CH 38 - Fifteenth-Century Renaissance Art in Florence

humanism (renaissance)

re-emergence of the idea of ____________, which is based on ancient Greek discussions about how humans can better themselves through education and a moral code of conduct rather than succumb to lower, animalistic instincts and irrational thought.

one-point linear perspective

a version of linear perspective in which there is only one vanishing point in the composition

(all lines are going to a central point where the artist wants you to focus)

- 1st formulated by Filipino Bruneschelli

atmospheric perspective

creating the illusion of depth of space by fading colors and eliminating detail in objects that are further away.

simultaneous narrative

a narrative that illustrates multiple scenes of a story in the same continuous unified panel or painting

(fresco by masaccio, tribute of money - peter is seen talking with christ --> takes $ from a fish's mouth --> gives it to the tax collector)

isocephaly

having the heads of all figures on approximately the same level

chiaroscuro

in two-dimensional artworks, the use of light and dark contrasts to create the impression of volume when modeling three-dimensional objects and figures

quattrocento

literally means "four hundred" in Italian; refers to the 1400s— the fifteenth century, especially in reference to Italian art of this time (the late middle ages and early renaissance).

contrapposto

a style of Greek sculpture where people are depicted standing and leaning so that the person's weight is being put on one side. People are depicted with their bodies curved like an "S"

David (Donatello)

defeats the great warrior Goliath & defeats him with his slingshot and a stone

- 1st freestanding sculpture (bronze)

- contrapposto pose

- courtyard of Medici Palace (1440)

- used as symbol to show civic pride (because he was a underdog that defeated a great warrior)

proto-renaissance (1250-1400)

(describes art of the previous two centuries that anticipates the coming of the renaissance)

- classical art (harmony, balance, sense of proportion)

- more naturalistic/simple (figures have emotional expressions & have a feeling of weight)

- illuminated manuscripts

- stained glass & mosaic art

- has not yet mastered single-point perspective

quattrocento (1400s)

early renaissance; renaissance = "rebirth"

- rebirth in politics, art, culture, politics, society, etc.

- panel paintings and large-scale works like murals & fresco paintings

- oil painting introduced

- realism

- focus on male & female nudes

- trompe l'oeil, foreshortening

- chiarascuro

holy trinity (Masaccio - 1427)

- medium: fresco

- sacra conversazione (“holy conversation”) to this type of composition that shows saints, angels, and sometimes even the painting’s donors in the same pictorial space with the enthroned virgin and child

- despite the name, “no conversation” is taking place

memento mori - a reminder of human mortality

annunciation (fra angelico - 1440)

- commissioned by Cosimo d' Medici

- medium: tempera

- rounded arches

- subtle chiaroscuro (light is illuminating from behind angel Gabriel)

- single-point perspective

"transition out of the gothic style"

gothic style

- features include flying buttresses, pointed arches, ribbed vaulting, gargoyles, and stained glass

- paintings had no spatial awareness

- figures seem to float in the air

- lines did not meet at a vanishing point (caused them to be disproportional)

trompe l'oeil

visual illusion in art, especially as used to trick the eye into perceiving a painted detail as a three-dimensional object

foreshortening

a visual effect in which an object is shortened and turned deeper into the picture plane to give the effect of receding in space

battle of san romano (paolo uccello - 1440)

- tempera on wood

- attempt at linear perspective & foreshortening (all the lances and even a dead body is laying horizontally)

orthogonal lines

lines that lead to the vanishing point when drawing in linear perspective

hercules and antaeus (pollaiuolo - 1475)

pagan - pertaining to the worship or worshipers of any religion that is neither Christian, Jewish, nor Muslim

- in this scene, Hercules is lifting Antaeus off the ground, killing him because he’s separated from the earth

- very dynamic piece made out of bronze

birth of venus (sandro botticelli - 1482)

medium: tempera on canvas

- medici family; commissioned mythological paintings and nude female images who sought to promote humanistic aspirations

- in this piece, it portrays platonic notions of physical love

- pomona is trying to covterm-21er venus with a robe (modesty) while zephyrus who is holding the nymph chloris, blows her to shore

medici family

a very rich Italian banking family. they made their wealthy charging interest on loans they gave. They were huge patrons of the art.

botticelli

one of the leading painters of the Florentine renaissance, developed a highly personal style

- she focused more on lyrical, graceful figures set against a flat background

- known for the birth of venus

Brunelleschi's Dome (1420-1436)

- dad a double shell dome (hollow inside)

- reversible gear pulley system

- herringbone pattern

- series of horizontal and vertical ribs

- solid stone lantern to cap off entire dome.

herringbone pattern

a cross pattern that appears on film that has been placed backward in the mouth; caused by the pattern on the lead foil

pietra serena

a gray tuscan sandstone used extensively in Florentine architecture (to create details)

patrons

people who spent $ to support the arts

classical architecture

- pietra serena molding

- columns

- pilasters

- entablature

savonarola

1452-1498 Franciscan friar in Florence who objected to many of the new attitudes in the Renaissance - saw

them as satanical.

- gained power in Florence in 1494 at a time of Medici weakness and used strict, puritanical rule. Overthrown in 1498 and burned at stake. Medici returned to power but great age of Florence had passed.

Giotto Di Bondone

florentine painter who gave up the stiff Byzantine style and developed a more naturalistic style

byzantine art

styles of painting, design, and architecture developed from the fifth century C.E. in the Byzantine Empire of ancient Eastern Europe

- characterized in architecture by round arches, large domes, and extensive use of mosaic; characterized in painting by formal design, frontal and stylized figures, and rich use of color, especially gold, in generally religious subject matter

iconography

the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these

white lilies

purity, virginity

- used extensively in portraiture depicted the Virgin Mary

red carnations

represents the passion of Christ

- if it's used together with white flowers, it is most likely a religious scene

white dove

holy spirit

- used in religious scenes

wealth

tapestries were often prestigious works of art that often indicated immense ______________