Michelangelo's Medici Chapel May Contain Hidden Symbols of Female Anatomy 4 April 2017

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Michelangelo's Medici Chapel may contain hidden symbols of female anatomy 4 April 2017 "This study provides a previously unavailable interpretation of one of Michelangelo's major works, and will certainly interest those who are passionate about the history of anatomy," said Dr. Deivis de Campos, lead author of the Clinical Anatomy article. Another recent analysis by Dr. de Campos and his colleagues revealed similar hidden symbols in Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel. More information: Deivis de Campos et al, Pagan symbols associated with the female anatomy in the Medici Chapel by Michelangelo Buonarroti, Clinical Anatomy (2017). DOI: 10.1002/ca.22882 Highlight showing the sides of the tombs containing the bull/ram skulls, spheres/circles linked by cords and the shell (A). Note the similarity of the skull and horns to the Provided by Wiley uterus and fallopian tubes, respectively (B). The shell contained in image A clearly resembles the shell contained in Sandro Botticelli's "The Birth of Venus" (1483), Galleria degli Uffizi, Florence, Italy (C). Image B of the uterus and adnexa from Netter's Atlas of Human Anatomy with permission Philadelphia: Elsevier. Credit: Clinical Anatomy Michelangelo often surreptitiously inserted pagan symbols into his works of art, many of them possibly associated with anatomical representations. A new analysis suggests that Michelangelo may have concealed symbols associated with female anatomy within his famous work in the Medici Chapel. For example, the sides of tombs in the chapel depict bull/ram skulls and horns with similarity to the uterus and fallopian tubes, respectively. Numerous studies have offered interpretations of the link between anatomical figures and hidden symbols in works of art not only by Michelangelo but also by other Renaissance artists. 1 / 2 APA citation: Michelangelo's Medici Chapel may contain hidden symbols of female anatomy (2017, April 4) retrieved 2 October 2021 from https://phys.org/news/2017-04-michelangelo-medici-chapel-hidden- female.html This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only. 2 / 2 Powered by TCPDF (www.tcpdf.org).

Copy Link

Recommended publications

The Art of Italy June 5Th -26Th
The IPFW Department of Fine Arts 2016 Study Abroad Program The Art of Italy June 5th -26th In our 14th year of Study Abroad travel, the IPFW Department of Fine Arts is excited to an- nounce its 2016 program, The Art of Italy. After flying to Rome, we will tour the city that is home to such wonders as the Colosseum and Forum, the Vatican Museum with its Sistine Chapel, and the Borghese Palace, full of beautiful sculptures by Bernini and paintings by Caravaggio. Outside of Rome, we will visit the ancient Roman site of Ostia Antica; on an- other day we will journey to the unique hill town of Orvieto, site of one of the most beautiful cathedrals in Italy and the evocative frescos of Luca Signorelli. We will next stay in Venice, one of the most unique cities in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage site. While there, we will tour the Doge’s Palace and the Academia Museum which displays paintings by such masters as Veronese and Giorgione. From Venice we will travel to Padua and view the ground breaking frescos of Giotto in the Arena Chapel as well as visit the pilgrimage church of Saint Anthony. Lastly, while residing in Florence, travelers will understand why this city was the epicenter of the Italian Renaissance. Art venues will include the Uffizi The beautiful Doge’s Palace and St. Mark’s Bell Tower seen Museum holding paintings such as Botticelli’s Birth of from the lagoon of Venice. Venus, the Academia Museum with Michelangelo’s David, and the impressive Pitti Palace and Gardens.
[Show full text]
500 Years of the New Sacristy: Michelangelo in the Medici Chapel
Petr Barenboim, Arthur Heath 500 YEARS OF THE NEW SACRISTY MICHEL 500 YEARS OF THE NEW SACRIST NEW THE OF YEARS 500 P etr Bar etr enboim ANGEL ( with Arthur Heath) Arthur with O IN THE MEDICI CHAPEL MEDICI THE IN O Y: The Moscow Florentine Society Petr Barenboim (with Arthur Heath) 500 YEARS OF THE NEW SACRISTY: MICHELANGELO IN THE MEDICI CHAPEL Moscow LOOM 2019 ISBN 978-5-906072-42-9 Illustrations: Photo by Sergei Shiyan 2-29,31-35, 45, 53-54; Photomontage by Alexander Zakharov 41; Wikimedia 1, 30, 35-36, 38-40, 42-44, 46-48, 50-52,57-60; The Museum of Oriental Art, Moscow 55-56 Cover design and composition Maria Mironova Barenboim Petr, Heath Arthur 500 years of the New Sacristy: Michelangelo in the Medici Chapel. Moscow, LOOM, 2019. — 152 p. ISBN 978-5-906072-42-9 Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564) сriticism and interpretation. San Lorenzo Church (Florence, Italy) — Sagrestia Nuova, Medici. Dedicated to Professor Edith Balas In Lieu of a Preface: The Captive Spirit1 by Pavel Muratov (1881– 1950) Un pur esprit s’accroît sous l’écorce des pierres. Gerard de Nerval, Vers dores2 In the New Sacristy of San Lorenzo, in front of the Mi- chelangelo tombs, one can experience the most pure and fiery touch of art that a human being ever has the opportunity to ex- perience. All the forces with which art affects the human soul have become united here: the importance and depth of the con- ception, the genius of imagination, the grandeur of the images, and the perfection of execution.
[Show full text]
Visualizing Dynasty and Dissent in Jacopo Pontormo's Portrait Of
Visualizing dynasty and dissent in Jacopo Pontormo’s Portrait of Cosimo il Vecchio Mary Hogan Camp Figure 1 Pontormo, Portrait of Cosimo il Vecchio, c. 1519, oil on panel, 90 x 72 cm Uffizi Gallery (inv. 1890, n. 3574), Florence. Photograph courtesy of Wikimedia Commons (Public Domain) The Portrait of Cosimo il Vecchio, c. 1519, marked the first Medicean portrait commission for the rising young Florentine artist Jacopo Pontormo (b.1494). [Figure1] It proved pivotal in his career, garnering him the favour and patronage of the Medici, who would continue to give him commissions and eventually place him on their payroll, where he remained for over twenty-four years until his death in 1556.1 At the time this commission was given, however, there was no such future surety: the family was facing a crisis, and the survival of the Medici line was in grave doubt. In 1516, Duke Giuliano de’ Medici, the youngest son of Lorenzo the Magnificent and ruler of Florence, had died childless at the age of thirty-seven. In 1519, his twenty-six-year-old nephew and successor, Duke Lorenzo, succumbed to a combination of syphilis and tuberculosis just twenty-one days after the birth of his only daughter Catherine. Their unexpected deaths left the family with no legitimate heir to power. There was one 1 Elizabeth Pilliod, Pontormo, Bronzino, Allori: a genealogy of Florentine art, New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001, 17. Journal of Art Historiography Number 17 December 2017 Mary Hogan Camp Visualizing dynasty and dissent in Jacopo Pontormo’s Portrait of Cosimo il Vecchio glimmer of hope, and of a hoped-for change in fortune: the birth of a healthy son to Maria Salviati, granddaughter of Lorenzo the Magnificent, on 12 June 1519, only one month after Duke Lorenzo’s death.
[Show full text]
FLORENCE Streets Athousandtalesofthepast:Medievaldyers Coloured Evokes Woolin Eve Beinghurledoutofparadise
© Lonely Planet Publications 92 lonelyplanet.com FLORENCE •• History 93 FLORENCE FLORENCE HISTORY and tact in dealing with artists saw the likes of Florence’s history stretches to the time of the Alberti, Brunelleschi, Luca della Robbia, Fra Florence Etruscans, who based themselves in Fiesole. Angelico, Donatello and Filippo Lippi flourish FLORENCE FLORENCE Julius Caesar founded the Roman colony of under his patronage. Florentia around 59 BC, making it a strate- In 1439 the Church Council of Florence, gic garrison on the narrowest crossing of the aimed at reconciling the Catholic and East- Arno so he could control the Via Flaminia ern churches, brought to the city Byzantine Return time and again and you still won’t see it all. Stand on a bridge over the Arno several linking Rome to northern Italy and Gaul. scholars and craftsmen, who they hoped After the collapse of the Roman Empire, would impart the knowledge and culture of times in a day, and the light, the mood and the view change every time. Surprisingly small Florence fell to invading Goths, followed by classical antiquity. The Council, attended as it is, this city is like no other. Cradle of the Renaissance and of the masses of globe- Lombards and Franks. The year AD 1000 by the pope, achieved nothing in the end, trotting tourists who flock here to feast on world-class art and extraordinary architecture, marked a crucial turning point in the city’s but it did influence what was later known as Florence (Firenze) is magnetic, romantic, unrivalled and too busy. A visit here is madness, fortunes when Margrave Ugo of Tuscany the Renaissance.
[Show full text]
The Evolution of the Medici Portrait: from Business to Politics
THE EVOLUTION OF THE MEDICI PORTRAIT: FROM BUSINESS TO POLITICS A Thesis Submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies College of Arts and Sciences of John Carroll University in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts By Mark J. Danford Spring, 2013 This thesis of Mark Danford is hereby accepted ________________________________________ ____________________ Reader – Dr. Edward Olszewski Date ________________________________________ ____________________ Reader – Dr. Brenda Wirkus Date ________________________________________ ____________________ Advisor – Dr. Linda Koch Date I certify that this is the original document ________________________________________ ____________________ Author – Mark J. Danford Date Acknowledgements There are many people I would like to thank for their encouragement and support during my graduate studies. I would like to thank the following people at John Carroll University: Dr. William Francis Ryan for introducing me to the Humanities Program; Dr. Brenda Wirkus for advising me and working with my hectic schedule so that I could complete my studies; and Dr. Linda Koch for providing me with an excellent foundation in the field of Art History as well as taking the extra time out of her schedule in order to be my thesis advisor. I would also like to thank Dr. Edward Olszewski from Case Western Reserve University for agreeing to be an additional reader of my thesis and offering his expertise concerning Florence and the Medici. I would like to thank the following people for making my research a little easier and offering me access to the curatorial files in their respective institutions: Andrea Mall from Registration at the Toledo Museum of Art; Anne Halpern from the Department of Curatorial Records at the National Gallery of Art; and Jennifer Vanim from the department of European Painting & Sculpture before 1900 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
[Show full text]
La Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana: Hope Within the Inferno of a Tormented Man's Mind Alyssa Grace James University of Colorado Boulder, [email protected]
University of Colorado, Boulder CU Scholar Undergraduate Honors Theses Honors Program Fall 2015 La Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana: Hope Within the Inferno of a Tormented Man's Mind Alyssa Grace James University of Colorado Boulder, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://scholar.colorado.edu/honr_theses Part of the Ancient, Medieval, Renaissance and Baroque Art and Architecture Commons Recommended Citation James, Alyssa Grace, "La Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana: Hope Within the Inferno of a Tormented Man's Mind" (2015). Undergraduate Honors Theses. Paper 984. This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by Honors Program at CU Scholar. It has been accepted for inclusion in Undergraduate Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of CU Scholar. For more information, please contact [email protected]. La Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana Hope Within the Inferno of a Tormented Man’s Mind by Alyssa James A thesis submitted for graduation with honors from the department of Art & Art History University of Colorado at Boulder Defended on November 2nd, 2015 Thesis Advisor Robert Nauman | Art & Art History Committee Members Jason Potter | Philosophy Kirk Ambrose | Art & Art History 1 Table of Contents Abstract…………………………………………………………………..………..………………3 Chapter I: Introduction…………………………………………………..………………..……….4 Chapter II: The Laurentian Library…………….……...………………..……...…………...……18 Chapter III: Arguments…………………………………………………………………………..32 Chapter IV: Convergence.……………………………………………………………………….55 Chapter V: Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………..62 Bibliography……………………………………………………………………………………..64 List of Images……………………………………………………………………………………66 2 Abstract Michelangelo Buonarroti is an immediately striking figure within history. His talent seemingly had no end, as he stretched from sculpture to architecture and everything in between. The works he created were beautiful and captivating, capturing the imagination of his contemporaries and modern viewers alike.
[Show full text]
The Santissima Annunziata of Florence, Medici Portraits, and the Counter Reformation in Italy
THE SANTISSIMA ANNUNZIATA OF FLORENCE, MEDICI PORTRAITS, AND THE COUNTER REFORMATION IN ITALY by Bernice Ida Maria Iarocci A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Department of Art University of Toronto © Copyright by Bernice Iarocci 2015 THE SANTISSIMA ANNUNZIATA OF FLORENCE, MEDICI PORTRAITS, AND THE COUNTER REFORMATION IN ITALY Bernice Ida Maria Iarocci Doctor of Philosophy Department of Art University of Toronto 2015 A defining feature of the Counter-Reformation period is the new impetus given to the material expression of devotion to sacred images and relics. There are nonetheless few scholarly studies that look deeply into the shrines of venerated images, as they were renovated or decorated anew during this period. This dissertation investigates an image cult that experienced a particularly rich elaboration during the Counter-Reformation – that of the miracle-working fresco called the Nunziata, located in the Servite church of the Santissima Annunziata in Florence. By the end of the fifteenth century, the Nunziata had become the primary sacred image in the city of Florence and one of the most venerated Marian cults in Italy. My investigation spans around 1580 to 1650, and includes texts related to the sacred fresco, copies made after it, votives, and other additions made within and around its shrine. I address various components of the cult that carry meanings of civic importance; nonetheless, one of its crucial characteristics is that it partook of general agendas belonging to the Counter- Reformation movement. That is, it would be myopic to remain within a strictly local scope when considering this period.
[Show full text]
MICHELANGELO: Los Angeles/Italy Professor Frank ARTH 373 Fall 2013/14 Course Description This Course Is Designed As an I
MICHELANGELO: Los Angeles/Italy Professor Frank ARTH 373 Fall 2013/14 Course Description This course is designed as an introduction to the life and work of Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475-1564). We will investigate his painting, sculpture and architecture, while considering its context within the major urban cultural centers in which he worked: Florence and Rome. The course will proceed chronologically, but will vary from week to week as to relevant themes and methodological approaches to the career of arguably the most influential of all Renaissance artists. Among those topics to be examined during the course are: development and dissolution of a classical vocabulary; relationships between style and technique; art, biography and self promotion; the relationship between Christianity and sexuality for Michelangelo and the Cinquecento; patronage and context in Florence and Rome; the development of classical form; meaning and controversy in the cleaned Sistine Chapel Ceiling. Course Outcomes Students in this course should have a good understanding of the relationship between the cultural, political and artistic context that Michelangelo was a part of and how this affected his art. Changing geographic locations and differences in patronage also should be clearly understood throughout this course. How Michelangelo’s visual expression is related to his poetry should also be clear. The evolution of his style from about 1480 until his death is 1564 should also be clearly understood. Finally, the role that Vasari’s writing has in establishing Michelangelo’s reputation, should be understood. Course Requirements Paramount to the successful completion of this course is attendance at each lecture. The development of the materials in this class derives from the weekly lectures: you will be lost if you rely only on the reading.
[Show full text]
Creating a 3D Archive of His Sculptures Using Laser Scanning Marc Levoy Computer Science Department Stanford University
The Digital Michelangelo Project: creating a 3D archive of his sculptures using laser scanning Marc Levoy Computer Science Department Stanford University March 16, 1999 Introduction Recent improvements in laser rangefinder technology, together with algorithms developed at Stanford for combining multiple range and color images, allow us to reliably and accurately digitize the external shape and reflectance of many physical objects. As an application of this technology, we have embarked on a multi-year project to create a high-quality 3D computer archive of the sculptures and architecture of Michelangelo. As of this writing, we have scanned the David, the Unfinished Slaves, and the St. Matthew, all located in the Galleria dell'Accademia in Florence. In the coming weeks we will scan the statues and architecture of Michelangelo's Medici Chapel, also in Florence. The goals of this project are scholarly and educational. Our sponsors are Stanford University, Interval Research Corporation, and the Paul G. Allen Foundation for the Arts. In this talk, I will outline the motivations, technical challenges, and possible outcomes of this project. Hardware From a technological standpoint, the Digital Michelangelo Project contains two components: a collection of 3D scanners and a suite of software for processing range and color data. Our principal scanner is a laser triangulation rangefinder and motorized gantry, built to our specifications by Cyberware Inc. and customized for scanning large statues. The scanner consists of a low-powered laser, range camera, white light source, and high-resolution color camera. The laser and range camera permit digitization of 3D points with a Z-resolution of 0.1mm, an X-Y sample spacing of 0.25mm, and a standoff from the statue of 112cm.
[Show full text]
Art in Italy April 17-24, 2012 Plan Your Arrival in Florence, Italy for April 16 Plan Your Departure from Venice, Italy for April 25
Art in Italy April 17-24, 2012 Plan your arrival in Florence, Italy for April 16 Plan your departure from Venice, Italy for April 25 Join award-winning art educator Amy Osaki for an exploration of the art treasures of Italy in April 2012. Immerse yourself in the Medieval and Renaissance splendor of Florence and Venice, the gem cities of Tuscany and the Veneto. Explore the renowned hill town of Siena. Experience the art of Donatello, Giotto, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi, Fra Angelico, Titian, Rubens, Raphael, and Piero della Francesca. Savor the great art repositories of the Uffizi, Bargello, Pitti Palace, and the Accademia. And throughout the trip, revel in the joys of being in Italy in the springtime. In addition to an unforgettable immersion into the art of Italy, images of the Ponte Vecchio reflected in the waters of the Arno River and gondolas on the canals of Venice add sparkle to this art adventure. Day 1 Overnight in Florence Dinner included Begin your art feast at the symbol of Florence, the cathedral (“Duomo”) with its dome designed by Brunelleschi. Located in the centro storico (“historic center”) the cathedral (officially the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore) is the core of Renaissance and Medieval Florence. Climb up the stairs of the bell tower, visit the dome, and go inside the Baptistery (featuring Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise) and the Museo dell’Opera del Duomo (containing Donatello’s Mary Magdalene). This afternoon, continue exploring the art masterpieces of Florence. In the area of Florence’s central market, contemplate Michaelangelo’s mannerist Medici Chapel at Brunelleschi’s early Renaissance church of San Lorenzo.
[Show full text]
Michelangelo: a New Approach to His Genius
MICHELANGELO: A NEW APPROACH TO HIS GENIUS By John Goldsmith Phillips Associate Curator of Renaissance and Modern Art Michelangelo's great sculptures are universally a painting and a relief sculpture are composed familiar. Casually enough, we have come to from one point of view only, the composition accept them as part of our common heritage, of a sculpture in the round is developed from like the air we breathe. The great figure of innumerable points of view. In their present Moses from the Julius Tomb holds no more position, therefore, many of Michelangelo's novelty for us than do the Ten Command- freestanding figures tend to lose their intrinsic ments that the Lawgiver holds in his right character and to assume some of the attributes hand. But despite this universal recognition, of relief carving, with the walls supplying the recent scholarship has made many new discov- background. And although some of these mas- eries which deepen our understanding of terpieces were given their present positions by Michelangelo's chief works. Michelangelo himself, there is, clearly enough, Ready aids in renewing our affection for far more to them than meets the eye. these masterpieces are the reproductions-pho- One could wish that more of Michelangelo's tographs and casts-which enable those of us statues were, like the monumental David, so who cannot see the originals with our own eyes placed that they might be fully appreciated as still to have a fairly accurate visual image of sculptures in the round. Yet actually those as- them. And since Michelangelo's sculptures are pects of the master's art which, by the nature frequently so placed and lighted that a close of their architectural settings, have always examination is not possible, such reproduc- been concealed are no longer denied us.
[Show full text]
Michelangelo's 'David'" Human Studies 10, No
©COPYRIGHT by Joshua Kamins 2015 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 1 In the room the women come and go Talking of Michelangelo. –T.S. Eliot. 2 AMONG THE PROPHETS: MICHELANGELO’S DAVID. BY Joshua Kamins ABSTRACT This thesis argues that Michelangelo employed the grammar of the Cathedral and Prophet program in the making of his David with particular reference to Lorenzo Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise, Donatello’s Jeremiah, Nanni di Banco’s Isaiah, and Assumption of the Virgin above the Porta della Mandorla. Emphasizing Christological prophecy as the lynchpin of the overall sculptural program, it likewise applies humanist and Christian exegesis in order to reposition the David into its intended religious context. Raised on top of the Duomo, the David would have embodied the ancestral bloodline—emanating from the Tree of Jesse, carried through the womb of the Virgin Mary, and culminating in the incarnation of Christ. The incarnation—prophesied by Jeremiah, Isaiah, and the Minor Prophets—fulfills the thematic program—both in form and in hermeneutics—of the sculptural ensemble gracing the cathedral and baptistery architectural complex. The tree-stump is considered crucial to the istoria of Michelangelo’s David, akin to the importance of Goliath’s head in previous depictions of David; here it symbolizes the genealogy of Christ as derivative of the Davidic bloodline. Moreover, the employment of masculinity studies and the philosophies of Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari lends new insight into the interconnectedness between the David, the viewer, and site. 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This project would not have been possible without the advice of Dr. Kim Butler and Joanne Allen.
[Show full text]