MEDIEVAL TO RENAISSANCE IN ITALIAN ART

Medieval Architecture: Early Christian Basilica (St. Peter’s, Rome)
                   Romanesque (Italy: Florence San Miniato al Monte)   vs
         Gothic Cathedrals: Chartres,  flying buttresses, rib vaulting

RENAISSANCE Art History: early accounts
16th C  Giorgio Vasari, Lives of the Artists 1550   
               starts with Giotto, late 13th C ends with
                Michaelangelo seen as culmination of Renaissance art

16th C  Giorgio Vasari, Lives of the Artists 1550
              starts with Giotto, late 13th C ends with
               Michaelangelo, culmination of Ren art

19th C  Jakob Burckhardt, Swiss art historian,,
         Civilization of the Renaissance in Italy 1860
        Renaissance era:  “discovery of the world and of man”
        Contrast of Renaissance art with medieval styles:  
               Gothic in northern Europe (Notre Dame de Paris, Chartres)
                Byzantine in Italy: Ravenna and
                                     Venice (maniera byzantina)

   Major themes of Renaissance art:
                   Naturalism: realistic depiciton of natural world
                   Classicism: imitation of Roman art and architecture
                   Linear perspective: 14th C. rediscovery of mathematics of perspective
                                    ( Roman art shows some intuitive understand of perspective))
                  Social position of artist: from artisan to virtuoso (Leonardo & Michaelangelo)

******************************************************************************************

EARLY RENAISSANCE naturalism, emotion, individual portraits

 PAINTING: Agnolo Gaddi, 14th C.
                “Giotto translated painting from Greek (i.e. Byzantine) into Latin”

   GIOTTO DA BONDONE (1277-1337)
                Padua: Arena Chapel (Scrovegni family) -- scenes (storie) of Christ’s life
                                 Meeting at Golden Gate (Anna & Joachim),
                                 Betrayal of Judas, Crucifixion, Lamentation
                Church of San Francesco, Assisi: scenes from life of St. Francis
                Bardi & Peruzzi Chapels, Santa Croce, Florence: funeral, stigmatization

   MASSACCIO (1401-1428) fresco paintings: emotion, naturalism, perspective:
                Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence
                         Adam & Eve, Expulsion from Eden, 1425; St. Peter Healing with his shadow
               Santa Maria Novella, Florence: Holy Trinity with Madonna & donor, 1428
                          early example of single point perspective in painting
                         depiction of three dimensional space on two dimensional surface

 SCULPTURE human anatomy, first free standing sculptures since antiquity
          DONATELLO (1386-1466) Florence, patrons: commune & Cosimo di Medici
              1440 David: first free standing nude statue of Renaissance
              1454 Padua: Gattamelata: equestrian bronze (condottieri = mercenary captain)

******************************************************************************************

ARCHITECTURE FLORENCE

1) Baptistery Doors: San Giovanni (St John the Baptist)
                  All originally designed for east door facing cathedral, but moved around later
14th C. Andrea da Pisano 1330-1336: first set of doors, now the south doors

LORENZO GHIBERTI
15th C. Ghiberti’s doors 1401 wins competition against Brunelleschi
                                                            each submits panel of sacrifice of Isaac
                                             1424 north doors installed; given second commision for
                                             1452 east doors -- called  "Gates of Paradise" by Michelangelo
BE SURE TO SEE:
** March-April 4: Seattle Art Museum has three original panels from these doors
                               on display: Adam & Eve, Esau & Jacob, David & Goliath.
                               After this, panels only on display in Florentine musuem Opera del Duomo

2) FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI (1377-1446)   
1401           loses competition for baptistery doors  to Ghiberti  
1402  -1412  trip to Rome with Donatello; studies Roman domes, especially
                        the Pantheon (only free-standing dome surviving from antiquity)

1419 Ospedale degli Innocenti  (Foundling Hospital): for abandoned babies of unwed mothers
1430’s   Florence: Dome of Cathedral, Santa Maria del Fiore
                  Brunelleschi wins contest to build first free standing dome since antiquity
                        based on his study of Roman pantheon, fallen domes in Rome

******************************************************************************************

RENAISSANCE PAINTING : late 15-early 16th C.:
                                   patrons: Medici, Sforza, Popes, French King    

GHIRLANDAIO, Sassetti Chapel, Santa Trinita, Florence
                       Adoration of the Shepherds, 1485: Corinthian architectural setting

SANDRO BOTTICELLI (1444-1510) Primavera, Birth of Venus, Medici Nativity

ROME: POPE SIXTUS IV DELLA ROVERE (1471-84) famous for 1) nepotism,
          2) building projects: Sistine Chapel, Ponte Sisto for Jubilee Year of 1475
          painting by Melozzo da Forli, Sixtus IV and his nephews 1477
                       inaugurating new head of Vatican Library, with nephews including
                        Cardinal Giuliano della Rovere (later Pope Julius II)

  LEONARDO DA VINCI ( 1451-1519)
            Virgin of the Rocks (chiaroscuro: ligtht/dark contrast)
            Anne, Mary and Christ; Last Supper; La Giocanda (Mona Lisa)

  RAPHAEL (14830-1520) patronage of Julius II in Rome
                                Madonnas; Vatican: School of Athens, Disputation of Holy Sacrament

  MICHELANGELO (1475-1564)
                           Florence: David 1501 for commune; later Medici tombs
                           Rome: tomb of Julius II, Sistine Chapel, Moses, Pieta
                                                1534 Last Judgment (for Paul III Farnese Pope)
                           Architecture: plan for new St. Peter's Church, redesign of Capitoline hill