Week 2: Late Medieval Italy

MIDTERM 1 is based on Week 1 - Week 8

Facts to know before hand:

• Christian art, which was initially influenced
  by the illusionary quality of classical art,
  started to move away from naturalistic
  representation and instead pushed toward
  abstraction.
  • Artists began to abandon classical artistic
  conventions like shading, modeling and
  perspective conventions that make the
  image appear more real. They no longer
  observed details in nature to record them in
  paint, bronze, marble, or mosaic.
  • Instead, artists favored flat representations
  of people, animals and objects that only
  looked nominally like their subjects in real
  life.
  • These abstracted images removed at least
  some of the temptations for idolatry.
  

Renaissance Period c. 1400 - 1600

• Renaissance in the Birth of Venus (1485 - 86)

• Sandro Botticelli is looking back to classical (Greco-Roman) culture

Pisa Baptistery, Pisa (Italy)

• Garden

• Tower

• People would be baptized here

Baptistery Pulpit:

• Artist: Nicola Pisano

• Inside the Pisa Baptistery Pulpit

• c. 1259 - 1260

• Continuation of medieval artistic traditions

• Continuation of classical artistic traditions as well

• Mid 13th century: Pisa as popular city for artist seeking lucrative commissions

• Has references to classical and gospel art, resembles a Roman Coffin

• man resembles Hercules, which is a symbol of fortitude ( a Christian value)

Annunciation, Nativity, Adoration of the Shepherds:

• Nicola Pisano

• Pisa, Italy

• c. 1259 - 1260

• Three scenes:

  • the Annunciation, Nativity, and Annunciation to the Shepherds

  • the Adoration of the Magi

  • the Crucifixion and the Last Judgement

Nativity and Annunciation to the Shepherds:

• Giovanni Pisano: the son of Nicola Pisano

• Pisa, Italy

• c. 1302-1310

• Giovanni was originally hated for this piece, they deemed his art as too clustered

• His piece is more expressive

• This work was meant to be seen from the ground on up and not face front

Saint Francis Altarpiece

• Bonaventura Berlinghieri

• c. 1235

• Tempera on wood

• Byzantine Influence:

  • fully frontal figures

  • gold background

  • flattened, 2D feel

  • Maniera Greca style

• St Francis:

  • 1226: died

  • 1228: canonized

  • 1235: died

Altarpieces:

• pinnacles: near the top with a painting inside, kind of round

• Side panels: typically 2 paintings on the left and right

• Roundels: small under the pinnacles, small circle painting on the inside

• pilasters: on the side, thin

• Pilaster bases: at the bottom

• Predella: above the predella

City State:

• Political entities

• the city is the center of the government

• revolved around the city

Florence vs. Siena Skinny Tower

• bell tower

• gov officials work there

• the two are rivals city states

Duccio vs. Giotto vs. Cimabue

Duccio: c. 1285 - 86

Giotto: c. 1300 - 05

Cimabie: c. 1290 - 1300

• not everyone could get close to the altars

• all paintings look quite similar

• angels on the side

• Mary holding baby Jesus

• the prophets who predicted Jesus’s birth below

• Mary wearing royal blue with a halo around her

• Blue paint was expensive, it came from Afghanistan, showing how diverse the trade is

• Inspired by Byzantine Art

• Mary is not fully facing the front

• more shading and details occurs as the years go on

• all have the same frame shape which is inspired by Greek & Roman Churches

• These types of paintings are called “The Enthroned Madonna”

Cimabue: Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets

• c. 1280 - 1290

• Santa Trinta, Florence, Italy

• Cimabue was the teacher of Giotto

• He was one of the first artists to depart from maniera greca style

• Byzantine influence, but experimentation with deoth too

• striving for a closer approximation of the natural world

• Used gold striations to show lines

• commissioned by a confraternity: a religious brotherhood of lay ppl

• Jesus holding a scroll to show prophets were right about Jesus’ birth

• Tooled Gold: pretty patterns in the background

• Ducio uses light and shadow for folds

• He uses gold striations for folds

Giotto: The Ognissanti Madonna and Child Enthroned

• c. 1306 - 1310

• tempera on panel

• uses modeling of color for folds, also known as chiaroscuro

• it was commissioned by the Humiliati, a religious order, and wool merchants in Florence

• this piece was so popular that it got copied

Piertto Lorenzetti: Birth of the Virgin

• c. 1335 - 1342

• Altar of St. Savinus, Siena Cathedral

• Tempera on panel

• He was a student of Giotto

• this story is not found in the Bible

• tritepct (three pieces)

• takes place in a room/ a wealthy house

• based on Italian house

• references to Gothic architecture windows and frames

• feels more 3D or realistic

• two women helped Anne (the mom)

• woman holding Sienna Italy Flag

• dad surprised after being told his wife had a baby

International Gothic

• style of European courts changed

• Really elegant era

Annunciation with St. Margaret and St. Ansanus:

• Artists: Simone Martini and Lippo Memmi

• c. 1333

• Tempera on panel, gold background

• SM made the center, LM made the two sides

• shows the wealth

• Angel speaking to Mary saying she’s gonna have Jesus

• You can see the words

• Halo has texture

• Dove symbolizes the Holy Spirit

• Seraphim: highest ranking angels

• Angel offering flowers to show peace

• Lily’s show Mary’s purity

• Details of Gabriel (angel) imitates silk

• 4 prophets holding scrolls

• silk fragment: influenced by silks from China, Byzantium, and Islamic countries of the Middle East