The Early Renaissance
Art Appreciation 153
Instructor: Heidi Lung Learning Objectives:
Identify the key artists and techniques that characterize early Renaissance art and architectural theory.
Understand the political, cultural, and economic climate for a Renaissance to begin.
Describe the role and influence of patrons.
Explain the relationship of science, humanism, and artistic production. What is the Renaissance?
The word Renaissance = “rebirth”
In history as well as art history, the renaissance is a time of a great revival of art, literature, and learning.
Origins are traced to Florence, Italy in the early 14th century and expand to the rest of Europe by the 17th century.
The Renaissance marks the transition from the medieval to the modern world. Setting the Stage
A number of political, economic, and cultural changes take place prior to the Renaissance.
Political Power Shift
The rift between two political factions, the Guelphs (supported the pope in Rome), and the Ghibellines (supported the Holy Roman Emperor).
These factions often exasperated the rivalry between Florence and Siena that often erupted in war.
After a century of warfare, political power shifted to Florence. This was a major factor in Florence become an economic powerhouse. The Guilds
Guilds exerted considerable influence upon the governments of the city-states within Europe.
Guilds were made up of associations of workers, some which had existed since the sixth century and were strong throughout the middle ages.
Guilds set standards of work and prices and protected workers and families.
Seven major guilds included: judges and lawyers, woolen cloth manufacturers, wool refiners, silk workers, furriers, physicians, and bankers. Looking to the Past Classical Greek and Roman art presented the human form in an idealized, yet naturalistic style.
Even after the decline of Rome, classical works of art persisted in the Italian peninsula, yet they were overshadowed by the rise of Christianity and the Byzantine style which focused on a less naturalistic human form and often represented figures in a stylized, two dimensional mosaic and sculpture relief. Nudes prevalent in Classical sculpture are nonexistent in Byzantine Christian art.
The Gothic movement in art was not prevalent in Italy until the 14th century with the most innovative artists inspired by Classical examples. Transition from Gothic to the Early Renaissance Style Cimabue was one of the first artists to break away from the Italo-Byzantine style.
Although he relied on Byzantine models, Cimabue depicted the Madonna's massive throne as receding into space.
Cimabue is considered not Renaissance but not Byzantine.
Watch the short video located in the video folder or use the link here: Cimabue Video
CIMABUE Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets 1280–1290, 12’ 7” X 7’ 4” Tempera and gold leaf on wood Uffizi Gallery, Florence Giotto 1267-1337
Giotto displaced the Byzantine style in Italian painting and revived the naturalism of classical art.
His figures have substance, dimensionality, and bulk and give the illusion that they throw shadows.
Born near Florence, Giotto is generally considered the first in a line of great artists who originated the Italian Renaissance. Artist Cimabue recognized Giotto’s artistic talent when he was a young boy and took him as an apprentice.
GIOTTO DI BONDONE Giotto is not considered early renaissance, Madonna Enthroned, 1310 but he has broken with the Byzantine art Tempera and gold leaf on wood and has moved painting closer to Early 10’ 8” X 6’ 8” Renaissance painting. Quiz for Unit 6: Compare and Contrast
CIMABUE GIOTTO DI BONDONE Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets Madonna Enthroned, 1310 1280–1290, 12’ 7” X 7’ 4” Tempera and gold leaf on wood Tempera and gold leaf on wood 10’ 8” X 6’ 8” Giotto Grandfather to the Renaissance Initiating a return to visual realism, Giotto almost single-handedly created the Renaissance style of painting.
In the Lamentation he shows us how the scene may have really looked.
The figures have mass, they are weighted to the ground, they are in proportion to each other, and in a natural setting.
They express real human emotion – Giotto, Lamentation, 1305, we empathize with them in their Fresco, Arena Chapel sorrow. The Renaissance: The Beginning of Modern Painting After Giotto, we are exposed to the innovations of the Renaissance. There are four major breakthroughs in art that are often easily taken for granted.
1. Oil on Stretched Canvas: The change from tempera paint on wood panels and fresco on plaster walls to oil on stretched canvas. Minerals were ground fine, mixed with turpentine and oil and applied to a canvas as paint. To learn more about how artists create the oil color visit:
Pigments Through the Ages website http://www.webexhibits.org/pigments/intro/history.html Four major breakthroughs during the Renaissance:
2. Perspective: The illusion of depth on a flat surface. Linear perspective gave the illusion of objects receding in the distance through lines that appear to converge at a single point in the picture known as the “vanishing point”.
Luciano Laurana, View of and Ideal City (page 69 in your text) 1470 Four major breakthroughs during the Renaissance:
3. Use of Light and Shadow: Chiaroscuro (key arrow SKEWR o) which means “light/dark” in Italian.
This technique of modeling forms in paintings with some areas darker and others lighter gives the illusion of roundness and depth.
Andrea Mantegna, Foreshortened Christ, page 280 1500, Tempera on canvas 2’ 2 3/4” X 2’ 7 7/8” Four major breakthroughs during the Renaissance:
4. Pyramid Configuration: Placing figures in a pyramidal grid assists the artist in focusing the viewers gaze.
Fra Filippo Lippi, page 281 Madonna and Child with Angels 1455, Tempera on wood, approx 2’ 11 1/2" X 2’ 1” Baptistery Competition
Florence Cathedral, 1401
This event is one most art historians associate with the early Renaissance. Watch the short video in the unit folder for more information. Brunelleschi's entry in the Lorenzo Ghiberti, In contrast to competition to create new bronze Brunelleschi's panel, Ghiberti's entry in the doors for the Florentine baptistery baptistery competition features gracefully shows a frantic angel about to halt an posed figures that recall classical statuary. emotional, lunging Abraham clothed Even Isaac's altar has a Roman acanthus in swirling Gothic robes. frieze. Ghiberti’s design won the competition.
In addition to the Classical references, dramatic design and artistic skill, Ghiberti’s design was lighter and more cost effective.
Watch the video about the competition from your Video folder.
Masaccio, 1401-28 (ma SAHT chee oh)
• His Holy Trinity is considered the first example of one point linear perspective.
• The first since Giotto not to paint the human form as if it had weight and not as a linear column.
• Vasari said “Masaccio made his figures stand upon their feet”.
• His Holy Trinity is the premier early-15th- century example of the application of mathematics to pictorial organization in Brunelleschi's new science of linear perspective.
Masaccio, Holy Trinity, Santa Maria Novella, Florence, Italy, 1424–1427(not in your book) Donatello, 1386-1466
• Greatest sculptor of the early Renaissance (NOT a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle).
• His work recaptured the Classical sculpture and possesses the sensuous beauty of nude Greek gods. The revival of classical statuary style appealed to the sculptor's patrons, the Medici.
• Contrapposto, or weight shift with weight of the body on one leg and the rest of the body relaxed.
• His David is the first freestanding nude since classical sculpture and was created for the Medici’s private home setting. David, 1440–1460, p279 Botticelli, 1444-1510
• Botticelli (bought tee CHEL lee)
• Laid the groundwork for three dimensional realism.
• Botticelli epitomized Renaissance themes by using Classical mythology as subject matter for his paintings.
• Birth of Venus marks the “rebirth” Birth of Venus, 1482, Uffizi, Florence, page 282 of Classical mythology. To be continued next week with the High Renaissance.