Italian Renaissance Test Review

A. Early Renaissance

1. Sacrifice of Isaac  Sculpted as by Ghiberti  A sample piece for a competition to create doors for the baptistery of San Giovanni (the Duomo) in Florence  Ghiberti also created the Gates of Paradise.  The nudity of Isaac reflects the rising interest in humanism.

2. Medici as patrons  Donatello  Verrochio  Botticelli

3. Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden  Painted by Masaccio in the Brancacci Chapel  Narrative is taken from the Old Testament of the Bible

4. Tribute Money  Painted by Masaccio in the Brancacci Chapel  Part of a series on the life of Saint Peter  Masaccio used continuous narration to convey the biblical narrative

5. Four Crowned Saints (Quattro Santi Coronati)  Sculpted by Nanni di Banco for a niche in Or San Michele  Commissioned by the stone masons guild in Florence

6. Equestrian statue of Gattamelata  Sculpted in bronze by Donatello  Portrait of a famous Italian condotierre (warlord)  Influenced by the Equestrian statue of Marcus Aurelius  Demonstrates the interest that 15th century Europeans had in being remembered  Verrocchio, another Florentine artist, also created a famous equestrian portrait

7. Battle of the Ten Nudes  An engraving by Pollaiuollo  Demonstrates the artist’s interest in human anatomy  Bodies are rendered ecorche

8. Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to Saint Peter  Painted by Perguino on a side wall of the Sistine Chapel  Reinforces the authority of the pope  Created at a time in which Rome was becoming the center of the Renaissance

9. Oculus from Camera degli Sposi  Painted by Andrea Mantegna  Commissioned by Ludovico Gonzaga of Mantua  First di sotto in su (below upwards) scene  Illusionistic devices include use of perspective and grisaille

10. Brunelleschi  Discovered the rules of linear perspective  Designed the cupola (dome) for San Giovanni Cathedral (the Duomo) in Florence

11. Palazzo Rucellai  Florentine palace for the Rucellai family  Alberti designed its façade  The use of different architectural orders on three levels and round arches reflects the influence of the Roman Colosseum.

12. Sant’Andrea  Church in Mantua designed by Alberti  Commissioned by the Gonzaga family  Contains classical features as round arches, pilasters, and a pediment  Inspired by Roman triumphal arches  Alberti also wrote books on painting, sculpture, and architecture.

B. High Renaissance

1. Cartoon for Virgin and Child with Saint Anne  Drawn by Leonardo da Vinci  A cartoon is a preliminary sketch before creating a final painting.  Leonardo also painted The Virgin of the Rocks

2. Julius II as patron  Commissioned the building of New Saint Peter’s by Bramante  Commissioned the painting of the Sistine Chapel ceiling by Michelangelo  Commissioned the painting of the Stanza della Segnatura by Raphael

3. New Saint Peter’s  Initiated by Pope Julius II  Bramante was the original architect on the project  Envisioned a central plan for the new church

4. David  Sculpted by Michelangelo  Symbol of Florence  Originally placed outside the Palazzo Vecchio (town hall) and was a focal point of the town square

5. Moses  Sculpted by Michelangelo  Centerpiece of Julius II’s tomb

6. Sistine Chapel ceiling  Fresco-cycle painted by Michelangelo  Commissioned by Pope Julius II  Demonstrates Michelangelo’s interest in the human body  Narrative of central scenes is drawn from the Book of Genesis (first book of Bible, part of Old Testament)

7. School of Athens  Painted by Raphael in the Stanza della Segnatura, the library of the papal apartments  Collection of the greatest minds of learning and philosophy  Background architecture resembles Bramante’s design for New Saint Peter’s  Raphael’s inclusion of portraits of great artistic geniuses of his time in the guise of philosophers was intended to raise the status of artists.  Amazing understanding of linear perspective – the evolution of pictorial science  Raphael is also renowned for painting several versions the Madonna and Child.

8. Venetian painting  In Italy, Venetian painters were the pioneers of oil painting.  Venetian paintings often have rich, lustrous colors. Expressive color often takes higher priority than linear detail.  When the paintings are not of a religious nature, the subject matter of Venetian paintings can be sensuous.

9. San Zaccaria altarpiece  Painted by Giovanni Bellini, father of Venetian painting  Contains a sacra conversazione

10. Giorgione  Mysterious painter who died young  Famous for his pastoral scenes as well as scenes of sensuous nudes  Painted The Tempest, Pastoral Symphony, and Sleeping Venus, an early recumbent nude

11. Pastoral Symphony  Painted in oil by Giorgione  A sensual painting that be an allegory representing music and creativity  Influenced the painter Manet’s Luncheon in the Grass

12. Bacchus and Ariadne  Painted by Titian  Based on a classical poem  Sensuality and use of color are typical of Venetian painting

13. Villa Rotonda  House in the Venetian countryside designed by Palladio  Influenced by the Pantheon in Rome  Building influenced Chiswick House and Monticello  Palladio is famous for his designs of villas.  Palladio also wrote books on architecture.

C. Additional content 1. Arena Chapel  Fresco cycle on the life of Mary and Christ  Painted by Giotto  Interest in portraying realistic figures in an illusionistic space influenced later artists

2. Artists and their teachers  Leonardo and Verrocchio  Michelangelo and Ghirlandaio  Raphael and Perugino

3. Linear perspective  Orthogonal lines – real and imaginary lines that lead to a vanishing point when using linear perspective

4. Artists who painted recumbent nudes  Giorgione  Titian  Manet

5. Isabella d’Este  Greatest female patron of the arts during the Renaissance  Commissioned work by Leonardo and Titian