Art History Notes: From Gothic to Early Renaissance

  • Transition to the Modern Era (Neuzeit): Focus on the here and now instead of the afterlife.
    • Individualization of Figures: Emphasis on unique characteristics and personal stories.
    • Expression of Feelings: Displaying a range of emotions including pain and sorrow.
    • Body Language: Utilizing gestures to communicate narrative and emotional depth.
    • Three-Dimensionality: Figures are represented with volume and a sense of physical presence.
    • Perspective: Use of perspective to create realistic interior spaces.
  • Comparison of Artworks: Analyzing similarities and differences in content, composition, and color across different periods.
  • Religious Focus: Shift from an emphasis on the divine to a focus on earthly elements.
    • Emphasis on the Seated Madonna: Posture highlighting earthly stability.
    • Off-Center Placement: Madonna not in the direct center of the image.
    • Classical Triangle Composition: Use of traditional artistic arrangement.
    • Color Use: Creating brightness and clarity through the use of Feigenmilch + Eigelb.
  • Mother-Child Relationship: Examining the connection between Maria and Jesus.
    • Connection: A gentle and subdued connection is demonstrated.
    • Interaction: Physical touch between mother and child.
    • Madonna's Expression: In earlier works Madonna smiles and observes events. later to look at and touch kid.
    • Child's Gaze: Earlier Jesus looks up at his mother, later becomes toddler
  • Spatial Representation: Contrasting divine versus earthly artistic techniques.
    • Gold Background: Symbolic of an all-encompassing, divine and eternal space.
    • Integration of Figures: Figures blended within the gold setting.
    • Halos: Use of halos to signify holiness.
    • Hierarchical Perspective: Importance dictated size.
    • Angelic Depiction: Angels shown as floating, lacking spatial grounding with no overlapping faces or eye conect.
    • Shift to Detail: Transition to a more decorative, secular use of gold.
    • Perspective Advances: Correct spatial placement, realistic interactions, and depth.
    • Figures: Standing, kneeling and seating.
    • Depth: Elaboration on creating depth.
    • Figure Realism: Rendering figures as more lifelike and natural.
    • Setting: Advances in cathedral and landscape interior
    • Proportional Accuracy: Realistic human proportions relating to one another.
    • Atmospheric Perspective: Incorporating aerial perspective and color depth.
  • Artists and Artwork Examples:
    • Cimabue: Thronende Madonna (1272-1274).
    • Giotto di Bondone: Ognissanti-Madonna (1310), student of Cimabue, panel painting that survived.
    • Jan van Eyck: Berliner Madonna (ca. 1425).
    • Raphael: Madonna im Grünen (1505-1506).
  • Key Figures of Gothic-Early Renaissance:
    • Giotto di Bondone (1300s): Known for Lamento Freske in the Scrovegni (Arena) Chapel, Italy. Dimensions: 200×185200 \times 185 cm.
    • Konrad Witz (1444): Der wunderbare Fischzug, Holz, Tempra. Dimensions: 132×154132 \times 154 cm. Located in Mus\"ee d\"art et d\"histoire Basel, Switzerland.
    • Jan van Eyck (1440): Madonna in der Kirche, Öl auf Eichenholz. Dimensions: 31×14.cm.LocatedinGema¨ldegalerieBerlin,Germany.</li><li><strong>Bru¨dervonLimburg(1410s)</strong>:workDasStundenbuchdesHerzogsvonBerr,Januar.Dimensions:31 \times 14. cm. Located in Gemäldegalerie Berlin, Germany.</li> <li><strong>Brüder von Limburg (1410s)</strong>: work Das Stundenbuch des Herzogs von Berr, Januar. Dimensions:22.5 \times 13. cm. Located in Museum Cond\"e, France.
    • Hans Acker (1440): Sankt Georg, Glasmalerei, Ulmer Münster, Germany.
  • Gothic to Early Renaissance (ca. 12th - 15th centuries):
    • Gothic Period: Followed Romanesque, lasting over 400 years, shaping the (Late) Middle Ages. Christianity the foundation of cultural life and shift from greek-roman religion to Christianity.
    • Hierarchical Society: Influenced politics, strict social hierarchy (King, Clergy, Nobles, Rich Citizens), divine world order of fate.
    • Church and State: Not yet separated.
    • Artist Status: Artists, mostly monastic, viewed as craftsmen not as creators; works largely unsigned.
  • Emergence of Gothic Style (mid-12th century France):
    • Distinct Style: Developed organically, not based on ancient models.
    • Origin of Term: Derives from Italian goïco (foreign/barbaric), contrasting Gothic art with ancient art per Giorgio Vasari.
    • Architectural Focus: Easily defined in architecture, less so in art; featured large windows and stained glass.
  • Italian Gothic Specialization: Primarily characterized by panel and book painting.
    • International Dissemination: Known as the