Renaissance Art History Midterm Terms -

Saint John the Baptist

baptized jesus and others, preached repentance, forerunner of christ, patron saint of Florence

Romanesque

"Roman-like." art style, 10th-12th C.

Basilica

a large oblong hall or building with double colonnades and a semicircular apse, used in ancient Rome as a court of law or for public assemblies.

Monastic orders

A religious lifestyle in which the man separates himself from ordinary human society in order to dedicate himself to God;

franciscan orders vs. dominican orders

both mendicant orders

Franciscan - St. Francis of Assisi, begging, poverty, no physical possessions (living like christ did), serving communities

Dominican - St. Dominic, preaching, teaching, combating heresy, education

Relic/Reliquary

Relics: The body parts, clothing, or objects associated with a holy figure

Reliquary: A container for holding relics.

Martyr

A person who is killed because of their religious or other beliefs

Popolos

middle class people

elites

land owning, noble families

Usury and Indulgences

usury - the practice of charging excessive interest on loans, which was often condemned by the Church

indulgences - certificates sold by the Church during the Renaissance, offering the remission of punishment for sins

Requiem Mass

mass for the dead

Italo-Byzantine Style

medieval paintings produced in Italy under heavy influence from Byzantine art, flat gold backgrounds and stylized figures with little emotional representation

St. Francis of Assisi

Italian saint who founded the Franciscan order of friars; treated all creatures, including animals, as spiritual brothers and sisters; born to wealthy merchant family and willingly gave up a life of comfort

Stigmata

Phenomenon in which a person bears all or some of the wounds of Christ in their own body.

St. Dominic de Guzman

founded the Dominicans; stressed missionary work among common people; active in preaching and fighting heresy

St. Thomas Aquinas

helped bridge faith and reason, emphasizing the importance of classical philosophy,

Summa Theologica

omprehensive work of theology written by St. Thomas Aquinas in the 13th century, explores the relationship between faith, reason, and the natural world, offering a framework for understanding human nature and divine creation

Heresy

a disagreement with the current Christian doctrine

Chapter house

a building next to a church used for meetings

Black Death

outbreak of bubonic plague starting in 1348

Trinity

Father, Son, Holy Spirit

Memento mori

an object serving as a warning or reminder of death, such as a skull

chiaroscuro

light and shade in drawing and painting creating depth

One-Point Linear Perspective

a perspective system with a single vanishing point on the horizon

Horizon Line

implied line on a two-dimensional surface to represent the place in nature where the sky meets the horizontal land or water plane.

vanishing point

the point at which receding parallel lines viewed in perspective appear to converge.

Orthogonal Lines

Lines on an object that lead to the vanishing point (vertical)

Transversals

The horizontal lines in a linear perspective drawing

guild ("arte")

an association of artists, craftsmen, or merchants grouped together by trade

Arte del Calimala

the guild of merchants who traded in imported wool and textiles, was one of the greater guilds of Florence

rilievo schiacciato

a technique of low relief sculpture where figures or scenes are carved so shallowly into the surface that they almost appear flat. (EX. competition panels)

predella

lower, often horizontal section of an altarpiece. It typically features a series of smaller panels or scenes that complement the main central panel above it

Contrapposto

pose used in sculpture where a figure's weight is shifted onto one leg, causing the body to naturally tilt and creating a sense of balance and movement (EX. sassy david by donetello)

all'antica

the style of art that imitates or is inspired by ancient Greek and Roman art and architecture (EX. Michelangelo's Bacchus)

quatrefoil

decorative shape with four rounded or lobed sections, often resembling a four-leaf clover, influenced by gothic art

lost-wax technique

method of casting metal sculptures. First, an artist creates a model of the sculpture in wax. Then, the wax model is covered with a mold, and the wax is melted and "lost" by heating the mold. Finally, molten metal is poured into the mold to create the sculpture (EX. Donatello's, David)

gilding

the process of applying gold leaf or gold paint.

foreshortening

technique used to create the illusion of an object or figure appearing to recede or project into space, making it look shorter than it actually is

campanilismo

local pride or strong attachment to one's own town or city

Filippo Brunelleschi (1377-1446)

Renaissance artist: Architect who designed the dome of the cathedral in Florence (the Duomo), formulated an approach to linear perspective in painting that continued in use through the 19th century, loser of the competition panels

Donatello (1386-1466)

Italian sculptor who made major innovations to art in the 15th century and shaped the Renaissance, creator of sassy david

Cosimo the Elder de' Medici, de facto ruler from 1436 to 1464

As a wealthy banker and patron of the arts, he played a crucial role in the flourishing of Renaissance culture, he helped stabilize Florence politically and strengthened the Medici family's power

Pater Patriae

"Father of the Fatherland," was an honorary title given to individuals who were seen as the protectors and benefactors of their country... *title given to Cosimo de' Medici

Pietra Serena

A gray Tuscan sandstone used in florentine architecture

Pietra Forte

strong blocks (lower Medici palace), looks impenetrable

Rustication

Heavy stonework with a surface left rough, or with deeply channelled joints, used principally on Renaissance buildings

Porphyry

Purple marble, now extinct. found inside the Journey of the Magi

Sacra Conversazione

"holy conversation" (EX. in San Marco Altarpiece, the saints around Mary & Jesus are all seen in conversation)