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The frescoes of the San Francesco Chapel in Arezzo 1452-65

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The frescoes of the San Francesco Chapel in Arezzo 1452-65

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    1. The frescoes of the San Francesco Chapel in Arezzo (1452-65) Piero Della Francesca (1452-65)

    2. Chapel, S. Francesco, Arezzo. Frescoes of the Legend of the True Cross. C. 1450’s Commissioned by the Bacci family

    3. The Legend of the True Cross Adam’s death. Branch from tree of life is planted on his grove and will grow into the tree from which the cross will be made

    4. 2. King Solomon plans to use the wood for his palace but it is too large and is made into a bridge across a stream 3. When the Queen of Sheba is visiting Solomon’s court she recognises the holy wood and kneels down to worship it. He has it buried as the prophecy says it will bring an end to his kingdom. [This does not get in the way of the crucifixion]

    5. Legend of True Cross Later still, the emperor Constantine, prior to a battle with Maxentius, dreams that an angel tells him to fight under the sign of a cross.

    6. His mother then searches for the True Cross, buried after the crucifixion, along with those of the 2 thieves. A Jew named Judas knows where and is forced to tell by being threatened with starvation in a dry well. 3 Crosses are then dug up and the True Cross is identified by holding each cross over the corpse in a passing funeral procession

    7. Later the Cross comes into the hands of the Persian emperor Chosroes who attaches it to his throne. The Byzantine emperor Heraclius defeats Chosroes in a great battle and brings the Cross back in triumph to Jerusalem.

    8. Theme of the fresco cycle The true cross = the tree / wood /cross of the crucifixion. Tree of knowledge = man’s original sin. Christ crucified on the cross made from this wood = redeems mankind The triumph of the cross – from Adam’s death to salvation through Christ who was crucified, resurrected and ascended to God Story comes from the Golden legend – popular with Franciscan Church

    9. Patronage & Historical Context - Arezzo Commissioned by the merchant Bacci family for their chapel in the church. Initially they hired another artist Bicci di Lorenzo but he died before he could finish it and Piero took over. The city Arezzo was proud that it converted to Christianity early on. The first bishop of Arezzo was appointed during the reign of Constantine (Constantine is depicted in the fresco) Refers to events of that time, e.g. fall of Byzantine empire and John VIII Paleologus; calls for crusades against Turks [shown in banners, clothing styles]

    10. History of Arezzo and Florence Bitter rivalry between Arezzo and Florence Middle ages: they were constantly at war Aretines were proud and brave people but tended to lose as they were weakened by internal strife In 1385 French invaded Arezzo and sold it for 40,000 Florins to Florence Arezzo was then put under a Florentine governor and became a province of Florence.

    11. Church of San Francesco in Arezzo

    12. Historical background: The Fall of Constantinople Constantinople [originally the Greek colony Byzantium] was the capital of the Roman Empire from 330. It was founded by the Roman Emperor Constantine, and meant ‘Constantine’s city’. Constantine was the 1st Christian Roman Emperor. He stopped religious persecution and proclaimed religious tolerance. Byzantine Constantinople therefore became capital of the Byzantine Christian Empire for 1000 years However, the Turks conquered Constantinople in 1453. This is known as the Fall of Constantinople. Today the city is known as Istanbul and is part of Turkey.

    13. The Crusades Art was important as propaganda for the Crusades. According to the Council of Florence the story of the true cross showed how the Western and Eastern Orthodox churches could be united. 1463: Cardinal Bessarion donated own piece of true cross to Venetian church to get their support for a crusade – but it never happened.

    14. The Crusades

    15. Religious context Franciscan theology The fresco is in the church of San Francesco (St Francis) The True Cross was a traditional subject for the Franciscans St Francis had a vision of Christ crucified and got the stigmata/ He them made the Cross an object of veneration. Prototype was Gaddi’s True Cross Fresco cycle in Florence

    16. Giotto – St Francis receiving Stigmata

    17. Resurrection of Drusiana From Agnolo Gaddi’s 1390 True Cross fresco cycle for Franciscan church Sta Croce, Florence

    18. Layout of the Arezzo chapel fresco cycle

    19. The Death of Adam

    20. Notice the continous narrative. Identify on the slide: the sick Adam (on Right), dead adam (middle) Seth pleading with an angel for a cure [the oil of mercy] the angel giving the seedling of the tree of knowledge to plant on Adam’s grave the nude figure based on a Classical sculpture of Hermes the grieving woman holding her arms out. What shape does her arms make?

    21. Death of Adam, Fresco 1452-65

    22. Discovery of the Wood of the True Cross & Meeting of Solomon and the Queen of Sheba fresco 3.56x7.47m (1452-65) Identify: the grooms with their horses, the queen and her attendants, the holy wood as bridge, Solomon and Sheba. Which figures have been constructed using observation? Which have been constructed using geometry? How has Piero created symmetry in composition? Look at the figures closely.

    23. Use of geometry for figure construction Notice that Piero uses geometry for the important figures (those who see the miracle) – not the grooms who are unaware. Hartt writes of the queen and her ladies in waiting: they are “stately partly due to the carriage of their heads, the coolness of their gaze, and the authority of their gestures, but even more to the simplicity of Piero’s forms and lines. The heads with their plucked foreheads become porcelain spheroids, the long necks conoids; the grand folds of the cloaks descend in parabolic curves.”

    24. Detail The Queen of Sheba meeting Solomon How are these figures typical of Piero? How do they conform to Albertian ideas? How is Solomon’s wisdom and majesty suggested?

    25. The Annunciation This story comes from the Biblical account of Mary being told she would bear the son of God. The annunciation is celebrated on March 25 –as is Adam’s death and the crucifixion. Comment on the Composition Figures– poses, use of foreshortening, size of Mary Iconography e.g. Palm leaf held by angel, angel’s fingers, closed door, God’s presence, prayer book, hanging rope in window above, Mary’s veil, LOCATE THESE ON YOUR IMAGE

    26. The Dream of Constantine

    27. The Dream of Constantine Iconography: which symbol tells us that this is a vision? Figures: what Albertian linking figures can you see? Are the figures aware of the miracle? So who are the only people to witness this? Foreshortening: what evidence is there? Space construction – how is chiaroscuro and geometry used? Light is also used to give a sense of mystery and miracle

    29. Battle of Constantine & Maxentius (aka The Battle of Milvian Bridge) Fresco, 3.29x7.64m Mark Constantine on your image. His peaked hat and beard resemble contemporary figure John VII Paleologus, the last emperor of the Eastern church. (Refers to attempts to unify the church)

    32. Relationship to Context Scene set in hilly countryside of Alta Valle Tiberina around Arezzo rather than Rome (where the Milvian bridge is). This links to Aretine pride that Arezzo was a Roman city and uniquely blessed for having converted to Christianity at an early date

    33. The Finding and Proving of the True Cross. Fresco 3.56 x7.47m

    34. Battle of Heraclius and Chosroes. Fresco, 3.29 xx 7.47m. How does this battle scene compare with the Battle of Constantine and Maxentius?

    35. Detail: Battle of Heraclius

    36. Details

    37. Influence of Geometry Piero’s headwear inventions as it gave him a chance to work with abstracted 3D forms. Also ref to soldiers in battle frescoes.

    38. Summary of Stylistic Features Influence of Classical elements, e.g. figure types, contrapposto, profiles in manner of Roman coins, architecture, Classical sculpture Influence of Alberti – linking figures, architecture Influence of other artists’ fresco cycles, e.g Pisanello’s Palazzo Ducale fresoces and Agnolo Gaddi’s True Cross frescoes Renaissance emphasis on balance, harmony and symmetry in composition and in pairing of scenes Naturalism shown in space and figure construction, use of light and depiction of nature narrative clarity through gesture and expression

    39. Two Renaissance portraits by Pisanello

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