Introduction to the Italian High Renaissance 1495-1520

1. Introduction to the Italian High Renaissance1495-1520

2. What is the “High Renaissance?” • High point, mastery or culmination of 15th century innovations. • Higher prestige of artists • Men no longer made things, they created like God did. • Wrote books on their ideas, thoughts.

3. How was man “elevated” during the High Renaissance? • Elevated status of artists through patronage , even if from poor background, cult of celebrity • Biographies - Vasari • Scientific thought, inventions • Exploration outward, upward • Humanism placed man as equal to God.

4. Moving Away from Manual Labor • Painting, sculpture, architecture became viewed as a “liberal” (intellectual) art, not solely manual labor. • Education was needed to do the job well. • Mathematics (triangular composition) • Technique • Classical culture, literature, philosophy etc. Artists were seen as geniuses, inspired by divine intervention.

5. The Classics Continue in Italy • Nude heroes in marble • Perspective • Mythological applications • Architectural elements (arches, domes, Classical buildings as inspiration)

6. Going Beyond the Greeks • High Renaissance artists wanted to advance beyond the Classical artists/architects. • Excel beyond what had been done • Build on earlier achievements.

7. Saying Farewell to Florence • High Renaissance art moved away from Florence because…. • Other city states wanted to compete with Medici’s, lured artists to them. • Monk Savonarola preached immorality against art in Florence, threatened the apocalypse. • Encouraged bonfire of the vanities • Medici’s fled Florence • Later, Savonarola was burned at the stake by Pope Rodrigo Borgia (Alexander VI)

8. Relocating to Rome • The High Renaissance took place mainly in Rome and partly in Venice. • Inspiration from Classical antiquity. • Availability of Classical texts. • Stability from Italian wars • Protection, patronage by the Popes.

9. Papal Patronage • 16th century Popes came from wealthy families. • Continued amassing art as a status symbol. • Employed private artists • Used art as propaganda for papal authority. • Competed to leave a visual mark from their papacy.

10. A Pretty Papal Penny • Popes frequently requested money to rebuild/revamp/redecorate St. Peter’s. • Lavish sculpture • Chapel paintings • Papal tombs • Renewed visual power of church from time of Constantine. • Spending and greed later led to the Protestant Reformation.

11. The Italian High Renaissance • Cinquecento: 1500’s • Heavily inspired by work of Masaccio • Began in Florence • All 3 great masters began there: • Da Vinci • Michelangelo • Raphael • (not Donatello!)

12. Leonardo Da Vinci • Apprentice to Verrochio in Florence (Gattamelata) • True Renaissance man-multitalented • Loved heights and birds, obsessed with flight. • Very short attention span, rarely finished anything before moving on to something else. • Frustrated his hands could not match what his mind saw • Less than 20 works actually survive • Encouraged view of artists as geniuses.

13. An Obsession with Science • Da Vinci believed art was impossible without studying the sciences. • Unquenchable thirst for knowledge, understanding which he believed made him a better painter. • Human anatomy, especially optics • Geometry • Physics • Zoology • Botany • Mathematics

15. Giving Man Wings, Closer to God

16. Reviving Vitruvius • Vitruvius: Ancient Roman architect, engineer • Equated ideal man with geometric proportions (circles and squares) • “For if a man be placed flat on his back, with his hands and feet extended, and a pair of compasses centered at his navel, the fingers and toes of his two hands and feet will touch the circumference….and just as the human body yields a circular outline, so too a square figure may be found…For if we measure the distance from the soles to the top of the head, the breadth of the arms will be the same measurement as the height.

17. The Vitruvian Man

18. A Preference for Painting • Da Vinci’s studies gave him a passion for painting. • Geometric, triangular composition of perfect proportions • Implementation of perspective • Humanistic principals • Not as interested in mythology or archaeology as others.

19. The Painter’s Purpose • “A good painter has two chief objects to paint-man and the intention of his soul”. The former is easy, the latter is hard, for it must be expressed by gestures and the movement of the limbs….a painting will only be wonderful for the beholder by making that which is not so appear raised and detached from the wall.” • Da Vinci first introduced the idea of the sitter’s psychology within the work. • Look for this in Da Vinci’s paintings!

20. Da Vinci’s Developments • Aerial Perspective: • Based on optical studies • Gave a more realistic appearance to depth • Uses the color blue to show depth • Sfumato: “Smokey” • Using smoky grays to blur edges between objects • Lines disappear, view is “misty” • Less noticeable transition between light and dark • Chiaroscuro: “Light to Dark” • Invented by Ancient Greeks, brought back by Masaccio • Light to dark shadowing gives realism • Spotlights important figures in the painting.

21. Sfumato & Chiaroscuro

22. Moving on to Milan • 1481: Da Vinci left instability of Florence to work for the Sforza family of Milan. • Created urban design for the city • Engineered walls, reinforcements. • Was commissioned by churches, families to do work while in Florence.

23. Madonna of the Rocks, 1483 • *Immaculate Conception monastery • Contracted to be Virgin and child with angles, Da Vinci added John the Baptist for balance. • *Pyramidal figure group: becomes standard of High Renaissance painting. • *Influence of Masacccio • Chiaroscuro • Sfumato

25. Last Supper, 1495-1498 • *Refectory (eating hall) of Santa Maria della Grazie (an abbey) • Modern setting, past event • Commissioned by Duke Sforza • Captures human behavior and emotion of the moment. • Multiple pyramid configurations • Judas on the same side of table as Jesus holding bag of coins with John and Peter.

27. Fresco Wasn’t His Favorite • Fresco required too much quick movement for Da Vinci. • Not enough time for shading. • Attempted to use a new type of paint blending oil and tempera which didn’t stay. • Restored in 1999 after the building was used as a stable and destroyed partially in WWII.

29. Secretive Symbolism • Da Vinci uses symbolism in a secretive way, appearing as part of the natural setting.For example… • Why 3 windows in the picture? • Is John really Mary Magdalene? • Where does the perspective really point to?

30. From Milan to Mona Lisa • 1500: Da Vinci returned to Florence • Began the Mona (Italian contraction for ‘my lady’) Lisa • No one special, probably Lisa Gherardini del Giocondo • No display of wealth, even jewelry • Techniques characteristic of Da Vinci (pyramidal shape, sfumato, chiaroscuro, etc)

31. The Psychology Behind the Smile: What questions come into your head?

32. The Mysterious Mona Lisa • Da Vinci brings psychology into art through this painting. • What is she smiling about? • Wait…..is she smiling? • What is she looking at? • Is she looking at me? • Is she judging me? • Why is she smiling?!

33. Michelangelo • Born to a poor family that claimed nobility in Florence. • Berated by his parents for wanting to be an artist. • Apprenticed by Ghirlandaio • “Discovered” by the Medici, inspired by their love of Classical mythology. • Child prodigy at age 13.

34. Michelangelo and Mythology • Based many religious figures on mythological sculpture. • Highly influenced by Hellenistic sculpture. • Figures appear heroically muscular, even women • Strong energy and emotion.

35. Michelangelo’s Method • “The greatest artist has no conception that a single block of marble does not potentially contain within its mass, but only a hand obedient to the mind can penetrate this image.” • Preferred sculpture to painting. • Trusted the instinct of the artists • Sculpture existed within the rock, he just needed to use the right tools to “free it”, making him like God. • Michelangelo liked to be called the “Divine” because of his creations.

36. The Pieta, 1498 (age 23) • Tomb monument for a Cardinal in St. Peter’s Basilica. • Not a popular subject for Italian artists. • Sculpted for light to appear radiating from the body. • Meant for a frontal view to see the expressions, tensions, sweetness. • Signed by Michelangelo across the strap of her dress (he snuck in at night to do it).

37. What tensions/contrasts do you see? • Tense muscles vs. serene faces • From womb to tomb • Life and death

38. The David, 1501-1504 • Commissioned for Florence Cathedral, later moved to city square. • Meant to represent little Florence fighting against bigger enemies (France, Spain) • Classical Greek influence • Tension: Relaxed face, muscles poised for fight. • Preparing for fight as opposed to victory afterwards. (Like Donatello)

39. Pope Julius II (1503-1513)“The Warrior Pope” • Used military strength like Julius Caesar to expand Papal realm. • Great enemy of Rodrigo Borgia (Pope Alexander VI) • Helped France to invade Italy to depose the Pope. • Employed art as propaganda • Enforce Papal authority • Display power of the Church • Redo Rome and the Vatican to the glory of Constantine’s days.

40. Moses for Julius II1513-1515 • Commissioned for Pope Julius II’s tomb, but never fully completed due to lack of funding after 40 years. • Originally planned to include over 40 statues. • Moses is central figure • Highly influenced by Hellenistic Greece • Architecture and sculpture combined for the first time. • Plans not used for the sculpture were later used on the Sistine Chapel ceiling.

42. The Sistine Chapel Ceiling • Commissioned by Julius II, initially for tromp l’oeil coffers, later adding 12 apostles. • Chapel walls already contained work by Botticelli, Perugino, Ghirlandaio, Signorelli. (Quatrecento artists) • Took Michelangelo 4 years to complete in the room where new Popes are elected.

43. The Majesty of Michelangelo • After arguing over the design, M’ received permission to paint what he wanted. • Tromp l’oiel marble, including a cornice, like a classical temple. • Grisaille statues of heroic, nude young men called Ignudi. • Nine compartments contain scenes from Genesis, from creation to the flood beginning at the alter. • 8 triangular spandrels over windows have paintings of ancestors of Jesus.

44. Paranoia Over the Papal Project? • Rumor has it that Bramante and Raphael encouraged Michelangelo to do the ceiling, knowing fresco wasn’t his specialty, thinking he would fail and be disgraced. • Is this true? Did Raphael and Bramante fail to sabotage Michelangelo? • Or…. • Was this all in the manic-depressive mind of Michelangelo?

45. Acorns? That’s just nuts!  • 300 figures are on the ceiling, none in the same position or expression. • Acorns often appear, the symbol of the dellaRovere family (“of the oak”)

48. Michelangelo’s Poetry • I've already grown a goiter from this torture, hunched up here like a cat in Lombardy(or anywhere else where the stagnant water's poison). My stomach's squashed under my chin, my beard's pointing at heaven, my brain's crushed in a casket, my breast twists like a harpy's. My brush,above me all the time, dribbles paintso my face makes a fine floor for droppings! • My haunches are grinding into my guts,my poor *** (donkey) strains to work as a counterweight, every gesture I make is blind and aimless. My skin hangs loose below me, my spine's all knotted from folding over itself.I'm bent taut as a Syrian bow. • Because I'm stuck like this, my thoughts are crazy, perfidious tripe:anyone shoots badly through a crooked blowpipe. • My painting is dead.Defend it for me, Giovanni, protect my honor. I am not in the right place—I am not a painter.

49. The Creation of Adam • First moment of human consciousness • Eve appears under the arm of God • Strongly shows humanism of Renaissance • Adam is on equal plane with God • Adam is childlike, innocent in expression