Renaissance and High Renaissance

The Brancacci Chapel (1424-1427 AD)

• Patron: Felice Brancacci a silk merchant and diplomat

• Artists: Masaccio, Masolino, and Filippo Lippi

• episodes from life of Saint Peter

The Brancacci Chapel: Tribute Money

• artist: Masaccio

• Fresco

• Linear perspective and atmospheric perspective

• simultaneous narrative

• Renaissance clothing and architecture

• Contrapasso of Jesus and Peter

• Landscape improved perspective and vanishing point on Jesus

• Halos are like hats

• 32 days to make it

Madonna and Child with Angels, Florence (1460-1465)

• artist: Fra Filippo Lippi

• tempera on wood panel

• realistic

• Mary does not hold Jesus, angels hold him while she prays

• one angel interacts with viewer

• Jesus’ arm cuts off one angel

• see-through halos and veil

• humanity/dependence of Jesus

• details in contemporary clothing

• Mary and Jesus look past each other

• Angels are playful while Mary and Jesus are somber

"Primavera” 1482

• Botticelli

• Altarpiece

• Tempera on Wood Panel

• very large

• Venus/Mary as subject

• Foliage halo

• Distinguishes reason/faith (a light depiction of Mercury and Graces) from lust/violence (a dark depiction of North Wind and Nymph turned goddess)

• Likely commissioned for a wedding

High Renaissance (1495-1520 AD)

• cluster of extraordinary geniuses (LEONARDO, RAPHAEL, MICHELANGELO) they all worked in Rome

• visual art raised to status of poetry

• leading artistic centers of Florence and Rome

Tempietto, Bramante, 1502

• Bramante

• developed plan of a centrally-planned church in the Renaissance

• where St. Peter was crucified presumably

• ideal geometry/proportion

• geometry linked to the Divine —> way of portraying perfection

martyrium

shrine to a Christian martyr

New Saint Peter’s Basilica: Chronology

• 1503-1513 : Pope Julius II was a patron of Bramante, Raphael, Michelangelo, and many others; he wanted Pope to be greater than Emperors!

• 1506: established Vatican Museums and initiated rebuilding of the 4th century Old St. Peter’s

  • Began with Bramante, then work passed through many architects including Michelangelo (under Pope Paul III)

  • Originally intended to be a Greek Cross without a long nave…but that changed

    • Michelangelo added portico and collossal order

    • Ogival Dome instead of Hemispherical Dome

oil paint

medium in which pigments are suspended in linseed or walnut oil; it is slow-drying but very durable when dry; offers effects of both transparency and brilliant color

poesia

a term describing “poetic” art, notably Venetian Renaissance painting, which emphasizes the lyrical and sensual

The Tempest, 1509-1510, Venice

• artist: Giorgione

• example of oil painting and poesia

• hard to say what’s going on…who the subject is

Pastoral Symphony 1501-1511, Venice

• artist: Titian

• oil on canvas, another example of poesia 

• colorito

• glazing

• hard to interpret…

colorito

characteristic of the application of paint of 16th century Venetian artists who emphasized application as an important element of the creative process

glazing

application of successive, thin layers, semi-transparent that are applied over a color to alter it slightly

Bacchus and Ariadne, 1522-1523, Farrara (South of Venice)

• artist: Titian

• oil on canvas

• patron: Alfonso d’Este

• ultramarine

ultramarine

a brilliant deep blue pigment obtained from lapis lazuli; was the most expensive oil pigment