Midterm Terms

Cimabue VIRGIN AND CHILD ENTHRONED v.s. GIOTTO VIRGIN AND CHILD ENTHRONED

- Giotto was Cimabue's student, considered the first Renaissance artist
- developed improved, more realistic sense of depth
- smoother brush strokes
- all gazes are drawn towards Mary and baby Jesus
- humanist influence, Mary is looking out of the image at the viewer

fresco

- artists paint directly onto walls by applying wet plaster/stucco, working in small sections to adhere the painting to the wall
- have to work fast as the plaster dries quickly
- famous examples include The Last Supper
- Giotto using them with his new artistic techniques helped to popularize the medium

Pucelle THE KISS OF JUDAS and THE ANNUNCIATION

- book of hours for very devout people to follow prayers throughout the day
- due to black plague, people stayed at home and literacy went on the rise, increasing demand for personal religious texts
- books made page by page by monks, very expensive so only wealthy people had them
- was made for queen Jeanne d' Evreux who is depicted reading the book of hours within the book of hours, shows that great devotion can allow her to have religious visions that will deliver her into the great stories of Christianity
- grisaille - greyscale for the most part

15th cen Italy, Brunelleschi and Ghiberti each did SACRIFICE OF ISACC

- baptistry by Florence Cathedral used for wealthy people to have their ceremonies
- had contest for metal artists to design a decoration plate for the door
- two finalists were Brunelleschi and Ghiberti, both had to depict sacrifice of isacc in their own style
- brunelleschi shows all components in final scene of the story while ghiberti makes a collage of several scenes throughout the story
- ghiberti won but brunelleschi goes on to figure out how to repair the Duomo (dome on top of the cathedral)

15th cen Italy, Brunelleschi DOME OF FLORENCE CATHEDRAL (DUOMO)

- Florence Cathedral originally built in 1300s, florentine architecture shows innovation as well as gothic elements
- for 100yrs, couldn't figure out how to build the dome, kept collapsing, left it open
- brunelleschi finishes dome in 16 years, works with Donatello to learn more about architecture after a few failed attempts
- figure out they can't put round dome on existing octagonal base and they need a way to distribute dome weight evenly, settle on two nesting domes with beams between them, inner dome is perfectly round, rib vaults bordering each section evenly distribute weight

15th cen Italy, Masaccio TRINITY WITH THE VIRGIN

- Masaccio was florence artist, one of the early greats of the renaissance
- build off of Giotto's techniques of depth, also had a good sense of light on and movement of figures, able to realistically render a 3D image in a 2D plane
- humanist infleunce, Mary looking out at the viewer and pointing to Christ to say that he is the way and such, eye contact brings viewer into the piece and makes them a part of the scene
- started working on viewing points, invented and used one-point perspective, points of view, and lines of sight
- fresco
- husband and wife donors included, very pious to have this vision of the crucifixion
- skeleton at the bottom is momento moriri, reminder that death comes for all

15th cen Italy, Botticelli PRIMAVERA

- working on rediscovery of Greko-Roman mythology and styles, being able to interpret ancient narratives in artworks distinguished thr well educated from the commoners
- Botticelli inducted into Medici household as private artist, they supported him till his death
- Savenarola, monk breaching against icons and displays of wealth characteristic of current religious comissions, gets to Botticelli, ends up burning most of his works but not this one since the Medici owned it
- not really sure what the painting is about, no cohesive narrative, no one story includes all the depicted characters, possibly intended to pair with Botticelli's Birth of Venus painting
- right shows Zephyr abducting nymph Chorus, becomes Flora goddess of spring
- center is Venus (Aphrodite), Cupid her son above her as sign of fertility
- left shows three graces who together symbolize beauty and fertility, also Mercury (Hermes) god of communication and guide to Underworld
- thought that stuff on the right symbolizes the ushering in of spring and stuff on the left is ushering it out
- oranges are symbols of Medici family, possibly symbolize Medici power will usher in new spring

15th cen Italy, Botticelli BIRTH OF VENUS

- possibly commissioned as wedding gift for Medici son, possibly companion piece to Primavera (which was made before)
- shows Flora in god form waiting to clothe Venus, Zephyr and Chorus again blowing her to shore
- Venus represents fertility of people as well as the land, why the orange trees in the image have yet to blossom
- female form idealized despite anatomical inaccuracies, fair skin, auburn, boneless shoulders, pregnant-looking stomach
- likely that both Primavera and The Birth of Venus were commissioned by Medici due to similar styles, themes, and content/characters
- being able to converse about imagery and symbolism in artwork displays higher status and education

16th cen Italy, Da Vinci MONA LISA

- Da Vinci ideal renaissance man, many skills, focused on deriving ideal physical proportions in artwork and applying maths to figure these out
- uses sfumato, the technique of using a moody paint palette and smoky background, soft blending of colors, no sharp lines
- was the last painting he ever worked on, had it with him as he traveled and it was with him when he died in the French court, hence why it came into French possession, couldn't seem to be able to part with it for an unknown reason
- humanist influence, eyes painted in a way that seems to follow the viewer, background is imaginary
- lost of mysteries surrounding the composition,
- one of the most iconic and parodied images in the world, very famous because of new type of composition, mystery surrounding identity of woman, fact that Vinci never fell into obscurity due to the unsolved mysteries surrounding his work

16th cen Italy, Da Vinci THE LAST SUPPER

- used experimental binding agents which didn't turn out to work well, mixed his own paints and experimented with new ingredients, part of the reason why the artwork is presently in such bad condition
- fresco
- triangle composition with Jesus, apostles equally divided into groups of 3, 2 groups on each side
- da Vinci more well known for slow-drying oil paintings, so him turning to quick-drying fresco is odd
- depicts scene of last supper when Jesus reveals that one of his 13 apostles will betray him, Judas depicted as black man to associate him with perceptions of evil

16th cen Italy, Rafael THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS

- preferred using brighter colors as opposed to da Vinci's sfumato, very well known in his lifetime, liked to reference more classic ideas and subjects
- part of the frescos he was commissioned to paint on the 4 walls of the Pope's study in the Sistine chapel
- depicts Plato and Aristotle surrounded by ancient greek scholars as well as inserted contemporary ones to tie painting to the present, Rafael also depicted in self portrait to the right, also Diogenes, Pythagoras, etc.
- portrait of Da Vinci and Plato
- main shape of the image supposed to be that of greek cross
- was controversial because it depicted philosophy and enlightenment which could be seen to oppose religious values

16th cen Italy, Michelangelo DAVID

- Michelangelo big proponent of humanism and realism to represent subjects as truthful as possible
- saw himself as a sculptor and thought painting was lowly
- commissioned by the Medici's, supposed to go on top of a building so that's why his hands are bigger than is natural
- depicts moment right before David uses his slingshot to kill Goliath
- idealized proportions and qualities
- David is favored subject in Florence because h was an underdog and, as a smaller but successful city, Florence feels as though his success represents their own
- contraposto position

16th cen Italy, Michelangelo CREATION OF ADAM

- on ceiling of the Sistine Chapel where Pope's conducted religious matters and Pope stuff
- my guy did NOT want to do this but was commissioned by Pope so didn't have a choice, whined about it in retaliation
- painted mostly by himself because he didn't approve of the assistants provided to him
- Christ gifting the keys of heaven is a part of the sequence
- was originally thought to have been made with darker tones before it was cleaned and brightened up
- God about to touch Adam's finger to bring him to life

16th cen Italy, Giorgione THE TEMPEST

- Vatican artists, more directly controlled by its rich families from whom they always chose the Duke, didn't really see Pope as their leader, so religious themes weren't as important there
- had a poetic quality in his art and favored visual narratives, very few works attributed to him, shrouded in mystery
- named after creation after Shakespear play, no original title, commissioned by Venetian nobleman but never delivered
- meaning unknown despite extensive testing, one of the most mysterious enigmatic painting, shows women breastfeeding and a soldier off to the side who was originally another woman, some think it could represent the flight from Egypt

16th cen Italy, Parmigianino MADONNA OF THE LONG NECK

- example of mannerism, style made in reaction to Renaissance and Michelangelo and da Vinci's realism, opposes ideologies of symmetry (traditional triangle shape), regularity (realistic proportions)
- mannerism supposed to be a little uncanny, give sense that something is a little off
- has unrealistic proportions with asymmetrical composition and extreme details
- unfinished, artist died before completion
- people are stretched out, baby Jesus out here looking like baby Voldemort, tiny man reading some of the bible

15th cen north, unknown MARY OF BURGUNDY

- depicts Mary of Burgundy reading her custom book of hours, through her window is a vision of actual Mary holding baby Jesus, Mary of Burgundy also seen reading her book in the vision
- symbolizes that through devotion she may experience vivid experiences of the birth of Christianity
- similar to other book of hours

Italian v.s. Northern Renaissances

Italian
- consistent religious focus
- never really stop creation of iconography
- focus on perspective, math, realism
- symmetry, subject fit into canvas realistic

Northern
- initial religious focused that was then changed by Protestant reformation
- iconoclasm
- focus on very small details, fantastical elements
- not symmetrical, can have run off of frame,
- baroque style

15th cen North, unknown WORKSHOP OF THE MASTER OF FLEMALLE (Merode altarpiece)

- first North Ren art
- tryptych, left panel shows commissioners kneeling in prayer before an open door, able to witness the annunciation scene (Gabriel telling Mary she's pregnant) in the middle, Joseph on the right working
- Mary has weird body proportions, meant to emphasize that she is pregnant, wearing red for blood of Christ and blue for herself
- babies and pregnancy often represented by stream of light directed at pregnant stomach, baby Jesus literally beaming in

15th cen North, Jan van Eyck DOUBLE PORTRAIT FOR GIOVANNI ARNOLFINI AND HIS WIFE

- was on of the most famous painters of the Northern Renaissance, started off as a cloth merchant so draws really detailed clothing, also became a diplomat, had his own workshop,
- achieves rich colors by layering oil in a way that generates luminosity
- invisible strokes
- depicts business relationship but there was apparently lots of cheating
- oranges behind Arnolfini as Medici symbol because he worked for them
- mirror behind shows accurately curved reflection of the pair as well as view of possible wedding officiate and van Eyck in the doorway, painting could have been official documentation of marriage with van Eyck as witness

16th cen North, Durer SELF-PORTRAIT

- painter theorist, known for wood cuts and prints, large collection of works, traveled to Italy and had contacts with famous Italian artists, first to really understand self-marketing
- raging narcissist, made himself look like Jesus, was also showing the new elevated status of the artists, valued for their power to bring ideas to life
- more traditional style, Italian influence, triangle shape, symmetrical, humanist influence
- front facing, which isn't typical of non-religious works

16th cen North, Bosch GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS

- holy acid trip, what was this dude on and can I get some of it
- tryptych, grey on the outside when closed and very colorful in the inside
- often makes more macabre stuff, known for his nightmarish depictions of hell
- interested in depicting deepest desires and fears of humanity
- left panel shows youthful God presenting Eve to Adam, has fantastic creatures and symbols alluding to religious scenes not in the bible
- center panel is garden, shows orgies, sexual fruits, some think this could be showing what Adam and Eve left behind in Paradise, some also think it could show abandonment of morals which leads to hellscape
- right panel is hellscape, very dark, shows people being tortured, lots of instruments from Medieval belief that some instruments were sexual

16th cen North, Caterina Hemessen SELF-PORTRAIT

- first self portrait of an artists working, shows pride in their profession, means for them to prove that they are artists, have to prove themselves unlike men
- very unusual to have women artists since they weren't allowed in art guilds to see naked bodies and study anatomy
- most female artists had artist family members teach them

16th cen North, Holbein THE FRENCH AMBASSADORS

- possibly commissioned by Ann Bolin (Henry's then wife) as gift to the left ambassador to smooth over foreign relations
- top shelf depicts heavenly associations for priest on the right and bottom shelf has earthly associations for ambassador on the left
- 3D momento moriri for funsies/skill experimentation

17th cen North, Bernini DAVID

- token sculptor of the Baroque period and catholics, sculptor and architect, considered worthy successor of Michelangelo, creates new style of art, focuses on depicting things as lifelike as possible
- life-sized sculpture, commissioned by Cardinal patron
- in comparison to Michelangelo's David, this one is a lot more dynamic, but more modest because of cloth covering

17th cen North, Bernini CORNARO CHAPEL

- commissioned by Spanish family who wanted son to be part of the clergy and wanted to redeem themselves from some bad dealings
- depicts ecstasy (read: orgasm) of St. Teresa
- she had a lot of visions of God directly without a medium, which follows protestant beliefs more closely, so in order to not support them and their iconoclasm they quickly canonized her as a saint to explain her direct link to God
- Cornaro members scultped on the sides permanently viewing her, very pious and fortunate to be able to witness this, shows they are very rich to be able to commission this
- Bernini to appeal to Catholic values covers up Teresa using draped fabric, offsets physical sexual nature by cover and distance between her and the angel

North, Caravaggio THE CALLING OF ST. MATTHEW

- token painter of the Baroque if Bernini is the sculptor, patroned by a lot of Popes and other clergy members, made a lot of powerful friends
- Catholic church was searching for new art style and Caravaggio pretty much delivered, focused on naturalism and actually hired models to paint from directly, combines close physical observation with intense lighting shifts (chiaroscuro, gives theatrical dramatic feel)
- commissioned by cardinal who's name is also Matthew
- depicts scene from gospel of Matthew, originally was a tax collector sitting in an apostic house, God finds him and asks him to follow him
- used his favorite bar as the background, very contemporary in style, religious elements are subtle, message that any ordinary person can have such religious experiences

17th cen North, Gentileschi JUDITH BEHEADING HOLOFERNES

- follower of Caravagio's style, one of the most accomplished 17th century artists despite being a woman, father taught her and was also very interested in Caravaggio
- was raped in 1611, this was thought to influence her reoccurring depictions of Judith Beheading Holofernes
- depicts widow Judith killing Aserian general who is about to conquer her and her home, gets him drunk then cuts off his head with the help of her trusty maidservant
- depictions of this scene from male artists often show Judith clean, posing, bladed rounded and nonthreatening, expression serene, idealized, Gentileschi said fuck that

17th cen North, Velazquez LAS MENINAS

- one of the most famous Spanish artists, goes on to inspire other impressionists
- uses chiaroscuro, form is not as tight (visible brushstrokes)
- viewer is put in very uncertain relationship with subjects, they all seem to be looking as though the viewer walked in and interrupted them, some looking to viewer while others ignoring them entirely
- depicts Spanish court attending to infant Margaret Teresa who is supposed to be the main subject of the painting
- uncertain what the true subject of the artwork is and what components are mirrors of doorways, Velazquez has painted himself likely painting this picture, clothed in royal garb despite not being in the royal order, manifesting, king and queen depicted in a mirror in the background that is illuminated, could also be the subjects
- unsure as to who the viewer is supposed to be, as the King and Queen are reflected standing right where the viewer is positioned in space
- Velazquez staring out the painting, asserting himself to be on the same level as those in royal circles, manifesting

17th cen North, Rubens SELF-PORTRAIT WITH ISABELLA BRANDT

- Caravaggio supporter, thinks controversial Death of the Virgin is his best work
- helps cement the importance of the artist, well traveled, converts to Catholicism, very well liked, relationships with powerful people and other big artists
- looser with brushstrokes, not trying to be completely perfect like some other artists,
- posing looks natural, actually appears to be romance between the two, more relaxed and intimate rendition with how they look out to the viewer
- displays detailed fashion of the time
- represent themselves genuinely instead of, say, inserting themselves as certain religious figures