art history notes 2

Course Overview and Structure

Date and Time: Good morning everyone, starting at 09:30.
Course Duration: 10 weeks; students are encouraged to get their names on the attendance sheet.
Current Topic: Last day with Alberti; focusing on Book Three of "On Painting."
Assignment Details: Worksheets for Book Two and Book Three combined, due on Friday.
Upcoming Topics:
- Wednesday: Discussion on Brunelleschi and the building of Florence Cathedral.
- Brunelleschi's Life: A longer life narrative from Vasari, thought to be one of the favorites.
- Humanity in Work: Insight into the lives of laborers, including their lunch breaks and the invention of pulley systems for efficiency.
- Friday: Further discussion on Buruleski and San Lorenzo, specifically with a focus on the Martelli Altarpiece and its location.
- Fall Break: Following discussions, a break will occur.

Overview of Book Three: Offers advice for a young painter, potentially considered the favorite book of the instructor.
- Book One: Focused on geometry and its relation to vision for painting.
- Book Two: Discussed rudiments of painting including drawing, composition, light, and shading for high relief.
- Book Three: Emphasizes the approach and considerations for becoming a painter.
Reading Strategies:
- Primary texts such as Alberti's "On Painting".
- Worksheets designed to encourage examination of both specific text and broader thematic insights.
- Concepts of reading against the grain to derive deeper understanding.
Today's Learning Method:
- Utilizing images to connect visual elements to the text content; aiding comprehension of the Italian Renaissance painting context.
- Skimming sections in the text while associating them with presented images.

Profile of Young Painters:
- Example: Albrecht Durer at age 13 depicted through imagery; history of apprenticeship.
- Traditional training from masters requires young boys to start learning at about 14 years old.
Apprenticeship Process:
- Boys undertake support roles such as cleaning or preparing materials.
- Progression from apprentice to journeyman, leading to eventual mastery.

Section 51 (p. 51): Discusses:
- Function of Paint: Understanding its use in the craft.
- Aim of the Painter: What a painter aspires to achieve.
- Painter's Temperament: Attributes necessary for a successful painter.
Section 52: Overview includes:
- Importance of knowledge in liberal arts, covering the trivium (grammar, logic, rhetoric) and quadrivium (geometry, philosophy, music, astronomy).
- Benefit derived from literacy, as it complements a painter’s portfolio.
Section 53: Discusses the necessity for painters to know their subjects, engage with literature and orators.
- Example: Description of Columni, a character from classic literature, explored visually through Botticelli referenced work.
- Underlines how history and imagination blend for compelling stories in art.

Learning Technique (Section 55):
- Study small parts first (e.g., hands, limbs) before assembling into larger forms.
- Emphasis on understanding nature and drawing accurately from life.
Observational Techniques:
- Vital for achieving realism; painters must replicate what they see rather than relying solely on tradition.
- Capture of both the young and old and representing age accurately.
Beauty Emphasis (Section 56):
- Importance of aesthetics alongside realistic representation.
- Artists should combine their observations with concepts of beauty derived from classical forms.

Importance of Scale (Section 57):
- Encouragement to paint large; smaller paintings may conceal errors making them easier to overlook.
Preparatory Drawings (Section 61):
- Requirement of sketches to manage composition and structure beforehand.
- Significance of planning out the elements within a painting to ensure successful final works.

Peer Feedback Importance:
- Consultation with friends and peers during progress is necessary to refine artworks.
- Public engagement with the work before completion helps address issues before unveiling.

Acknowledgment of tasks accomplished: reading all of Alberti's painting, which is foundational for further studies.
Assignment reminders, alongside an overview of slide decks to be utilized in conjunction with Book Three.
Emphasis on preparing for the upcoming discussions on the Martelli Chapel and other relevant works.