Duecento (13th Century) Notes

Duecento (13th Century)

• Duecento (Trecento; $14^{\text{th}}\text{ Century}$ ): Italian art period serving as the focus of discussion in this excerpt.

• Context: Italian humanists of the $16^{\text{th}}\text{ Century}$ condemned the art of the late Middle Ages in northern Europe as "Gothic" (see "Gothic"). They did so by comparing it with the contemporaneous art of Italy, which consciously revived the classical art of antiquity.

• Core claim about the art of antiquity:

  • Italian Renaissance artists and scholars regarded medieval artworks as distortions of the noble art of the Greeks and Romans.

• Persistence of classical interest in the medieval period (even in France, the origin and center of Gothic style):

  • Example: On the west front of Reims Cathedral, the $13^{\text{th}}\text{ Century}$ statues of Christian saints and angels (FIG. 13-25) reveal the unmistakable influence of ancient Roman art on French sculptors.

  • This demonstrates that a revival of classical motifs existed in the north, but it was not as pervasive as in Italy.

• Extent and duration of the classical revival:

  • The classical revival that took root in Italy during the $13^{\text{th}}\text{ Century}$ and $14^{\text{th}}\text{ Century}$ was much more pervasive and longer lasting.

• Reference notes:

  • MAP 14-1 is cited in connection with these observations.

  • The Reims Cathedral example (FIG. 13-25) illustrates how northern Gothic sculpture incorporated classical influences, even as the Gothic style remained distinct.

• Comparative takeaway:

  • Italian Renaissance represents a more sustained and comprehensive revival of classical antiquity.

  • In contrast, Gothic in the north shows selective influence from antiquity but does not achieve the same breadth or duration of revival seen in Italy.

• Implications and context:

  • The term "Gothic" as used by Italian humanists reflects a value judgment privileging classical antiquity.

  • The material suggests a cross-regional exchange where medieval innovation and classical revival coexist and gradually converge, especially in Italy during the $13^{\text{th}}\text{ Century}$–$14^{\text{th}}\text{ Century}$.