isaac, gracefulness of gestures and the Gothic say to the competition panel for body of baptistery, Florence, Italy, •Figures separated, greater clarity of vision 1401–1402. Gilded bronze relief, 1’’ 9” x 1’’ 5” Foreshortening

Sacrifice of Isaac Sacrifice of Isaac Brunelleschi Ghiberti ƒNew east doors officials commissioned Ghiberti to make in 1425. His 1st doors were moved to the north entrance. ƒ declared these doors were “so beautif iflul that they would do well for the gates of Paradise.” ƒ square, the number of panels was reduced from 28 to 10 and depicts episodes from Old Te s t a m e n t .

LORENZO GHIBERTI, east doors (Gates of Paradise), baptistery, Florence, Italy, 14251425––1452.1452. Gilded bronze, 17’ hig h. Mod ern copy, ca. 1980. Ori gi nal panels in Museo dell’ del DuomoDuomo,, Florence. 12 Lorenzo Ghiberti, One Point perspective Cue Card Gates of Paradise Atmospheric perspective Continuous narrative

Isaac and His Sons

•Commission awarded to Ghiberti after the success of the second set of Baptistery doors •Spatially more sophisticated than panels of his previous et of doors; figures have a more convincing volume •Lean, elegant, elongated bodies, Delicate lines, Linear perspective used throughout Four Crowned Saints, Or San Michele •Built for the guild of wood and stone carvers , of which Nanni was a member •Depicts four Christian sculptors who refused to carve a statue of a pagan god for the and were martyred •Saints wear Roman ; heads are influenced by portraits of Roman Emperors •Saints seem to be discussing their fate; feet placed outside of arch, stepping into our space •Pedestal carved in an arch following the positioning of the saints •Figures are independent of the niche in which they stand •Bottom scene contains a view of scultlptors a t work on th thieir cra ft Cue Card

Compare to Reims statuary

Compare to Roman Imperial portraiture

Four Crowned Saints, Or San Michele ƒFirst free-standing nude statue since Cue Card antiquity. ƒExaggerated contrapposto of the body ƒAndrogynous figure ƒNudity used to portray a Biblical hero – , slayer of Goliath (who was the symbol for the Florentine ) the victory over Goliath- Goliath’s head at David’s feet; David’s head is lowered to suggest humility ƒLaurel on hat indicates David was a poet; hat a foppish Renaissance design ƒIn , clergy regarded nude statues as indecent – nudity appeared rarely in art, only in biblical or moralizing contexts, i.e. Adam and or depictions of sinners in hell. ƒCdCreated for the MMdiiedici palace courtyard in Florence - not for public viewing. Selecting David as subject suggests the Medici saw themselves as responsible for Florence’s prosperity and , David, late freedom. 14401440––1460.1460. Bronze, 5’ 2” high. As a type for Christ, David has defeated Goliath-as-a-type-for-Satan. As a symbol of the republican spirit of Florence, he defeats tyrants who threaten the city. As one of ’s “beautiful boys,” he, like the figure in the bust of a youth, is under the protection of Eros.

The latter meaning of the David is confirmed by the relief on Goliath’s helmet. It shows a group of winged putti- multiple figures of Eros- pulling a triumphal chariot. ƒDonatello’s depiction of the aged lacks the proportions and sensuous beauty of David (which was reminiscent of Praxiteles’ work). ƒDemonstrates extraordinary versatility of Donatello. •Hair: covers her body, she wiped Christ’s feet with her hair RottgenPieta •Gilded hair indicates her spirituality, and her former beauty •Emaciated from thirty of penitence •Face shows the torture of badly led life; ravages of time on her body •Gesture of prayer expresses a world of spirituality •Eyes focused on an inner reality DONATELLO and a higher form of beauty Penitent Mary Magdalene, ca. 1455. Painted and gilded wood, 6’ 2”high. ƒVerrocchio was a painter as well as a sculptor and directed a bottega (studio- shop) in Florence; Leonardo DaVinci was his student. ƒNarrative realism of Verrocchio’s David contrasts with quiet of Donatello’s. ƒA brash young man – dressed in a leather outfit, posing like a hunter with his kill. ƒThe Medici eventually sold Verrocchio’s David to the Florentine government for placement in the Palazzo della Signoria.

ANDREA DEL VERROCCHIO, David, ca. 14651465––1470.1470. Bronze, 4’ 1”high. Cue Card 19 Compare the David’s Pollaiullo – Interest in Human Anatomy •Battle of the Ten Nudes – one of earliest known engggravings,– muscles look so defined that it looks as if they lack skin •German graphic artists – crosshatching to describe surfaces of forms, – hatching for anatomical studies. , •Engraving and sculpture reveal Pollaiuolo’s interest Battle of the Ten Nudes, in human figures in action. •Pollaiuolo depicted all the muscle groups at maximum tension. Several decades later, Leonardo da Vinci, a greater anatomist observed that only some of the body’s muscle groups participate in any one action, while the others remain relaxed. •Ancient myth: must lift Antaeus off the ground to defeat him-Antaeus gets his strength from his , who is the earth goddess •Active composition with limbs jutting out in various directions •Strong angularity expressed •Sinewy and strong figures •Unknown subject matter; may have been done as a study of the nude in action •Dense vegetative forms push figures forward •Imprecise anatomy, but expressive of flexed muscles and active poses ANTONIO DEL POLLAIUOLO, Hercules and Antaeus, ca. 1470–1475. Bronze •Many figures seem to be in mirrored poses ƒDonatello travelled to Venice to create equestrian portrait of recently deceased Venetian Erasmo da , nicknamed Gattamelata. Family paid for porttitrait, VtiVenetian sena te au thidthorized placemen t. ƒRivaled Roman portrait of , which the artist must have seen in Rome. ƒGattamelata dominates by force of character rather than size. Resolution and unshakable will, portrait of the Renaissance individualist: intelligent, courageous, ambitious, and frequently of humble origin rising to a commanding position in the world. ƒLeft forefoot of horse on orb – domination over the earth; more remarkable because Erasmo da Narni was not a hdhead of stttate. •Commemorative monument for a cemetery •Face reflects stern expression of a commander, cf. Marcus Aurelius •Horse is spirited, resting one leg on a ball; rider is in control

DONATELLO, Gattamelata Piazza del Santo, , Italy, ca. 14451445––1450.1450. Cue Card Bronze, 12’ 2”high. Cue Card Verrocchio, Donatello Bartolommeo Colleoni Gattamelata, 1445-1450, bronze

•Military leader fought for the Venetians •Very powerful and spirited animal tamed by an animated and victorious leader •Dramatically alive and forceful appearance with bulging, fiery eyes and erect position in saddle

Imitation and Emulation & Importance of to Early Renaissance y Developing Renaissance artists would arrive at their own style by imitating works of masters then emulating them – attempting to improve on their work. Comparison and competition were integral to process. y Massaccio broke sharply from the practice of working in his teacher’s International Styl e in th e sh ort span of 6 years. No oth er painter in history contrib uted so much to the development of a new style in a time (he died at 27). Considered artistic descendant of . y Massaccio’s Tribute Money brings innovations in 15th century painting – trailblazer whose work influenced other artists ◦ Linear and aerial (atmospheric) perspective ◦ Classical body types (blend of with realism) with suggestions of bones, muscles, and joints. ◦ Giotto use d lig ht to on ly mo de l t he masses, Masaccio used c hiaroscuro to create a more realistic picture, single light source from the right, modeling the human anatomy to give figures weight ◦ Balanced, composition with center focal point MASACCIO, Tribute Money, Brancacci , Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy, ca. 1427. , 8’ 4” x 19’ 7” Cue Card

ƒContinuous narrative - Episode from Matthew (17:24-27) in 3 parts: in center Jesus, confronted by tax collector, tells Peter to retrieve from fish; at left, Peter extracts coin from fish; on right he pays tax collector. •Prob abl y relate d to the contemporary ddbebate over taxati on to support a against •Landscape contains elements of atmospheric perspective •Monumentalityyg of figures cast shadows ƒNotice that Adam’s and Eve’s body types and poses are derivative of ancient Roman statuary. ƒCompare Masaccio’s Adam to ’s Adam from the Ghent (Flemish, 1430 – 1432). ƒEve has the “modest ” pose. ƒSharpl y sl anted ligh t creates deep reli e f, and unifies composition. ƒAdam’s feet clearly in contact with ground mark human presence on earth. ƒStumble blindly – angel’s well and their own despair driving them. •Bold use of nude forms •Intense expressions; Adam hides his face in shame; Eve hides her body in shame •Bleak background represents the desolation outside the Gar den o f Eden •Angel is foreshortened

MASACCIO, Expulsion of from Eden, , Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy, ca. 14241424––1427.1427. Fresco, 7’ x 2’ 11” 27 ƒ early 15th century example of linear perspective. Masaccio may have collaborated with Brunelleschi. Vanishing point at foot of cross – at viewers’ eye – innovation in illus ion is tic pain ting. ƒGod the Father is behind Christ, with dove of Holy Spirit between their heads. Virgin Mary and Saint John on either side. ƒMemento mori (reminder of ) at the base: “ I was what you are, and what I am you will become.” ƒSymmetry created by the pyramidal composition. ƒThe donors kneeling in front of the (gives the appearance of a , but is only ornamental) reflect Renaissance interest in the individual ƒ ((ptriumphal arch) •Created for the Lenzi family as a tombstone •Triangular figural composition dominated by Brunelleshchi- inspired architecture •ChiChrist appears in th e dual rol e as th e Crucifi ifided ChChirist and as the second person of the -God the Father supports him, the dove of the Holy Spirit is between the two •MaryyJ and Saint John flank Christ ; these are the two traditional MASACCIO, , Santa figures in crucifixion scenes Maria Novella, Florence, Italy, ca. 14241424––1427.1427. Fresco, 21’ 11” x 10’ 5” Cue Card 28 21-22: , Cue Card San Marco, Florence, Italy, ca. 1438-1447, Fresco, 7’1” X 10’6”

•Painted at the top of the of the dormitory entrance; architecture of painting reflects the architecture of the monastery •Humility of figures; serenely religious; solid Giotto-like quality •Smoothly modeled figures of extreme delicacy •Empty spare scene equivalent to the monastic cells; one of several scenes in the monastery •FlitdFoliated cap itlitals •Brunelleschi-like arches Fra . and Child with Angels, c. 1455, on wood

Fra Filippo Lippi (c. 1406-1469) was the son of a Florentine butch er with too many children to support. He and one of his brothers were therefore placed in the monastery of the Carmine. UlkUnlike Fra Angel ico, however, FlFilippo lkdlacked the temperament of a . At one point, he had several nuns living in his house, allegedly using them as models. When one of the nuns, Lucrezia Buti, proddduced a son, FlFilippo was brought to trial and tortured. But he was fortunate in having the backing of Cosimo de’Medici and the humanist , Pius II. They arranged for him to wiihdthdraw from the Order, marry Lucrezia, and have their son Filippino legitimized. The prominent rock formations directly bhidbehind ChChirist ’s hea d ref er to th e Church and the distant city to the heavenly . At the left, the landscapppe opens into a bod y of water , alluding to Mary’s association with the sea. In this painting, there is a particular emphasis on the motif of the pearl, which is a product of the sea. Small pearl clasps hold together the embroidered pillowcase on the arm rest and are repeated in Mary’s hair. Their spherical shape was related to the ideal Platonic form adopted by Renaissance thinkers and they also symbolize the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the Incarnation of Christ, and the Word of God. , ,, the refectory, convent of SantSant’’ Apolloniapollonia,, Florence, Italy, 1447. Fresco, 15’ 5” x 32’’

ƒCastagno, produced a series of for a convent of Benedictine nuns. Last Supper was hung in their refectory (dining hall)., a religious scene of eating complements the activity in the room; red tiles on the floor complement the tiles in the convent ƒInconsistencies of perspective – view of outside roof and inside ceiling, 2 side are not parallel. ƒDisciples are self-absorbed, Judas – sitting alone ƒFigures are individualized; precise edging; uniform sharp focus; little communication among figures ƒJud as on our side of the tabl e, apart from the oth ers to symb oli ze his (an d our ) guil t; his is even eati ng before Christ has blessed the food; animated pattern of rear simulating to Judas’s head ƒUnusual spatial arrangement of room: six marble panels on left and back walls, four panels and two windows on right, implying that the room is a square, although it doesn’t appear this way; twelve loops on the stringcourse on the back wall, only six on each side implying that the room is 2:1 •Pale colors, flat background •Man as the center, the height of any drama •Geometric shapes inspired by Uccello’s work •Christ as an enormous figure who conquers all; holds a labarum, which is the standard of victory over death •Christ is either stepping out of his sarcophagus or has his foot on its lid •Moralized landscape; possible interpretation: at left is a large and bare with trees that are strong and mature, the road uphill in life is difficult and steep, but ultimately rewarding; at right is the easy, beguiling way, a path leading to a country pleasure •Landscape could also symbolize death and new life, live tree/dead tree contrast spoken by Christ himself; Tree of Piero della , Resurrection Knowledge vs. Tree of Life Palazzo Comunale, Cue Card •Pa in ting 's su bjec t is the name o f the San Sepolcro, Italy town and so the location is in a city hall, not a church ca. 1463, fresco, 7 ft. 5 in. x 6 ft. 6 1/2 in. . Giovanna Tornabuoni ((),?), 1488 , oil and tem pera on wood

The development of the portrait and the dawning of the Renaissance are closely connected. The main purpose of Medieval painting was the depiction of people and events from the and other holy or devotional texts. Artists sought to represent what could not otherwise be seen in normal life. The idea of painting representing daily reality rather than supernatural or miraculous events involved an enormous cultural shift. •Trained in International Style , One of the three paintings placed in Lorenzo de’Medici’s bbdhedchamb er •Depicts Florentine victory, led by Cosimo de’ Medici’s friend and supporter Niccolo da against the Sienese in 1432. •Niccolo da Tolentino in center on white horse leads the •Strong use of orthogonals in the Cue Card , , ca. 1455 figures of men and armaments (?). Tempera on wood, approx. 6’ x 10’ 5” lying on the ground; great interest in vanishing points •More of a ceremonial scene than a battle scene; horse look like toys

ƒ fitfruits are melamedica (diil(medicinal appl)les) – Medi ci means doc tors, so it was a fitting symbol for the family. ƒForeshortened broken spears, lances, and a fallen soldier – perspective in the foreground. y Medici patron; from humanist, y Venus emerges fully grown from the foam of the sea; faraway look Angelo Polizano’s (1454 – 1494) in her eyes poem that retold the Greek myth. y Roses scattered before her; roses created at the same time as y Zephyrus, carrying Chloris, blows Venus, symbolizing that love can be painful Venus, born of sea foam, carried on y Left: zephyr ( ) and chloris (nymph) a cockle shell to her sacred , . Nymph, Pomona, meets y Right: handmaiden rushes to clothe her her with a brocaded mantle (cloak- y Figures float, not anchored to the ground like garment – outerwear). y Crisply drawn figures; pale colors y Venus modeled after a Hellenistic y Landscape flat and unrealistic, simple V-shaped waves variant of Praxiteles’ Aphodite of Knidos. y Nude depiction of Venus went unchallenged because of Neo- Platonic reading: those who embrace the contemplative life of reason (including the Medici circle) will immediately contemplate spiritual and divine beauty when ever they behold physical beauty. y Botticelli’s graceful linear style was influenced by the International Style, paralleled Florentine allegorical pageants – chivalric (medieval style) tournaments structured around allusions to classical mythology. Same trend in ppyoetry of – . , Birth of Venus 1484, tempera on Cue Card Once we know t hat Botti celli’ s pi cture has t his quasi -relig ious meaning, it seems less surprising that the wind-god Zephyr and the breeze-goddess Aura on the left look so much like angels. It also makes sense that the Hora personifying on the right, who welcomes Venus ashore,,pJp recalls the relationship of St. John to the Savior in the Baptism of Christ. As baptism is a ‘rebirth in God,’ so evokes the hope for ‘rebirth’ from which the Renaissance takes its name. •Perhaps executed to celebrate •At Left: the three Graces dance a Medici wedding, which would together. They are the embodiment account for the fertility symbols: of the beauty Venus creates. Virginity the fruit , the flowers , spring, expressed in thei r loose long hair i and Venus and , Large •In Center: Venus, the goddess of love orange balls may refer to the as well as marriage, wearing a bridal Medici coat-of-arms wreath on her head with Cupid her son above her. He aims his bow and arrow at the three Graces. •At right: a Zephyr reaches for the nymph Chloris, who transforms into the richly garbed , goddess of Spring •Mercury on the left turns away from others and reaches up with his staff perhaps to dispel storms. Venus provokes desire through Cupid, which can lead to lust/ violence or through reason and faith to the love of God - urged newlyweds to seek God through love. •Narrow setting for figures Sandro Botticelli, , Spring, c. 1482, tempera on wood arranged close to the picture plane Cue Card It ggygoes without saying that Botticelli clothed his Venus in the robes of a married woman: she wears a bonnet and, draped over it, a veil. Hair was considered the weapon of the seductress; only young girls were permitted to let their hair hang loose.

Her graceful pose and chaste clothes are rather more reminiscent of the Virgin Mary than of a goddess of sensual love. ascribed two roles to Venus. On the one hand, certainly, she was the light-hearted, adulterous goddess, accompanied by her son Cupid, who (painted near the Graces in the picture), blindly excited passion with his burning arrows. On the other, she was all , proportion, and balance. A civilizing influence, she settled quarrels, eased social cohesion. Mercury perhaps signifies the transience of spring or the fugitive nature of youth. But Mercury was also the god of merchants, and was therefore hardly out of place at a wedding with a commercial background. Besides this, he- together wiihth the goddess Flora and countl ess painted flowers- provides a further allusion to the wedding month: Mercury’s day in the Roman calendar was 15th May; his mother was Maia who g ave the month its name.

In addition, he also bore the responsibility for doctors, whose symbol, the caduceus, he bears. Medici means ‘doctors,’ and the Medici patron saints were the doctors Cosmas and Damian. The metaphor was standard in any eulogy of the Medici family. •Raised on a drum to increase height, meant to be experienced from the inside and the outside •Built without centering devices, architectural accomplishment of the time •Double of two shells, a light exterior shell and a heavier interior dome; walkway circling between domes enables interior to be maintained from within the structure

Brunelleschi, Dome of , 1420-1436

Between the skins of the Dome

Cue Card ƒ1st Renaissance central plan like the Pantheon or Florentine Baptistery. ƒFinished after Brunelleschi’s death, exterior not original design, loggia (roofed open gallery overlooking an open court) was an afterthought. •Rectangular chapel attached to the church of Santa Croce, Florence •Two barrel vaults on the interior, small dome over crossing •Interior has a restrained sense of color, muted tones, punctuated by glazed terra- cotta tiles

Cue Card FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI, façade and plan of the Chapel, Santa Croce, Florence, Italy, begun ca. 1440. 42 ƒServed as chapter house (meeting hall) for Franciscan monks. ƒGray stone with white stuccoed walls ƒTondi in the dome’s pendentives are glazed terracotta – a recent invention and flourishing family business

FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI, interior of the (looking northeast), Santa Croce, Florence, Italy, designed ca.1423, with glaze d terraco tta roun del s by Luca della RobbiaRobbia..

43 Palazzo Medici- Riccardi Roman – Porta Maggiore

Rustication

easyweb.easynet.co.uk/.../micheloz/pic6.htm Gardner’s Art Through the Ages Palazzo Medici- Riccardi

•Rusticated ground floor; second floor strongly articulated blocks; third floor smooth surface-building seems to get lighter as it goes up •Roman arches at bottom used as entries to shops and businesses •Strong cornice placed on top •Interior courtyard allows light and air into the interior rooms of the palace •Built to expppress the civic pride and political power of the Medici family; rusticated bottom floor expressed of Medici family •Symmetrical plan ƒAfter the exile imposed on Medicis by other elite families who resented their consolidation of power, theypyy employed di Bartolommeo to design their new palazzo. (Brunelleschi influenced him). ƒThey actually rejected Brunelleschi’s design – too ostentatious, politically wise for them to maintain a lower profile. ƒRustication (rough unfinished masonry) on ground floor accentuates strength (Roman precedent). ƒUbUnbro ken stringcourses (hor izonta l ban ds ). ƒUpper stories decrease in height – lighter. ƒCornice at top defines proportions.

ƒContrast to Late Gothic delicacy of Ca d’Oro (House of Gold) – contemporaneous MICHELOZZO DI palace a merchant in Venice. BARTOLOMMEO, facade of the Palazzo MediciMedici--RiccardiRiccardi,, Florence, Italy, begun 1445. Cue Card ƒInternal court surrounded by a colonnaded was the 1st of its kind and influenced a long line of descendants in Renaissance domestic architecture. MICHELOZZO DI BARTOLOMMEO, interior court of the Palazzo MediciMedici-- RiccardiRiccardi,, Florence, Italy, begun 1445. Alberti, Palazzo Rucellai

•Three horizontal floors separated by a strongly articulated stringcourse •Pilasters rise vertically and divide the spaces into square shapes •Strong cornice caps the building •Rejects rustication of Michelozzo, instead used beveled masonry joints •First floor pilasters are Tuscan (derived from Doric; second are Alberti’s own invention (derived from Ionic) third are Corinthian •FiFriezes cont ai n RlliRucellai filfamily symbols; billowing sails PERUGINO Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to

Sistine Chapel, Vatican Rome, Italy 14811481––14831483

Fresco 11’ 5” x 18’ 8” Cue Card

ƒ1481 – 1483 Pope Sixtus IV summoned artists to decorate walls of new ; including Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and PietroVannucci, known as Perugino – named for , – his birthplace. ƒPapacy had based its claim to infallible and total authority over the Roman on this biblical event. Peter is considered the first bishop and pope by Catholics. ƒ12 apostles and Renaissance contemporaries in foreground. ƒCentral plan temple in center, triumphal arches modeled after the , the 1st Christian emperor and builder of the great . •Christ delivers the keys of his earthly kingdom to Saint Peter, a theme treasured by the , who saw themselves as descendants of Saint peter •Left background: tribute money •Right background: of Christ •Models of the Arch of Constantine in the background; central basilica seems tfltBllhidto reflect Brunelleschi and Alber ti ideas on arc hitec ture •One-point perspective, vast piazza •Open space provides dramatic emphasis on the keys •Figures stand in a contrapposto, with heads tilted and knees bent •Many contemporary faces in the crowd ƒPope Pius II’s visit inspired marquis’ determination to Cue Card transform city. Redesign and replace church of Sant’ Andrea. ƒTemple front with pediment with . ƒHeight and width of façade are equal because of Alberti’s concern for its proportion and relation to the small square in front – even when facade was shorter than the church behind. ƒPilasters are the same height as those on ’s interior walls. ƒFaçade pilasters are 3 stories tall – colossal or order that became a favorite motif of Michelangelo. •Combination of a Roman triumphal arch and an ancient temple façade •First Roman triumphal arch in Christian architecture •Large barrel canopy hangs above the west façade and shields the west window of the nave from sunlight , west facade of SantSant’’ Andrea, , Italy, designed 1470, begun 1472. ƒAlberti felt that arches should not be used with freestanding – the colonnaded conceal the ceremonies from the parishioners in the aisles; he abandoned the medieval columnar arcade Brunelleschi still used. ƒThick walls alternated with vaulted . ƒMassive dome over crossing, bbluilt at later date – may be different than Alberti’s plan. ƒInterior possesses great with no side aisles; coffered ceiling reminiscent of Pantheon and Early Christian churches

LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI, interior of SantSant’’ Andrea Mantua, Italy, designed 1470, begun 1472. 52 , Interior of the

y Ludovico Gonzaga believed an impressive palace was an important visual expression of his authority. y Commissioned Andrea Mantegna of Padua to paint frescos. He took almost 9 years to complete the paintings that aggrandize Gonzaga and his family. y 1st completely consistent illusionistic decoration of an entire room – similar to 2nd Style Roman painting found in , but Mantegna’s trompe l’oeil (French, “deceives the eye”) went further. y Integrated real and painted architectural elements on the walls and ceiling; a precursor to 17th centuryyq decoration. ƒPeacock is an attribute of Juno, ’s Cue Card bride, who oversees lawful marriages. ƒ1st perspective of a ceiling seen from below di sotto in su (Italian, “from below upward”). The viewer becomes the viewed as figures look down from the painted (eye). •Painted in a room that was used as a bedroom and a reception room •Room is a cube in shape, “doomed” with an illusionistically painted central panel •Oculus contains two groups of women leaning over a balustrade around an opening to the sky , many looking down at viewer •Unsettling imagery in the bird posed overhead, the flower pot only supported by thddikhe round wooden stick •Dramatically foreshortened angels seen from the front and back, resting their feet ANDREA MANTEGNA, Camera Picta on the painted ledges (Painted Chamber), Palazzo DucaleDucale,, Mantua, Italy, 1465–1474. Fresco, 8’ 9”in diameter. ƒ tempered with artistic license – size of feet are reduced. ƒHarsh, sharp lines convey theme’s corrosive emotion. ƒIn Mantegna’s gifted hands, all of Quattrocento serves the purpose of devotion.

ANDREA MANTEGNA, Lamentation over the Dead Christ, Cue Card Foreshortened Christ, ca. 1500. Tempera on canvas, 2’ 3” x 2’ 8” Renaissance Discussion Questions Create a Presentation and answer the following questions. Make sure to include the images.

GENDER ROLES and RELATIONSHIPS: EARLY ITALIAN RENAISSANCE: (Paintings by Sandro Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio) ACTIVITES and REVIEW Analyze both how and why the female figure is idealized in these works. How do these images crea te d duri ng the earl y Itali an Rena issance differ from the dep ic tion o f women during the earlier Romanesque and Gothic periods? Historians have often associated this painting with a wedding. How does this work allude to the role gender plays in love and marriage during the early Italian Renaissance? HUMANISM and the CLASSICAL : EARLY ITALIAN RENAISSANCE (Donatello and Early Renaissance Sculpture) ACTIVITIES and REVIEW Who created these works? Discuss some possible exppyplanations for why this sculptor returned to the as a source of inspiration in the creation of these works. Who created this statue and where was it orig inally believ ed to hav e been located? Discuss probable reasons the sculptor had in fashioning this Biblical subject in accordance with a revived classical tradition. Discussion Questions

™ What are the primary stylistic achievements of 15th- century Italian artists? How do these traits reflect a change in man's view of spirituality and the emergence of Humanism? ™ Do important political families today patronize as during the Renaissance? Why or why not? Can you cite examples?