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Renaissance Art. Giotto di Bondone (b. 1267- d.1337). Giotto is mentioned by name in Dante’s inferno (Dante feared history would forget Giotto. Not so! Modern artists often seek inspiration from Giotto)
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Giotto di Bondone (b. 1267- d.1337) • Giotto is mentioned by name in Dante’s inferno (Dante feared history would forget Giotto. Not so! Modern artists often seek inspiration from Giotto) • In common with other artists of his day, Giotto lacked the technical knowledge of anatomy and perspective that later painters learned. • But, he possessed a grasp of human emotion and what was significant in human life • He created compelling pictures of people under stress, of people caught up in crises and soul searching decisions.
Giotto (1267-1337) Crucifix* Christ is depicted as a real man and in a more natural pose.* Use of chiaroscuro (technique of using light and shad)
Donatello (b. 1386- d.1466) • Master of sculpture in bronze and marble • Patrons often found him hard to deal with because he demanded a measure of artistic freedom in a day when artists’ working conditions were regulated by guild rules • He was a connoisseur of ancient art
DonatelloDavid and Goliath(1440s) * 62.5 inches tall* The first unsupported standing work in bronze cast since classical times* This statue originally belonged to Cosimo de Medici* Created a sensation due to its portrayal of a nude young male* The effeminately depicted David has a mysterious smileon his face.
Sandro Botticelli (1445-1510)* Early Renaissance painter* Worked for the great families of Florence, especially the de Medicis* Tried to reconcile classical and Christian views in his works* With the expulsion of the de Medicis from Florence in the 1490s by the fanatic monk Savonarola, his works reflected an intense religious devotion.
Botticelli: Adoration of the Magi • Contains the likenesses of the Medici family (though not commissioned by the Medicis) • The scene is a ruined classical temple building • It was considered to be the symbol of the destruction of the heathen world by Christ’s arrival
Botticelli: Birth of Venus • Venus was the Roman Goddess of Love • Based on the myth that Venus was born of the waves of the sea • Pagan in nature, at a time when most artworks depicted Roman Catholic themes • Surprising that this painting escaped the flames of Savonarola’s bonfires – when other works of Botticelli perished.
Botticelli: Madonna of the Pomegranate • Note the similarity between the face of the Virgin in this painting, and the face of Venus in Birth of Venus. • Meaning of Pomegranate: the wealth of seeds convey the fullness of Christ’s suffering • The beginning of the prayer of the rosary – a prayer created in the 15th c. – is embroidered on the angel’s sleeve. Ave Grazia Plena (Hail Mary, full of grace)
Raphael • Master painter and architect of the Italian High Renaissance • Best known for his Madonnas and his large figure compositions in the Vatican
Raphael: School of Athens* A depiction of philosophy* Figures represent each subject that must be mastered in order to hold a true philosophic debate (astronomy, geometry, arithmetic)* Plato and Aristotle are at the top steps* Man leaning on the block is Michelangelo (who Raphael added later after viewing the Michelangelo’s work in the Sistine Chapel)* Raphael painted himself into the artwork* A fresco
Massico (c. 1401-1427) • First great painter of the Italian Renaissance • His innovations in the use of scientific perspective inaugurated the modern era in painting. • Was influenced by Giotto, but more strongly influenced by Brunelleschi and Donatello, two of his contemporaries.
Massacio: The Holy Trinity* A fresco* Executed in perfect perspective
Leonard da Vinci (b. 1452 – d. 1519) • Considered to be one of the greatest painters of all time • Has been described as the archetype of the “Renaissance man” • He was an artist, engineer, anatomist, physiologist, and more • He conceived of ideas vastly ahead of his own time
Leonardo da Vinci Lady with an Ermine* Uses geometric proportions* Ermine is a symbol of chastity* Ironic that the subject was a mistress to the Duke of Milan
Michelangelo Buonarroti (b. 1475 – d. 1564) • Italian Renaissance sculptor, painter, architect and poet. • Like da Vinci, his rival and fellow Florentine, he is a contender for the title of archetypal Renaissance man. • Sculpted David as a model of heroic courage in the hope that Florentines would be alert and mobilize to confront outside threats
Michelangelo: Sistine Chapel* He was reluctant to do it because his passion was sculpting and he did not consider himself a painter
Hieronymus Bosch (1450-1516)The Garden of Earthly Delights* A Dutch painter* Many of his works depict sin and human moral failings* His works contain complex, highly original, imaginative, and dense use of symbolic figures and iconography.* He is said to have been an inspiration to the surrealist movement of the 20th century
Bosch: Ship of Fools* Bosch is imagining that we are all fools traveling the seas of time on a ship
El Greco (b. 1541 – d. 1614) • From Crete (El Greco means “The Greek”) • Painter, sculptor and architect who settled in Spain and is regarded as the first great genius of the Spanish School.
El GrecoAdoration of the Shepherds* Places great emphasison the expression of emotions and gestures* Makes remarkable use of light
Jan Van Eyck (b. 1385 – d. 1441) • Flemish (Belgian) painter • Achieved new and remarkable effects in oil painting • Van Eyck, like most painters, signed and dated his paintings on the frames – as the two were painted at the same time. • An exception to the above rule is his celebrated Arnolfini Portrait – one of his masterpieces.
Jan Van Eyck Arnolfino Wedding* He signed his name above the mirror in this portrait – “Jan Van Eyck was here”* Small dog is a symbol of fertility* Mirror reflects the witnesses* Lighting
Holbein the Younger (b. 1497 – d. 1543) • German painter, draftsman and designer renowned for the precise rendering of his drawings and the compelling realism of his portraits – particularly those recording the court of King Henry VIII of England. • His The Ambassadors was presented as a “picture with a secret” – in line with a custom that was to become common, especially in Germany.
Holbein the Younger Amassadors* The objects and details depict the private and political career of the subjects.* Do you see the secret?
Pieter Bruegel the Younger(b. 1497 – d. 1543) • Flemish artist • Concentrated on scenes from peasant life • A kind of “wedding crasher” in his day.