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Golden Haggadah

- Late medieval Spain - 1320 CE FORM - The fact that the Golden Haggadah was so richly illuminated is important. - Although the second commandment in Judaism forbids the making of "graven images," haggadot were often seen as education rather than religious and therefore exempt from this rule. - The style of the manuscript may look familiar- it is very similar to Christian Gothic manuscripts such as the Bible of Saint Louis -for example, the figure of Moses and the Pharaoh doesn't really look like an Egyptian pharaoh at all but more like a French king. -The long flowing body, small architectural details and patterned background reveal that this manuscript was created during the Gothic period. the dominant style of Christian art in Europe clearly influenced the artists of this manuscript. FUNCTION -service book used in Jewish households on Passover Eve to celebrate the Israelites' deliverance from Egyptian enslavement as described in the Book of Exodus. -The reason it is called the "Golden" Haggadah is clear—each miniature is decorated with a brilliant gold-leaf background. As such, this manuscript would have been quite expensive to produce and was certainly owned by a wealthy Jewish family. -So although many haggadot show signs of use—splashes of wine, etc.—the fine condition of this particular haggadah means that it might have served a more ceremonial purpose, intended to showcase the prosperity of this family living near Barcelona in the early fourteenth century. CONTENT - The plague of the first-born: in the upper-right corner, three scenes: an angel strikes a man, the queen mourns her baby, and the funeral of the first-born - upper left: Pharaoh orders the Israelites to leave Egypt, the Israelites, holding lumps of dough, walk with hands raised illustrating the verse: "And the children of Israel went out with a high hand"; bottom right: pursuing Egyptians are shown as contemporary knights led by a king - bottom left: the Israelites' safely cross the Red Sea, Moses takes a last look at the drowning Egyptians. - northern Spain Plagues (clockwise from top left), probably Barcelona -A hagaddah usually includes the prayers and readings said during the meal and sometimes contained images that could have served as a sort of pictorial aid to envision the history of Passover around the table. -In fact, the word "haggadah" actually means "narration" in Hebrew. The Golden Haggadah is one of the most lavishly decorated medieval Haggadot, containing 56 miniatures (small paintings) found within the manuscript. CONTEXT - the ritual narration of the story of Passover, when Moses led the Jews out of slavery in Egypt with a series of miraculous events (recounted in the Jewish Bible in the book of Exodus). -For the last and most terrible in a series of miraculous plagues that ultimately convinced the Egyptian Pharaoh to free the Jews—the death of the first born sons of Egypt—Moses commanded the Jews to paint a red mark on their doors. -In doing so, the Angel of Death "passed over" these homes and the children survived. -The story of Passover—of miraculous salvation from slavery—is one that is recounted annually by many Jews at a seder, the ritual meal that marks the beginning of the holiday. -The book used to tell the story of Passover around the seder table each year is a special one, known as a haggadah (haggadot). -The Golden Haggadah, as you might imagine given its name, is one of the most luxurious examples of these books ever created. In fact, it is one of the most luxurious examples of a medieval illuminated manuscript, regardless of use or patronage.

Il Gesù, including Triumph of the Name of Jesus ceiling fresco

Rome, italy - 1568 CE - Giovanni Battista Gaulli FORM - Appeals to people's imagination rather than intellect - Classicizing- the materials are kind of fluted -Corinthian columns and pilasters that we would see in renaissance churches, it's just that they're made of Sicilian jasper, ochre marble and other rich materials, 0some of them spolia- it was common to rebuild the new Christian Rome out of its ancient "pagan past" -There's a focus on the altar, the removal of the aisles as a space for traffic -There's a space for individual chapels on the sides -Where the wall dissolves, it's made of stucco- cheap material -The fresco extends on wooden -There's a glaze of darker paint to create the illusion that we're seeing the shadows from the clouds -There are no aisles- to focus on the openness of the space -Baroque- shows lots of emotions -and Mannerist -Temebrism- using one light source FUNCTION - Founded as the mother church of the Jesuit Order in the mid to late 1500s aafter the death of Saint Ignatius of Loyola, its founder - Ceiling fresco illustrate the beliefs of the Jesuits scared them into not believing in the faith - A strong emphasis to choose this path, or else they will go to hell - Trumphalism for the religion is the theme CONTENT - On the facade of the church, it says IHS, an interpretation of the letters of Jesus' name read in Latin or in Greek -Heaven is represented as a light, and those who don't follow this religion as falling out of the sky into hell -We also see the name of the patron, Alexander Farnese, a rich, powerful and art loving Cardinal -Inside, there's the name of Jesus on the ceiling -The church has a dome over the intersection of the large nave and transept -Similar to Bernini's apse in saint peters- the ihs -Joining of the spiritual realm and earthly realm -There are figures that fall out of the sky into the shade, down to earth, into hell CONTEXT -Called Gesu, which means Jesus

Chartres Cathedral

- Chartres, France - 1145 CE FORM -High Gothic style, developed in Ile de France -The windows on either side of the doorway are small -The first story of the towers recalls the Romanesque -Theres stone vaulting- the ceiling of the churches, very heavy -All solid limestone -You need very strong walls and piers to support the vaulting -The facade- from left to right, there are three parts. A tower on the left, the central area, and the tower on the right. -If we go form bottom to top, there is also a division of three -At the top, there's Kings gallery, Old Testament royal figure. -Below, the round rose window (plate tracery, as opposed to bar tracery) -Below the rose window are three large lancets, and these vertical windows reflect the portals below them. The portals are covered with sculpture -At the top of the portal there are sculptures within the archivolts and the archway that is framed by archivolts is known as tympanum. -Below that, supporting each of the tympana is the lintel, a kind of crossbeam of stone. -those are supported by small engaged columns known as colonettes that line each side of the three doors. -They are door jambs, and attached to those are figures known as jamb figures -Hieratic scale -Jamb drapery are indicated by lines. emphasis on linear, and little sense of mass, sense of isolation from other figures -Inside the cathedral, it's a long space which was based on a basilica plan. A basilica is a type of building that christians borrowed from the ancient romans. It's longitudinal. It has an entrance on one end, opposite that is the apse, the holiest part of the church -The church is in the shape of a cross. Because it is the long hallway, the nave is crossed by something called the transept -The north and south transept have doorways that are sculpted -On either side of the nave, there are additional hallways known as aisles. This was so that pilgrims, that is religious visitprs, could enter the church and more through to the apse and around the other side without disturbing a mass that might be taking place. -High gothic style instead of just gothic- unlike earlier Gothic churches like at Paris where there was a four-part elevation, here we have a three-part elevation. -The three-part elevation consists of a nave arcade, these very tall, pointed arches that are very slender and graceful- thats the lowest level -On top of that, we see an arcade standing in front of a wall. And that area is called the triforium. -Above that, we see tall clerestory windows. -at each bay of the nave we see two lancet windows topped by an oculus. -The three segments of the elevation are united by the piers and the colonettes that are attached to the piers. -interest in linearity and these lines that draw our eye upward that are so typical of Gothic architecture -As we follow those colonettes up, we see that they divide into ribs that form the four-part ribbed groin vaults -The pointed rib groin vault allowed for greater height than a round arch would, and that's because a pointed ribbed groin vault pushes its trust more down than out. And as a result, it can rest on smaller piers and not as much buttressing is required. -one of the primary goals of the Gothic architect was to open up the walls to the stained glass, glass that helped to make the interior a space that recalled the divine, that gave one a sense of heaven here on earth. -One of the ways you could do that was with a flying buttress supporting the building from the outside instead of massive walls -light itself was an expression of the divine -the stone was covered with a thin layer of plaster and then painted onto that was this light ochre color with white lines painted on top of it to mimic the joinery of the stones below. That layer of plaster and paint obscures the true masonry. CONTENT -Chartres was a destination for a reason- it still has the tunic that the virgin mary wore, it was believed, when she gave birth to christ -This was once part of a complex of buildings that included a school, a palace for the bishop, a hospital -The west facade of Chartres dates to the mid 12th century and we see it as an early gothic facade -The three tympanum -The left showed the Ascension of Christ -New interpretation- Christ before he takes on physical form. That is, Christ out of time. Before incarnation and before God made flesh. -Below, we see four angels. The angels try to reach below the barrier that separates them from the prophets -The largest, the middle, showed the second coming of Christ -The right showed scenes that related to the life of Virgin Mary -Mary makes possible God taking on physical form and entering the world so that we can be saved -On the lintel, theres a winged figure. This is archangel gabriel announcing to the virgin mary that she will bear christ -Next we see a scene known as the visitation where mary is visited by her cousin elizabeth/ mary is pregnant with Christ, and her cousin is pregnant with saint john the baptist. -The most important scene in the lintel- mary in the manger had just given birth to Christ who's swaddled above her. -Above this, we see the presentation of christ in the temple. Mary and joseph have brough the christ child to the temple. -Above that, in the tympanum, we see the virgin mary enthroned with the christ child on her lap with angels on either side. This represents the throne of wisdom. When christ is on mary's lap, mary's body is understood as the Throne of Wisdom. Christ is understood as the personification of wisdom -Both mary and christ are shown frontally, symmetrically. -On the left, (period before time) theres an image of christ before the incarnation, before taking human form -On the right, (period of human time)we have the moment when christ enters the world to save it -In the center, (period of the end of time)we have the second coming of Christ when the dead rise from their graves and all of mankind is judged -Christ is surrounded by symbols of the four evangelists, the four writers of the gospels and is shown in the center larger than any other figure. -He, Christ, is surrounded by a mandorla (a pointed oval figure). A large, full-bodied halo -Below him are the 12 apostles -The jamb figures represent old testament prophets and kings and queens of france -The pilgrims primarily come to see the relic of the tunic of the Virgin, and later another relic that was acquired by the cathedral, the head of Saint Anne, the Virgin Mary's mother. -One particular stained glass window that dates from the early gothic period from before the fire Known as the Virgin of the Beautiful Window -Mary and christ is frontal and elongated, on the throne of wisdom- heavenly image -At the end of the north transept is an enormous rose window on top of five lancets. -This is a much bigger rose than what we've seen in the earlier west front. This was paid for by Blanche of Castile, the mother of Saint Louis, King Louis IX, who was a major patron of Gothic art. -We can see fleur-de-lis throughout this window, a reference to the French monarchy. -In the center of the rose, we once again see the Virgin Mary holding the Christ child. Surrounding Mary we see doves and angels and then prophets and kings. For example, in the 12 o'clock position we see King David. -When we look at the five lancets below, we see in the center Saint Anne, Mary's mother. - the two lancet windows on either side, we see these interesting pairings of virtuous and villainous kings, and also Old Testament priests. -The porch outside the south transept is different from the west front. The porch projects much more than the west front did, and the jamb figures changed. Before, the figures were isolated. They were columns. Now, the figures are still in front of columns, but now they are independent from the architecture -The most famous figure on the south porch is the Saint Theodore. he looks almost like an ancient Greek or a Roman figure. We see that the body has movement. Theodore seems almost as though he could walk off the porch and greet us. -In his right hand he carries a spear with a banner, and we see much more than on the west front a sense of volume to the drapery, especially when we look to the hem of the garment where we see real three dimensional folds. -In his belt we see the hilt of a sword, and his left hand rests on a shield, which is pressed against his thigh. There's a naturalism to his movement- High Gothic Period. CONTEXT -The king only controlled the area immediately around paris -Ppl associated with the school of chartres believed that the pursuit of knowledge, learning about the world around us, was the pathway to understanding the divine -in 1194, there was a fire and most of the church burned to the ground. When the people of Chartres saw that the tunic was saved, they interpreted this as a miracle, one with a message. That the Virgin Mary wanted an even more beautiful and grander church to house her relic.

Church of Sainte-Foy

- Conques, Frace - 1130 CE FORM - As a Romanesque church, it has a barrel-vaulted nave lined with arches on the interior. -It is known as a pilgrimage church because many of the large churches along the route to Santiago de Compostela took a similar shape. -The main feature of these churches was the cruciform plan. Not only did this plan take the symbolic form of the cross but it also helped control the crowds of pilgrims. -In most cases, pilgrims could enter the western portal and then circulate around the church towards the apse at the eastern end. -The apse usually contained smaller chapels, known as radiating chapels, where pilgrims could visit saint's shrines, especially the sanctuary of Saint Foy. - They could then circulate around the ambulatory and out the transept, or crossing. -This design helped to regulate the flow of traffic throughout the church FUNCTION -the Church is an important pilgrimage church on the route to Santiago de Compostela in Northern Spain. -It is also an abbey, meaning that the church was part of a monastery where monks lived, prayed and worked. -When a pilgrim arrived at Conques, they would probably head for the church to receive blessing. CONTENT -before they got inside, an important message awaited them on the portals: the Last Judgment. -=This scene is depicted on the tympanum, the central semi-circular relief carving above the central portal. -In the center sits Christ as Judge. He sits enthroned with his right hand pointing upwards to the saved while his left hand gestures down to the damned. -This scene would have served as a reminder to those entering the Church of Saint-Foy about the joys of heaven and torments of hell. -Immediately on Christ's right are Mary, Peter and possibly the founder of the monastery as well as other saints. -Below these saints, a small arcade is covered by a pediment, meant to represent the House of Paradise. -These are the blessed, those have been saved by Christ -At the center, we find Abraham and above him notice the outstretched hand of God, who beckons a kneeling Saint Faith -On the other side of the pediment, a row of angels opens the graves of the dead. As the dead rise from their tombs, their souls will be weighed and they will be admitted to heaven or hell. -This is the scene that we see right under Christ's feet—you can see the clear division between a large doorway leading to Paradise and a terrifying mouth that leads the way to Hell. -Inside hell, It is a chaotic, disorderly scene—it looks different from the right-hand side of the tympanum. -There is also a small pediment in the lower register of Hell, where the Devil, just opposite to Abraham, reigns over his terrifying kingdom. -The devil, like Christ, is also an enthroned judge, determining the punishments that await the damned according to the severity of their sins. -In particular, to the devil's left is a hanged man. This man is a reference to Judas, who hanged himself after betraying Christ. -Just beyond Judas, a knight is tossed into the fires of Hell and above him, a greedy man is hung by his legs for his sins. -Each of these sinners represents a type of sin to avoid, from adultery, to arrogance, even to the misuse of church offices. -Indeed, this portal was not only a warning for pilgrims, but for the clergy who lived in Conques as well. -Pilgrims arriving in Conques had one thing on their mind: the reliquary of Saint Foy. -The reliquary at Conques held the remains of Saint Foy, a young Christian convert living in Roman-occupied France during the second century. -At the age of twelve, she was condemned to die for her refusal to sacrifice to pagan gods, she is therefore revered as a martyr, as someone who dies for their faith. - Saint Foy was a very popular saint in Southern France and her relic was extremely important to the church; bringing pilgrims and wealth to the town of Conques. -Her face, which stares boldly at the viewer, is thought to have originally been the head of a Roman statue of a child. -The reuse of older materials in new forms of art is known as spolia. Using spolia was not only practical but it made the object more important by associating it with the past riches of the Roman Empire. CONTEXT - Saint-Foy (Saint Faith) -Bernard of Angers was concerned about idolatry—that pilgrims would begin to worship the jewel-encrusted reliquary rather than what that reliquary contained and represented, the holy figure of Saint Foy.

David, Donatello

- Italy - 1440 CE FORM - Compared to Michelangelo's David, it is more intimate and less public and smaller-5 ft - Warm bronze tones, with copper and a bit of tin It's hollow, and it's created through lost-wax casting - Contrapposto - Donatello, after a thousand years, reclaims the ancient Greek and Roman interest in the nude human body. artists in the middle ages, a period when the focus was on God and the soul, rarely represented the nude. (it was the first free standing nude sculpture since classical antiquity) - Donatello seems to have used the excuse of the boy who eschews armor in order to represent not the Judaic tradition but instead the ancient Greek and Roman regard for the beauty of the human body and he uses the classical technique of lost wax to cast the form. -Then, just like the Greeks and Romans, he worked the bronze to smooth the seams and the surface and to cut in details such as in the hair. - because he's free-standing, he is more human, more real FUNCTION -Show David's victory CONTENT - the subject of this sculpture is David and Goliath, from the Old Testament. - Seen in the courtyard of the Medici Palace in Florence, a private setting - This intimacy is not simply a result of the nudity, but also of the emotional experience Donatello renders through the face and even the stance of the body— -There is either relaxation and thoughtfulness with subtle pridem, or confidence and pride (shown in his pose) -Donatello foreshadows the wisdom that will define his later reign as king. -His right hand holds the sword (Goliath's own sword) that he used to cut off Goliath's head, which we see below, resting on a victory wreath. -The gruesome head seems to conflict with the sensuality and beauty of the young David. -n the other hand, he holds the rock he used to slingshot CONTEXT -We dont know who commissioned this -According to the story, Israel (the descendents of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob) is threatened by Goliath, a "giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall. He wore a bronze helmet and a coat of mail that weighed 125 pounds." -Goliath threatened the Israelites and demanded that they send someone brave enough to fight him. -But the entire Israelite army is frightened of him. -David, a young shepherd boy, asserts that he is going to fight the giant, but his father says, "There is no way you can go against this Philistine. You are only a boy, and he has been in the army since he was a boy!" -But David insists that he can face Goliath and claims he has killed many wild animals who have tried to attack his flock, "The LORD who saved me from the claws of the lion and the bear will save me from this Philistine!" -They try to put armor on David for the fight, but he takes it off. David faces Goliath and says to him,"You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD Almighty—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." -David kills Goliath with one stone thrown from his sling into Goliath's forehead. Then he beheads Goliath. -The subject of David represented Florence, the Florentine Republic because its people identified with David because they also defeated their enemy (Duke of Milan, who was stronger than them) with the help of God

Rebecca and Eliezer at the Well and Jacob Wrestling the Angel, Vienna Genesis

- Early byzantine, Europe - 500 CE Rebecca and Eliezer FORM -Tempera, gold and silver on purple vellum (wealthier people) also blue is expensive (lapiz lazuli) -written in silver ink on parchment that had been dyed purple, the color associated with royalty and empire. -The folds of the clothing are simplified and reduced. -The figures appear to be more cartoon-like than portraits of actual people. -Medieval artists weren't interested in realistic, consistent representations, but the more symbolic representations that we see here. FUNCTION -illustrated biblical book CONTENT -The Vienna Genesis is a fragment of a Greek copy of the Book of Genesis. -There are 24 surviving folios (pages) and they are thought to have come from a much larger book that included perhaps 192 illustrations on 96 folios -This story is from Genesis 24. -Abraham wanted to find a wife for his son Isaac and sent his servant Eliezer to find one from among Abraham's extended family. -Eliezer took ten of Abraham's camels with him and stopped at a well to give them water. -Eliezer prayed to God that Isaac's future wife would assist him with watering his camels. -Rebecca arrives on the scene and assists Eliezer, who knows that she is the woman for Isaac. -This story is about God intervening to ensure a sound marriage for Abraham's son. -The illustration of this biblical story shows two episodes, which is common in medieval art. Rebecca is shown twice, as she leaves her town (city or citadel) to get water and then assisting Eliezer at the well with his camels. -On the one hand, there are clear classical elements that recall artwork from ancient Greece and Rome. Rebecca walks by a colonnade (row of columns) that recall the details of classical architecture. -Some of Eliezer's camels are shaded to emphasize that some are in the front and others in the back. The camel on the far right has one of its back legs in shadow to show a spatial relationship. -The figure that most obviously recalls the Ancient Greek and Roman world is the reclining nude next to the river. -This figure isn't part of the story of Rebecca and Eliezer, but serves as a personification of the source of the well's water. -Representations of rivers and other bodies of water as people were common in the classical world -The figure's sensuality is emphasized by her nudity and reclining pose, typical of Greek and Roman art. This stands in contrast to Rebecca's heavily draped and fully-covered body, typical of Early Christian art. CONTEXT -The visual arts have undergone numerous changes and transitions from their prehistoric origins to the present. -In Europe, artists and patrons of the ancient world loved realistic details and veracity. -Medieval artists and patrons instead valued symbolism and abstraction. -The artist of the Vienna Genesis was caught between these two artistic value systems. -Books were luxury items Jacob wrestling the angel FORM -Pages made from animal skin -Text written in silver -Dyed purple, which suggest royal commission -The artist tried to find a way to stretch this linear narrative and make it fit in the space of the book. -The figures on top are supposed to be further away but there's no difference in size In the architecture of the bridge, we see references to the classical. The bridge includes a colonnade and we can imagine classical columns. -There are roman arches that the water courses through underneath. -Skewed perspective- the columns on the farther end of the bridge are taller andbigger than the columns closer to us, so it's not linear perspective FUNCTION Manuscript of the first book of the Bible CONTENT -Illustrations at the bottom of each page following handwritten text -Jacob is the son of Isaac, and the grandson of Abraham -Jacob wakes up and leads his family across the river. We see jacob in brown with a red tunic. He's leading servants and his wives, and his wives are on donkeys. -His sons are behind and they are crossing the river. We see a bridge. -After they cross the river, jacob becomes separated from his family and meets an angel. He wrestles with the angel and wants him to bless him. The angel blesses him and the family goes on their way -One thing that resulted from this story is that the Old Testament patriarch Jacob, is no longer called Jacob but he's called Israel.** -one servant or son is looking off the bridge and looking at the water running below -One of the wives is turned around and we can see the form of her body underneath her drapery which recalls classical forms** CONTEXT -From early Christian or Byzantine era -This book is very rare bc books from this time dont usually survive. Also not too many books were made at the time; it was a major undertaking to make a book

Mosque of Selim II, Sinan

- Edirne, Turkey - 1568 CE FORM - composed of a mosque, two symmetrical square madrasas (one of which served as a college for studying the hadiths, or traditions of the Prophet Muhammad), and there was a row of shops (arasta) and a school for learning the recitation of the Quran located to the west and added during the reign of Sultan Murad III, whose rule followed Selim II. - Muqarnas are the faceted decorative forms that alternately protrude and recess and that are commonly used in Islamic architecture to bridge a point of transition—in this case, the broad base of the dome above and the slender piers below. -Note that the muqarnas steps outward it rises, creating a corbelled effect, and allowing for a more open space below. -The squinches are the architectural support, decorated by the muqarnas, transition from the dome down to the eight piers. -They allow the round base of the dome to join octagon formed by the piers. -A complex system of exterior buttresses support the east and west piers and do most of the work to hold up the massive weight of the dome. These buttresses are artfully hidden among the exterior porticos and galleries. - In the interior, galleries fill the spaces in between the walls and the piers. -The Qibla wall (the wall that faces Mecca) projects outward further emphasizing the openness the interior space. - The position of the muzzin's platform creates a vertical alignment of square, octagon, and circle, using geometry to refer to the earthly and heavenly spheres. FUNCTION - mosque - An example of Ottoman Empire's wealth and greatness, along with its power and vastness CONTENT - The mosque's nearly square prayer hall is approached through a porticoed courtyard, making the central block of the complex rectangular. -The approach to the north façade of the mosque: the aligned gates of the outer precinct wall and forecourt focus the eye upwards toward the dome, which could also been seen from a distance. -The grand dome rests on eight muqarnas-corbelled squinches that are in turn supported by eight large piers. - From this muzzin's platform, the muzzins who lead prayers, chant to the congregation. CONTEXT - Selimiye complex was located in Edirne rather than the capital, Istanbul. -It was built by the Sultan Selim II, the son of Süleyman the Magnificent, between 1568 and 1574. -Edirne was one of Selim II's favorite cities. He was stationed here as a prince when his father campaigned in Persia in 1548 and he enjoyed hunting on the outskirts of the city. -Edirne was selected not only because of Selim II's fondness of the city, but also for its historical and geographic significance. -Located in the Balkans, within the European lands of the Ottoman Empire, Edirne had been a capital of the Ottoman Empire in the 15th century before Istanbul and was effectively the second city of the Empire through the 17th century.

Pazzi Chapel, Brunelleschi

- Florece, Italy - 1429 CE FORM - Filippo Brunelleschi built the Pazzi chapel as a perfect space with harmonious proportions. - He could achieve this by including the knowledge gained during his stay in Rome when he focused primarily on measuring ancient buildings, for instance the Pantheon. -Supported by corinthian columns -The pietra serena, the grayish green stone that articulates the decorative elements on the walls -Attention to perfect geometry -impost block- one of brunellesci's favorite details FUNCTION - Chapel (a chapter house, not a church) - Originally used as a chapter house, which is a meeting room for the monks of Santa Croce- so it has a bench that lines the wall, just off the cloister, which is the traditional place for the chapter house CONTENT - The chapel, used as the chapter house by Santa Croce friars, is proceeded by an atrium, a sort of entrance hall, supported by six Corinthian columns placed next to the central arch. -It is a rectangular layout containing one square room, covered by an umbrella-shaped dome, and two sides of the remaining space, each covered by a barrel vault with round windows. -The wall opens on a small square apse called scarsella covered by a dome decorated with a fresco painting reproducing the sky over Florence on July 4th 1442. -The central dome is decorated with round sculptures and the coat of arms of Pazzi Family (two paired dolphins) made of glazed terracotta, works by Luca della Robbia. -Has the elements that we come to expect of Brunelleschi -Central planned space- similar to pantheon -Classicism, revival of the standards of ancient Rome Fluted pilasters, long walls, and the hemispherical dome with an oculus in the center, and windows on the sides, and light coming into the chapel, and a dome on pendentives. -He used what we considered modern glazes There are small barrel vaults on either side. He took a rectangular space and made it, as much as possible, into a square with a dome on top CONTEXT - The chapel was commissioned to Brunelleschi by Andrea de' Pazzi in 1429 but the works went on also after the death of the architect in 1446 and were never finished because the family suffered the consequences of the conspiracy organized by Jacopo and Francesco de' Pazzi, together with the archbishop of Pisa Francesco Salviati, against the Medici family -Numerous artists contributed to the conclusion of the decoration works of the Pazzi chapel: Giuliano da Maiano made the frame and the door; Luca della Robbia made the relief representing Saint Andrews on the throne above the portal and glazed terracotta rounds with Apostles. -The four Evangelists have been attributed to Brunelleschi, the cherubs on the medals of the external frieze to Desiderio da Settignano and his brother Geri. Alesso Baldovinetti drew the pattern of the stained glass window with the figure of Saint Andrew. -It was completed after brunelleschi's death

Palazzo Rucellai, Leon Battista Alberti

- Florence, Italy - 1450 CE FORM -Geometrically proportional -Classical elements- pilaster, rounded arches -We have more classical entablature, which gives us a sense of horizontality -It's a façade that was truly separated from the medieval style, and could finally be considered Renaissance -Like traditional Florentine palazzi, the façade is divided into three tiers. Alberti divided these with the horizontal entablatures that run across the facade -The first tier grounds the building, giving it a sense of strength. -This is achieved by the use of cross-hatched, or rusticated stone that runs across the very bottom of the building, as well as large stone blocks, square windows, and portals of post and lintel construction in place of arches. -the overall horizontality of this façade is called "trabeated" architecture, which Alberti thought was most fitting for the homes of nobility. -Each tier also decreases in height from the bottom to top. On each tier, Alberti used pilasters, or flattened engaged columns, to visually support the entablature. -On the first tier, they are of the Tuscan order. -On the second and third tiers, Alberti used smaller stones to give the feeling of lightness, which is enhanced by the rounded arches of the windows, a typically Roman feature. -second tier they are of the Ionic order, and on the third they are Corinthian. -The building is also wrapped by benches for visitors to Florence. -In many ways, this building is very similar to the Colosseum. The great Roman amphitheater is also divided into tiers. More importantly, it uses architectural features for decorative purposes rather than structural support -like the engaged columns on the Colosseum, the pilasters on the façade of the Rucellai do nothing to actually hold the building up. -The building was never finished FUNCTION -the home was just one of many important commissions that Alberti completed for the Rucellais—a wealthy merchant family. -It was important that Rucellai expressed his loyalty to the Medici family Content --The Palazzo Rucellai actually had four floors: the first was where the family conducted their business; the second floor, or piano nobile, was where they received guests; the third floor contained the family's private apartments; and a hidden fourth floor, which had few windows and is invisible from the street, was where the servants lived. -In addition to the façade, Alberti may have also designed an adjacent loggia (a covered colonnaded space) where festivities were held. -The loggia may have been specifically built for a 1461 wedding that joined the Rucellai and Medici families. -It repeats the motif of the pilasters and arches found on the top two tiers of the palazzo. -The loggia joins the building at an irregularly placed, not central, courtyard -Between the ground floor and the first floor, we see a Medici device of a diamond ring with three feathers coming out of it, and between the second floor and the third floor, we see a device of the Rucellai family, of a sail that appears to be blowing in the wind CONTEXT -Alberti constructed the façade of the Palazzo over a period of five years, from 1446-1451 -The main difference between the Palazzo Rucellai and other palazzi was Alberti's reliance on ancient Rome. This may have reflected Giovanni Rucellai's pretensions for his family. Rome was the seat of the papacy, and though Rucellai was not a cleric, he claimed to have descended from a Templar.

Dedication Page with Blanche of Castile and King Louis IX (Saint Louis Bible)

- Gothic Europe, France - 1194 CE FUNCTION -Moralized bible (bible morlisée) CONTENT AND FORM -Blanche of Castile and her son Louis, a beardless youth crowned king. -each figure is set against a ground of burnished gold, seated beneath a trefoil arch. -Stylized and colorful buildings dance above their heads, suggesting a sophisticated, urban setting—perhaps Paris, the capital city of the Capetian kingdom (the Capetians were one of the oldest royal families in France) and home to a renowned school of theology. -In the upper register, an enthroned king and queen wear the traditional medieval open crown topped with fleur-de-lys—a stylized iris or lily symbolizing a French monarch's religious, political, and dynastic right to rule. -The blue-eyed queen, left, is veiled in a white widow's wimple. An ermine-lined blue mantle drapes over her shoulders. Her pink T-shaped tunic spills over a thin blue edge of paint which visually supports these enthroned figures. - A slender green column divides the queen's space from that of her son, King Louis IX, to whom she deliberately gestures across the page, raising her left hand in his direction. -Her pose and animated facial expression suggest that she is dedicating this manuscript, with its lessons and morals, to the young king. -iIn his right hand he holds a scepter, indicating his kingly status. It is topped by the characteristic fleur-de-lys on which a small bird sits. -A four-pedaled brooch, dominated by a large square of sapphire blue in the center, secures a pink mantle lined with green that rests on his shoulders. -In his left hand, between his forefinger and thumb, Louis holds a small golden ball or disc. -During the mass that followed coronations, French kings and queens would traditionally give the presiding bishop of Reims 13 gold coins (all French kings were crowned in this northern French cathedral town.) This could reference Louis' 1226 coronation, just three weeks after his father's death, suggesting a probable date for this bible's commission. -A manuscript this lavish would have taken eight to ten years to complete—perfect timing, because in 1235, the 21-year-old Louis was ready to assume the rule of his Capetian kingdom from his mother. -Queen Blanche and the young king echo a gesture and pose that would have been familiar to many Christians: the Virgin Mary and Christ enthroned side-by-side as celestial rulers of heaven, found in the numerous Coronations of the Virgin carved in ivory, wood, and stone. -This scene was especially prevalent in tympana, the top sculpted semi-circle over cathedral portals found throughout France. -The illumination's bottom register depicts a tonsured cleric (churchman with a partly shaved head), left, and an illuminator, right (scribe). -The cleric wears a sleeveless cloak appropriate for divine services—this is an educated man—and emphasizes his role as a scholar. -He tilts his head forward and points his right forefinger at the artist across from him, as though giving instructions. No clues are given as to this cleric's religious order, as he probably represents the many Parisian theologians responsible for the manuscript's visual and literary content—all of whom were undoubtedly told to spare no expense. -On the right, the artist, wearing a blue surcoat and wearing a cap, is seated on cushioned bench. -Knife in his left hand and stylus in his right, he looks down at his work: four vertically-stacked circles in a left column, with part of a fifth visible on the right. We know, from the 4887 medallions that precede this illumination, what's next on this artist's agenda: he will apply a thin sheet of gold leaf onto the background, and then paint the medallion's biblical and explanatory scenes in brilliant hues of lapis lazuli, green, red, yellow, grey, orange and sepia. CONTEXT -In 1226 a French king died, leaving his queen to rule his kingdom until their son came of age. -The 38-year-old widow, Blanche of Castile, had her work cut out for her. Rebelling barons were eager to win back lands that her husband's father had seized from them. They rallied troops against her, defamed her character, and even accused her of adultery and murder. -Caught in this, Blanche persuaded, negotiated, and fought would-be enemies after her husband, King Louis VIII, died of disease after only a three-year reign. -When their son Louis IX took the helm in 1234, he inherited a kingdom that was at peace. -As patron and ruler, Queen Blanche of Castile would have financed this production. -As ruler-to-be, Louis IX's job was to take its lessons to heart -Blanche undoubtedly hand-picked the theologians whose job was to establish this manuscript's guidelines, select biblical passages, write explanations, hire copyists, and oversee the images that the artists should paint. - Art and text, mutually dependent, spelled out advice Louis IX could practice in his rule. -The nobles, church officials, and perhaps even common folk who viewed this page could be reassured that their ruler had been well trained to deal with whatever disaster came his way. bible morlisée FORM -contained a separate illustration for every few sentences in the entire bible. -the artist had to create a coherent arrangement for the biblical text, its accompanying commentary text, and an illustration for each. -On each page of this manuscript there are eight circles, called roundels, that illustrate biblical scenes and commentary scenes. -There are short snippets of text, either from the bible or commentary, that accompany each scene. -The illustrations are more than simple representations of the text, they are contemporary interpretations of it. The commentary text does not mention bishops or kings, but the illustrator adds those. CONTENT -This page, or folio, is from the Apocalypse, or Book of Revelation. -Bible moralisée contain two texts: the biblical text and the commentary text, which is sometimes called a gloss. -these commentary texts interpreted the biblical text for the thirteenth century reader. -Commentary authors often created comparisons between people and events in the biblical world and people and events in the medieval world. -In the case of the Bible moralisée, the commentary often draws parallels between the bad guys of the biblical text and those who were perceived as bad guys in the thirteenth century. -In France, as in most of western Europe at this time, Jews and corrupt priests were the bad guys and there are anti-semitic themes throughout the commentary and illustrations. -the Paris-Oxford-London Bible moralisée, which is broken up into three volumes in three different cities. -The text tells the story of John's vision, where an angel takes him on a tour of heaven and shows him everything that will happen until the end of time, but in symbols. The gist of the story is that there is an ongoing battle between God and evil and ultimately God and his angels win. -France, c. 1225-45 -A figure on the right harvests grapes from the vines on the right and Christ, with his cruciform (cross-shaped) halo, pours the grapes from the basket on his back into the winepress. God and his angels bless the scene from above. -The commentary begins with the red letter "P" talks about how the great winepress signifies hell. -there are demons herding the damned into a hellmouth. Among the damned is a corrupt bishop, identified by his special hat, the mitre. -There is also a corrupt king in hell. -The commentary beginning with the blue letter "P", interprets the seven angels as faithful preachers who teach God's people. -The illustration shows priests on the left teaching a group of men. The illustrator goes further and adds two Jewish men on the right, identified by their conical hats. The faithful priests are contrasted with the Jewish men who literally turn their bodies away from the priests. -Illustrations like this tried to convince Christian readers that although Jews were once God's people, as outlined in the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament, that medieval Jews had turned away from that role. -This kind of anti-semitic message promoted hate and violence toward Jews in the later Middle Ages. CONTEXT -The Bible moralisée, or moralized bibles, are a small group of illustrated bibles that were made in thirteenth-century France and Spain -. These books are among the most expensive medieval manuscripts ever made because they contain an unusually large number of illustrations. -These books were generally commissioned by members of royal families, as no one else would have been able to afford such luxury.

Alhambra

- Granada, Spain - 1354 CE FUNCTION -include structures with three purpose -a residence for the ruler and close family - the citadel, Alcazaba—barracks for the elite guard who were responsible for the safety of the complex -and an area called medina (or city), near the Puerta del Vino (Wine Gate), where court officials lived and worked. FORM AND CONTENT -1 mile of walls and thirty towers of varying size enclose this city within a city. Access was restricted to four main gates. -The different parts of the complex are connected by paths, gardens and gates but each part of the complex could be blocked in the event of a threat. -The Alhambra's most celebrated structures are the three original royal palaces. -Comares Palace, the Palace of the Lions, and the Partal Palace, each of which was built during 14th century. -A large fourth palace was later begun by the Christian ruler, Carlos V. -El Mexuar is an audience chamber near the Comares tower at the northern edge of the complex. It was built by Ismail I as a throne room, but became a reception and meeting hall when the palaces were expanded in the 1330s. -The room has complex geometric tile dadoes (lower wall panels distinct from the area above) and carved stucco panels that give it a formality suitable for receiving dignitaries. -Behind El Mexuar stands the formal and elaborate Comares façade set back from a courtyard and fountain. -The façade is built on a raised three-stepped platform that might have served as an outdoor stage for the ruler. The carved stucco façade was once painted in brilliant colors, though only traces remain. -A dark winding passage beyond the Comares façade leads to a covered patio surrounding a large courtyard with a pool, now known as the Court of the Myrtles. This was the focal point of the Comares Palace. -The Alhambra's largest tower, the Comares Tower, contains the Salón de Comares (Hall of the Ambassadors), a throne room built by Yusuf I -The double arched windows illuminate the room and provide breathtaking views. -Additional light is provided by arched grille (lattice) windows set high in the walls. At eye level, the walls are decorated with tiles laid in intricate geometric patterns. -The remaining surfaces are covered with intricately carved stucco motifs organized in bands and panels of curvilinear patterns and calligraphy. - The Palacio de los Leones (Palace of the Lions) stands next to the Comares Palace but should be considered an independent building. The two structures were connected after Granada fell to the Christians. -Muhammad V built the Palace of the Lions' most celebrated feature in the 14th century, a fountain with a complex hydraulic system consisting of a marble basin on the backs of twelve carved stone lions situated at the intersection of two water channels that form a cross in the rectilinear courtyard. -An arched covered patio encircles the courtyard and displays fine stucco carvings held up by a series of slender columns. Two decorative pavilions (open shelter) protrude into the courtyard on an East-West axis (at the narrow sides of the courtyard), accentuating the royal spaces behind them. -To the West, the Sala de los Mocárabes (Muqarnas Chamber), may have functioned as an antechamber and was near the original entrance to the palace. -It takes its name from the intricately carved system of brackets called "muqarnas" that hold up the vaulted ceiling. -Across the courtyard, to the East, is the Sala de los Reyes (Hall of the Kings), an elongated space divided into sections using a series of arches leading up to a vaulted muqarnas ceiling; the room has multiple alcoves, some with an unobstructed view of the courtyard, but with no known function. - This room contains paintings on the ceiling representing courtly life. The images were first painted on tanned sheepskins, in the tradition of miniature painting. They use brilliant colors and fine details and are attached to the ceiling rather than painted on it. - There are two other halls in the Palace of the Lions on the northern and southern ends; they are the Sala de las Dos Hermanas (the Hall of the Two Sisters) and the Hall of Abencerrajas (Hall of the Ambassadors). Both were residential apartments with rooms on the second floor. Each also have a large domed room sumptuously decorated with carved and painted stucco in muqarnas forms with elaborate and varying star motifs. -The Palacio del Partal (Partal Palace) was built in the early 14th century and is also known as del Pórtico (Portico Palace) because of the portico formed by a five-arched arcade at one end of a large pool. It is one of the oldest palace structures in the Alhambra complex. CONTEXT -The Alhambra, an abbreviation of the Arabic: Qal'at al-Hamra, or red fort, was built by the Nasrid Dynasty (1232-1492)—the last Muslims to rule in Spain. Muhammad ibn Yusuf ibn Nasr (known as Muhammad I) founded the Nasrid Dynasty and secured this region in 1237. He began construction of his court complex, the Alhambra, on Sabika hill the following year.

Self Portrait with Saskia, Rembrandy

- Amsterdam - 1636 CE FORM -etching -Typically, Rembrandt used a soft ground that would allow him to "draw" freely on his plate (most early etchers used a hard ground) -many of his early etchings have the immediacy and spontaneity of a rapid sketch. -most evidence suggests that he worked directly on the plate, most likely with a preparatory drawing in front of him to serve as a guide. -Rembrandt is also known for his practice of varying the degree to which he etched a plate, an approach seen here. -The figure of Rembrandt is more deeply bitten than that of Saskia, a technique that not only suggests that the artist is closer to us, but also places greater emphasis on him. -The figure of Saskia, on the other hand, is more lightly etched, with the effect that she is seated farther away and plays a less important role. -These differences have led some to suggest that Rembrandt may have etched Saskia first, and then added himself in the front. This notion is supported by the lines of her dress which appear to continue under his overcoat. -he often created multiple states of a single image. This etching, for example, exists in three states. -By reworking his plates he was able to experiment with ways to improve and extend the expressive power of his images. FUNCTION - Such play-acting was not unusual for Rembrandt who only twice represented himself in the manner that was most popular at the time, as a contemporary Amsterdam gentleman. - can also be regarded as an example of a marriage portrait. The young woman shown seated at the table with the 30 year old Rembrandt is his wife, Saskia van Uylenburgh CONTENT - both he and his wife are shown wearing historical clothing - Rembrandt wears a fanciful 16th-century style plumed beret tilted at a jaunty angle and a fur-trimmed overcoat, while Saskia wears an old-fashioned veil. - The two figures are presented in half-length, seated around a table before a plain background. - Rembrandt dominates the image as he engages the viewer with a serious expression. - The brim of his hat casts a dark shadow over his eyes, which adds an air of mystery to his countenance. - Saskia, rendered on a smaller scale and appearing rather self-absorbed, sits behind him. - It's almost as if we have interrupted the couple as they enjoy a quiet moment in their daily life. - This is the first time that Rembrandt has presented himself as an artist at work. In his left hand he holds a porte-crayon (a two-ended chalk holder) and appears to have been drawing on the sheet of paper before him. - By identifying himself as a draftsman, Rembrandt draws attention to his mastery of what was regarded as the most important basic skill of an artist. CONTEXT - seventeenth-century Dutch artist Rembrandt van Rijn - Whether painting, etching or drawing, Rembrandt, who produced more self-portraits than any artist before him (roughly 75), preferred to show himself in a variety of different imagined roles. - You can see him as a soldier in old-fashioned armor, a ragged beggar, a stylish Renaissance courtier, an exotically clad Oriental leader and even Saint Paul. - Rembrandt most likely met Saskia while working for her cousin, Hendrick Uylenburgh, an art dealer who had a workshop in Amsterdam. - The two married on June 22, 1634 and remained together for thirteen years until Saskia's untimely death at the age of 30. - Surprisingly, it is the only etching that Rembrandt ever made of Saskia and himself together. -It was not unusual for rembrandt to use his wife as a model. She would often sit for her husband

Fruit and Insects, Rachel, Ruysch

- Amsterdam - 1711 CE FORM - Still life painting - She painted the subjects as though they were scientific specimens - there are Color Harmonies - Use of complementary colors red and green - On the red purple grapes and Plum, they have a little bit of dust powder blue - Vanitas painting- A still life artwork which includes various symbolic objects designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the worthlessness of worldly goods and pleasures FUNCTION - it seems to be about the Autumn, the subject of the Harvest, fruits and vegetables that are harvested in the autumn CONTENT - full of fruits and insects - corn, squash, chestnuts and grapes, wheat - Symbolic value- Christians in the 17th century would have seen the wheat and the grapes And bread and wine and thought of the Eucharist, of the sacrament of communion of the body and blood of Christ CONTEXT - by a Dutch artist- Rachel Ruysch-She specialized in Still Life paintings, Especially flowers ( in Holland, artists specialized in certain types of paintings) -They were painting for a widening Merchant class in 17th century Holland - The artist did not assemble a scene, but put together studies of these fruits and then combined them imaginatively into this composition Into a microcosm - Microcosm was perfected in the late 17th and early 18th century - The butterfly or moth in the foreground is a reminder that Rachel's father, Frederick (scientists) collected specimens like butterflies and preserved them- his father was also a botanist

Hagia Sophia

- Constantinople, Istanbul - 532 CE FORM - The capital is a derivative of the Classical Ionic order via the variations of the Roman composite capital and Byzantine invention. -A capital fragment on the grounds of Hagia Sophia illustrates the carving technique. The stone is deeply drilled, creating shadows behind the decoration. -The capital surface appears thin. -This deep carving appears throughout Hagia Sophia's capitals, spandrels, and entablatures. -The windows at the bottom of the dome are closely spaced, visually asserting that the base of the dome is insubstantial and hardly touching the building itself. -they also lined the jambs or sides of the windows with gold mosaic. -As light hits the gold it bounces around the openings and eats away at the structure and makes room for the imagination to see a floating dome. -Has a high central dome and half dorms on either side and three smaller half domes below that -The walls are marble and the floor is made of huge paving stones FUNCTION -Perception supplies its own explanation: the dome is suspended from heaven by an invisible chain. -This was a way Justinian expressed his power CONTENT -An old story about Hagia Sophia, a story that comes down in several versions, is a pointed explanation of the miracle of the church: -A youngster was among the craftsmen doing the construction. Realizing a problem with continuing work, the crew left the church to seek help (some versions say they sought help from the Imperial Palace). -The youngster was left to guard the tools while the workmen were away. A figure appeared inside the building and told the boy the solution to the problem and told the boy to go to the workmen with the solution. Reassuring the boy that he, the figure, would stay and guard the tools until the boy returned, the boy set off. -The solution that the boy delivered was so ingenious that the assembled problem-solvers realized that the mysterious figure was no ordinary man but a divine presence, likely an angel. -The boy was sent away and was never allowed to return to the capital. Thus the divine presence had to remain inside the great church by virtue of his promise and presumably is still there. -Any doubt about the steadfastness of Hagia Sophia could hardly stand in the fact that a divine guardian watches over the church. -40 windows- the light was connected with ideas of perfection and the divine -Every surface was covered in mosaics, colored stone, crosses- the clear windows were originally colored CONTEXT -The great church of the Byzantine capital Constantinople (Istanbul) took its current structural form under the direction of the Emperor Justinian I. -Procopius, biographer of the Emperor Justinian and author of a book on the buildings of Justinian is the first to assert that the dome hovered over the building by divine intervention. - Hagia Sophia was severely damaged by three earthquakes during its early history. Extensive repairs were required. -This church was also burned down by the Nika Riot in the 6th century against Justinian, the patron of this church -Justinian hired two theoreticians to think about how to vault this space -This was a period in byzantine history that was leading up to iconoclasm, which was a point where there was a real crisis of images -The byzantine empire was eventually conquered by the Ottoman Turks who were Muslims. they turned this church into a mosque until 1934 when it was turned into a museum -They covered up the mosaics. They removed some of the paint and plastering because they prohibited figural imagery in a religious space. -Also, he's not depicted as Christ, he's Jesus. He's a prophet. He doesn't appear with Mary. -There are enormous bits of Arabic calligraphy, the most important Islamic art. The lanugage of Arabic is important because it is believed that Mohammed recited the words if God as told to him directly -The mihrab is the niche at the far end of the building that is pointing towards Mecca. It tells you which direction you have to pray, and it's off center. -The Sultan's lodge- the sultan was the political authority. He also had divine authority. He had his own balcony to worship in. everyone can see him but no one can touch him. It is leveled on a different plane -Outside, there are four pencil minarets (compared to thicker minarets in egypt). -The purpose is a high place to call the faithful to prayer. The muezzin goes up and calls everyone. Two earlier ones were bult by Mahmed II and then one by Sinan, the famous architect who built many monuments in Istanbul and two more by Murad III, a sultan from the late 16th century -The Blue mosque (Sultan Ahmed Mosque) had 4, the hadia sophia had six

Great mosque (of cordoba)

- Cordoba, Spain - 785 CE FORM -The hypostyle hall seems magnified by its repeated geometry. It is built with recycled ancient Roman columns from which sprout a striking combination of two-tiered, symmetrical arches, formed of stone and red brick. -The mihrab- Gold tesserae (small pieces of glass with gold and color backing) create a combination of dark blues, reddish browns, yellows and golds that form intricate calligraphic bands and vegetal motifs that adorn the arch. -The horseshoe-style arch was common in the architecture of the Visigoths, the people that ruled this area after the Roman empire collapsed and before the Umayyads arrived. The horseshoe arch is an easily identified characteristic of Western Islamic architecture -Above the mihrab is a dome. It is built of crisscrossing ribs that create pointed arches all lavishly covered with gold mosaic in a radial pattern. This building technique anticipates later Gothic rib vaulting, though on a more modest scale -Voussoirs- wedged blocks red and white thing FUNCTION - Historians believe that there had first been a temple to the Roman god, Janus, on this site. The temple was converted into a church by invading Visigoths who seized Cordoba in 572. -Next, the church was converted into a mosque and then completely rebuilt by the descendants of the Umayyads—the first Islamic dynasty who had originally ruled from their capital Damascus (in present-day Syria) from 661 until 750. CONTENT - comprised of a large hypostyle prayer hall -a courtyard with a fountain in the middle, an orange grove, a covered walkway circling the courtyard, and a minaret that is now encased in a squared, tapered bell tower. -The focal point in the prayer hall is the famous horseshoe arched mihrab or prayer niche. -Mecca—the birth place of Islam in what is now Saudi Arabia. CONTEXT -Known locally as Mezquita-Catedral, the Great Mosque of Cordoba is one of the oldest structures still standing from the time Muslims ruled Al-Andalus (Muslim Iberia including most of Spain, Portugal, and a small section of Southern France) in the late 8th century. -Cordoba is a two hour train ride south of Madrid -Following the overthrow of his family (the Umayyads) in Damascus by the incoming Abbasids, Prince Abd al-Rahman I escaped to southern Spain. -Once there, he established control over almost all of the Iberian Peninsula and attempted to recreate the grandeur of Damascus in his new capital, Cordoba.

Virgin and Child between Saints Theodore and George

- Early Byzantine Europe, Italy - 600 CE FORM -encaustic icon painting -"Icon" is Greek for "image" or "painting" -The painter selectively used the classicizing style inherited from Rome. The faces are modeled; we see the same convincing modeling in the heads of the angels (note the muscles of the necks) and the ease with which the heads turn almost three-quarters. -The space appears compressed, almost flat, at our first encounter. Yet we find spatial recession, first in the throne of the Virgin where we glimpse part of the right side and a shadow cast by the throne -we also see a receding armrest as well as a projecting footrest. -The Virgin, with a slight twist of her body, sits comfortably on the throne, leaning her body left toward the edge of the throne. -The child sits on her broad lap as the mother supports him with both hands. -We see the left knee of the Virgin beneath convincing drapery whose folds fall between her legs. -"hierarchy of bodies." Theodore and George stand erect, feet on the ground, and gaze directly at the viewer with large, passive eyes. While looking at us they show no recognition of the viewer and appear ready to receive something from us. -The saints are slightly animated by the lifting of a heel by each as though they slowly step toward us. -The Virgin averts her gaze and does not make eye contact with the viewer. -The ethereal angels concentrate on the hand above. The light tones of the angels and especially the slightly transparent rendering of their halos give the two an otherworldly appearance. -This supremely composed picture gives us an unmistakable sense of visual movement inward and upward FUNCTION -Theotokos means "child bearer" -A private devotional object (used to inspire the pious and help them express their veneration for God and enhance their spirituality) -The composition displays a spatial ambiguity that places the scene in a world that operates differently from our world. The ambiguity allows the scene to partake of the viewer's world but also separates the scene from the normal world. -The passive saints seem to stand ready to receive the veneration of the viewer and pass it inward and upward until it reaches the most sacred realm depicted in the picture. -These zones of holiness suggest a cosmos of the world, earth and real people, through the Virgin, heavenly angels, and finally the hand of God. The viewer who stands before the scene make this cosmos complete, from "our earth" to heaven. CONTENT -The icon shows the Virgin and Child flanked by two soldier saints, St. Theodore to the left and St. George at the right. -two angels who gaze upward to the hand of God, from which light emanates, falling on the Virgin. -At the top of the painting an architectural member turns and recedes at the heads of the angels. The architecture helps to create and close off the space around the holy scene. CONTEXT -One of thousands of important Byzantine images, books, and documents preserved at St. Catherine's Monastery, Mount Sinai (Egypt)

Merovingian looped fibula

- Early Medieval Europe - 550 CE FORM -They all consist of a body, a pin, and a catch. -This was a very popular style of fibula, and is called a "crossbow" fibula because of its resemblance to the weapon. -Unscrewing the left knob at the end of this "crossbow" would release the pin -The detailed incising on the body is called pierced openwork and bears a Christian cross amongst a circular leaf motif. -Although precious and intricate, it is a relatively simple design, indicative of the Byzantine/Roman fibulae style. -Frankish fibulae is an example of cloisonné, which is a technique characterized by inlaid semi-precious stones. In fact, the word cloisonné literally means "partitioned" (divided) in French. -The artisan would solder wires onto a metal base and fill the areas those wires created with stones (to be distinguished with cloisonné enamel, which has colored enamel baked within these partitions). -Shows a popular motif in barbarian art- The eagle, originally a pagan symbol of the sun, was used by Imperial Rome, and would later become an emblem to St. John. -The end of these fibulae are in the shape of Eagle heads, and little fish are shown on the main body. -Garnets were used to decorate the eyes of the eagles, and a wide range of gems were used to decorate the rest of the fibulae. -Visigothic fibulae is another example of barbarian metalwork and cloisonné. These were decorated with garnets, amethyst, and colored glass. Pendants could have been hung from the small loops on the bottom on each fibulae. FUNCTION -brooches that were made popular by Roman military campaigns -one of the most commonly found objects in barbarian* grave sites CONTENT -Lombardic fibula is a stylized variation of the crossbow fibula -It is gilded and inlaid with niello, a black metal alloy. The incisions are hatched lines, a popular decoration technique in Lombardic fibulae. -Merovingian- looped fibulae CONTEXT -Ornate fibulae became all the rage in the early middle ages -Grave goods like fibulae provide the most concrete cultural information about barbarians, due to the sparse amount of written documentation about them. -The diverse ethnic groups were constantly borrowing from one another, while putting their own spin on things -The Byzantines were a part of the eastern Roman empire, their capital being Constantinople. Their empire was a continuation of the Roman empire during the middle ages, while the majority of modern-day Italy was overtaken by barbarian tribes.

Lindisfarne Gospels: St. Matthew, cross carpet page, St. Luke

- Early Medieval Europe (Hiberno-Saxon) - 700 CE -Eadfrith FORM -Four separate "covers" for each gospel- matthew, mark, luke, john -codex (a bound book, made from sheets of paper or parchment) -stacked wine-glass shapes horizontally and vertically against his intricate weave of knots. - On closer inspection many of these knots reveal themselves as snake-like creatures curling in and around tubular forms, mouths clamping down on their bodies. Chameleon-like, their bodies change colors: sapphire blue here, verdigris green there, and sandy gold in between. -The sanctity (holiness) of the cross, outlined in red with arms outstretched and pressing against the page edges, stabilizes the background's gyrating activity and turns the repetitive energy into a meditative force. -Luke's incipit page grows with animal life, spiraled forms, and swirling vortexes. -Blue pin-wheeled shapes rotate in repetitive circles, caught in the vortex of a large Q that forms Luke's opening sentence—Quoniam quidem multi conati sunt ordinare narrationem. -Birds also abound. One knot enclosed in a tall rectangle on the far right unravels into a blue heron's chest shaped like a large comma. -Eadfrith repeats this shape vertically down the column, cleverly twisting the comma into a cat's forepaw at the bottom. -The feline, who has just consumed the eight birds that stretch vertically up from its head, presses off this appendage acrobatically to turn its body 90 degrees; it ends up staring at the words - Renarrationem: Eadfrith also has added a host of tiny red dots that envelop words, except when they don't—the letters "NIAM" of "quoniam" are composed of the vellum itself, the negative space now asserting itself as four letters. -Evangelist writing- Luke's incipit (the opening words of a text) page is in marked contrast to his straightforward portrait page. Here Eadfrith seats the curly-haired, bearded evangelist on a red-cushioned stool against an unornamented background. -Luke holds a quill in his right hand, poised to write words on a scroll unfurling from his lap. His feet hover above a tray supported by red legs. He wears a purple robe streaked with red, one that we can imagine on a late fourth or fifth-century Roman philosopher. -The gold halo behind Luke's head indicates his divinity. -Above his halo flies a blue-winged calf, its two eyes turned toward the viewer with its body in profile. The bovine clasps a green parallelogram between two forelegs, a reference to the Gospel. this calf, or ox, symbolizes Christ's sacrifice on the cross. There are no margins in the carpets- "harra margarin"? FUNCTION -containing the four gospels recounting the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The manuscript was used for ceremonial purposes to promote and celebrate the Christian religion -Aldred is a 10th-century priest from a priory at Durham. Aldred's colophon—an inscription that relays information about the book's production—informs us that Eadfrith, a bishop of Lindisfarne in 698 who died in 721, created the manuscript to honor God and St. Cuthbert. -Aldred also inscribed a vernacular translation between the lines of the Latin text, creating the earliest known Gospels written in a form of English. CONTENT -This book is the monk's exemplar, the codex from which he is to copy the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. For about the next six years, he will copy this Latin. -He will illuminate the gospel text with a weave of images— snakes that twist themselves into knots or birds, their curvaceous and overlapping forms creating the illusion of a third dimension into which a viewer can lose him or herself in meditative contemplation. -A Northumbrian monk, very likely the bishop Eadfrith, illuminated the codex -Two-hundred and fifty-nine written and recorded leaves include full-page portraits of each evangelist; highly ornamental "cross-carpet" pages, each of which features a large cross set against a background of ordered and yet teeming ornamentation; and the Gospels themselves, each introduced by an historiated initial. -The codex also includes sixteen pages of canon tables set in arcades. Here correlating passages from each evangelist are set side-by-side, enabling a reader to compare narrations. CONTEXT -A medieval monk takes up a quill pen, fashioned from a goose feather, and dips it into a rich, black ink made from soot. - Seated on a wooden chair in the scriptorium of Lindisfarne, an island off the coast of Northumberland in England, he stares hard at the words from a manuscript made in Italy. -The book is a spectacular example of Insular or Hiberno-Saxon art—works produced in the British Isles between 500-900 C.E., a time of devastating invasions and political upheavals. Monks read from it during rituals at their Lindisfarne Priory on Holy Island, a Christian community that safeguarded the shrine of St Cuthbert, a bishop who died in 687 and whose relics were thought to have curative and miracle-working powers.

Pyxis of al-Mughira

- India (Umayyad) - 968 CE FORM -A pyxis is a cylindrical box used for cosmetics. -Carved ivory -The pyxis was probably cut from the cross-section of an elephant's tusk and it was adorned in highly specific, royal iconography. -There are also traces of inlaid jade. Jade and other precious and semi-precious stones were used in the decoration of these boxes. -Horror vacury- afraid of margins FUNCTION -Held perfume or cosmetics -a gift to the then-eighteen-year-old al-Mughira, the son of a caliph, perhaps as a coming-of-age present. -They were bestowed upon members of the royal family, specifically sons, wives and daughters on important or memorable occasions, such as a marriage, birth or coming of age - later they were given as Caliphal gifts to important allies, such as the Berbers, who are the indigenous peoples of North Africa, many of whom converted to Islam and swore their allegiance to the Umayyad Caliphs in Spain. -Human and animal figures expressing the political authority and legitimacy of Umayyad Caliphs CONTENT - contains an inscription and figurative work which are important for understanding the traditions of ivory carving and Islamic art in Al-Andalus. -decorated with four eight-lobed medallions which are surrounded by figures and animals that include falconers, wrestlers, griffons, peacocks, birds, goats and animals to be hunted. -Each medallion has princely iconography. -shows two men collecting eggs from the nests of Falcons, a symbol of Umayyad legitimacy. -This medallion centers around a lute player flanked by two figures, one of whom holds the braided scepter and flask of the Umayyads, while the other holds a fan. -Presumably the man with the scepter and flask symbolizes the Umayyad Caliph, and the figure with the fan, the Abassids. -Another medallion shows lions attacking two bulls. As in Arabic poetry, these lions symbolize the victorious (in this case, perhaps the Umayyads). -The final scene shows men on horseback date-picking. The date-palm, found primarily in the Middle East and North Africa, may allude to the lost lands of the East (the lands under Abbasid control). This too was a theme of Umayyad poetry. - An Arabic inscription in the kufic script runs around the base of the lid and reads: "God's blessing, favours, joy, beatitude to al-Mughira son of the Commander of the faithful, may God have mercy upon him, in the year 357." CONTEXT -An example of the royal ivory carving tradition in Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain). -It was probably fashioned in the Madinat al-Zahra workshops

Madonna and Child with Two Angel, Fra Fillipo Lippi

- Italy - 1465 CE FORM AND CONTENT -realistic -Very somber, mary knowing the fate of her son. Yet playful- the angels look like children playing on the streets of Florence. -The angel in the front has a playful, mischievous smile -The halos above Mary and Christ are just a simple circle -The frame of the window is the frame of the painting. -So it's as if we are looking through a window FUNCTION -Medici family paid for this art CONTEXT -Lots of money in Florence during this time

Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli

- Italy - 1484 CE FORM - Venus covers her body almost like Eve covered hers when she was expelled front he Garden of Eden. but here we have a gesture of modesty, not one of shame - The canvas feels flat because Theres emphasis on pattern. -The left side has flowers on the foreground and also on the dress worn by the attendant and the cloth she carries -The v's that represent the waves of the sea create a sense of two dimensionality -Also the figures are not in front of or behind another -Botticelli has an understanding of human anatomy -They are weightless- they dont stand firmly on the ground -Venus has a serpentine shape that would be impossible to stand in FUNCTION -We dont know who it's painted for -Celebration of beauty and love CONTENT - The subject, a full length, nude female was highly unusual for the 15th century - Goddess of love - She floats on a seashell. Shes born from the sea- she was born fully grown - She is blown by the west wind Zephr and we see his body entwined with the body of Chloris (nymph or goddess who was associated with spring) -On the right we see an attendant who is ready to wrap the newborn goddess CONTEXT -Nudity in Christian art was often an expression of soemthing traumatic- Christ is almsot nude on the cross -There may be meaning behind this painting that connects classcial mythology to certain Christian ideas via a philosophy called Neoplatonism

Last Supper, Leonardo Da Vinci

- Italy - 1494 CE FORM - Oil and tempera - The balanced composition is anchored by an equilateral triangle formed by Christ's body. - He sits below an arching pediment that if completed, traces a circle. - These ideal geometric forms refer to the renaissance interest in Neo-Platonism (an element of the humanist revival that reconciles aspects of Greek philosophy with Christian theology). -In his allegory, "The Cave," the Ancient Greek philosopher Plato emphasized the imperfection of the earthly realm. Geometry, used by the Greeks to express heavenly perfection, has been used by Leonardo to celebrate Christ as the embodiment of heaven on earth. -The twelve apostles are arranged as four groups of three and there are also three windows. -The number three is often a reference to the Holy Trinity in Catholic art. -In contrast, the number four is important in the classical tradition (e.g. Plato's four virtues) -use of linear perspective in combination with ornate forms such as the sphinxes on the ends of the bench and the marble paneling tend to detract from the spirituality of the event. -Because Leonardo sought a greater detail and luminosity than could be achieved with traditional fresco, he covered the wall with a double layer of dried plaster. -Then, borrowing from panel painting, he added an undercoat of lead white to enhance the brightness of the oil and tempera that was applied on top. FUNCTION -Represent the Last Supper- Christ's final meal with his apostles before Judas identifies Christ to the authorities who arrest him CONTENT -Christ says to his apostles "One of you will betray me," and the apostles react, each according to his own personality. -Referring to the Gospels, Leonardo depicts Philip asking "Lord, is it I?" "He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same shall betray me" (Matthew 26). -We see Christ and Judas simultaneously reaching toward a plate that lies between them, even as Judas defensively backs away. -We can see different reactions -Leonardo also simultaneously depicts Christ blessing the bread and saying to the apostles "Take, eat; this is my body" and blessing the wine and saying "Drink from it all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for the forgiveness of sins" -These words are the founding moment of the sacrament of the Eucharist (the miraculous transformation of the bread and wine into the body and blood of Christ). -dense with symbolic references. Attributes identify each apostle. -For example, Judas Iscariot is recognized both as he reaches toward a plate beside Christ (Matthew 26) and because he clutches a purse containing his reward for identifying Christ to the authorities the following day. - Peter, who sits beside Judas, holds a knife in his right hand, foreshadowing that Peter will sever the ear of a soldier as he attempts to protect Christ from arrest. CONTEXT -(1447) typical of the Early Renaissance. -The Last Supper is in terrible condition. I-t's in a dining hall in a church- a refectory

Entombment of Christ, Jacopo Pontormo

- Italy - 1525 CE FORM - Capponi chapel- Large altar painting with four rondels (St. Mark, St. Matthew, St. John the Evangelist, St. Luke) - two frescoes on the wall that abuts the facade and a painting in the dome that no longer survives -The artist removed all the stage props that are traditional in painting like this. He left us with only the human bodies and one cloud and a little bit of a steep ground -A move away from the renaissance style- No illusion of space No linear or atmospheric perspective No sense of weight No accurate anatomy -Christ's torso is massive, but the attendant figure to the left is holding him with no effort, and the one below Christ is holding him with the weight on his tippy toes -There's rejection of the high renaissance naturalism This painting is an example of the new **mannerist style, built on the naturalism of the High renaissance, but introducing a dance-like elegance -Christ's body recalls michelangel's figure of Christ in the Pieta -But in the pieta there is a pyramid form, whereas in this it takes a form of a circle FUNCTION -Burial chapel altar painting CONTENT -Christ in the painting is assumed to be lowered into his tomb -Other historians say he is being lifted onto the lap of Virgin Mary -Others say he is physically being lowered onto the table of the altar that exists physically in the chapel -The figures looking at us are two angels, and they removed Christ from Mary's lap and are going to elevate his body toward heaven CONTEXT -In the church of Santa Felicita in Florence -Immediately to the right of the entrance is a small burial chapel (capponi chapel) -Belonged to the Capponi family who acquired it in the 1520s -They hired the artist Pontormo to produce it -Occurred during this time: beginning of reformation in Northern Europe, the dismantling of the Republic in Florence, the consolidation of the Medici rule

Venus of Urbino, Titian

- Italy - 1538 CE FORM - There is glowy softness from the paint achieved by glazing- the artist applies very thin layers of oil paint that are almost translucent, on top of each other- up to 15 layers of paint - Use of chiaroscuro - The figures in the background balance the mass of her body without distracting from it - Her torso is too long, her feet are small - Even though the wall behind her is black, her diagonal form balances FUNCTION - About sensuality and beauty of the physical CONTENT -She's gazing directly at us - Symbol- theres a dog- loyalty, shes holding flowers- bride? - There are three different levels- foreground, nude woman, and servants CONTEXT By one of the great Titians- the Venetian master

Calling of Saint Matthew, Caravaggio

- Italy - 1597 CE FORM - Baroque- the divine entered everyday life- very relatable - The environment they're in is important for Caravaggio- he's not showing Christ in Heaven or an elevated, plasticized environment - Very real- removed from the idealized beauty of the high Renaissance - The lighting- Christ is the embodiment of a spiritual force- the light is guiding a diagonal line from Christ's finger to matthew's finger - Christ's slight bend of the wrist is similar to the hand that Michelangelo painted in Creation of Adam - There has been a tradition of seeing Christ as the second Adam- Adam who causes the fall of mankind and Christ who redeems mankind - Just as Adam was created, in a sense, Matthew was recreated FUNCTION - Incredible moment of spiritual awakening - Spiritual awakening is a typical subject in baroque art CONTENT - In the back room of a tavern or a bar - Christ is walking in on the right (half obscured) with his arm outstretched, Saint Peter is in front of Christ (sort of a heavy, powerful rough looking guy - Christ looks much more noble, younger and delicate than Saint Peter - There's a delicacy that removes him from the regular world - Matthew is pointing to himself in disbelief- he's the older figure with the large beard with a black hat and a dark tunic - Matthew is a tax collector and he's sitting with his fellow tax collectors- who are younger than him, counting money. They are leaning over with greed and they're armed- they have swords, they're dressed in fancy clothes - Christ basically says, "you, you're going to be Saint Matthew" to matthew and matthews like, "me?" -The money was not gotten legally -The painting is not only real and immediate, but also pedestrian and dirty- if you look at the bare feet of Peter and Christ, there's something gritty about -Caravaggio's realism- also the window CONTEXT - In San Luigi dei Francesi in Rome, in the Contarelli Chapel - Matthew was one of Christ's disciples who wrote the Gospel - There are negative implications- he works for the IRS, which was shady - Commissioned by Conterelli family- in the Conterelli chapel

Henry IV Receives portrait of Marie de'Medici, Peter Paul Ruben

- Italy - 1621 CE FUNCTION - This canvas is the sixth in a series of twenty-four paintings on the life of Marie de' Medici commissioned by the queen from Peter Paul Rubens in 1622 to adorn one of the two galleries in the Luxembourg Palace, her newly-built home in Paris. - dedication to the major life events of a queen -The cycle idealizes and allegorizes Marie's life in light of the peace and prosperity she brought to the kingdom, not through military victories but through wisdom, devotion to her husband and her adopted country, and strategic marriage alliances—her own as well as the ones she brokered for her children. -This is the message she wished to convey - The painting presents Henry's engagement to Marie de Medici as a union ordained by the gods, counseled by France, and inspired by Marie's beauty and virtues CONTENT AND FORM - this is catholic Europe, but this is filled with ancient greek and roman mythological figures -it is an idealized portrayal of the conclusion in April of 1600 of marriage negotiations that were two years in the making. -Focal point- A young woman in a bejeweled dress with a stiff lace collar gazes confidently out of a simply-framed, bust-length portrait placed at the very center of a large canvas. -Her name is Marie de' Medici, daughter of the Grandduke of Tuscany. -The ancient gods of marriage and love—Hymen and Amor (Cupid), to the left and right, respectively—hover in midair as they present this portrait to Henry IV, the king of France. -Hymen holds in his left hand a flaming torch, symbolizing the ardor of love, while Cupid praises the virtues of the Medici princess. -Cupid's arrow has hit its mark; the king is smitten. He gazes up in gratitude, his left hand extended as he expresses his delight in his bride-to-be. -From the heavens above, Jupiter and Juno, the king and queen of the Olympian gods, look down with approval, their own hands touching in a tender gesture of marital union. -Jupiter's fierce eagle, seen in the top left corner, looks away from the couple and clenches its lightening bolts in its talons. -In contrast, Juno's tamed peacock looks at the divine couple, while his mate cranes her neck to look at the portrait. -A pink silk ribbon binds the brids together. The peahen perches on Juno's chariot, directly above a golden relief of Cupid who balances a yoke-shaped garland (a symbol of marriage) on his shoulders as he playfully dances on the wings of a proud eagle. -The message is clear: even the king of the gods can be subdued by love. -Following Jupiter's lead, Henry must also turn his attention to marriage. -this match is about politics as well as love. -Behind Henry stands the personification of France, wearing a blue silk garment embroidered with gold fleur-de-lys (the coat of arms of the French monarchy) and an elaborate plumed helmet encircled by a gold crown. -She gently touches Henry's shoulder and whispers in his ear, assuring him that a match with the Medici princess is indeed good for the kingdom. -France urges Henry to turn away from the field of battle, the aftermath of which is visible in the burning town in the background, and attend to hearth and home, for domestic matters are no less important to the survival of the monarchy than military exploits. -Henry obliges; his helmet and shield—now the playthings of two tender cherubs—lie at his feet. -henry recognized the political and financial necessity of the Medici marriage -Rubens asserts Marie's successful role as wife and mother by establishing a dominant vertical axis through the center of the composition from Juno, with her exposed, full breasts, through Marie's portrait to the chubby cherub directly below. -Of all of the figures in the painting, Marie and the cherub are the only ones who look out at the viewer, pointedly reaffirming the centrality of Marie de' Medici and of her royal progeny to the future of France. -There is a theme of peace CONTEXT -After Henry was assassinated in 1610, Marie ruled the kingdom of France for seven years. many French nobles resented her power. -Divisions in the court, including tensions with her own son, led to Marie's exile from the Paris in 1617. -The commission of the biographical cycle marked her reconciliation with Louis and her return to the capital city in 1620. It vindicated her reign as the queen of France. -For Henry, a Protestant who had converted to Catholicism upon ascending to the throne in 1593, a Catholic wife would lessen any concerns about his loyalty to the Catholic Church in France. -Additionally, Marie's hefty dowry eased Henry's large debt to the Medici, major financial backers of his military activities. -And, perhaps most importantly, Henry was nearing the age of 50 and had yet to father an heir, putting France's future stability in danger. -A fruitful union with Marie was key to this stability. In this matter, marie have birth to a son one year after the wedding, and five additional children, four of whom survived to adulthood.

Rottgen Pieta

- Late Medieval Europe, France - 1300 CE FORM -Painted wood, 34 1/2 inches high Terrifying, This is part of the beauty and drama of Gothic art, which aimed to create an emotional response in medieval viewers. FUNCTION -All of these Pietàs were devotional images and were intended as a focal point for contemplation and prayer. -the intent was to show that God and Mary, divine figures, were sympathetic to human suffering, and to the pain, and loss experienced by medieval viewers. -By looking at the Röttgen Pietà, medieval viewers may have felt a closer personal connection to God by viewing this representation of death and pain. CONTENT Christ clearly died from the horrific ordeal of crucifixion, but his skin is taut around his ribs, showing that he also led a life of hunger and suffering. -Mary in the Röttgen Pietà appears to be angry and confused. She doesn't seem to know that her son will live again. She shows strong negative emotions that emphasize her humanity, just as the representation of Christ emphasizes his. CONTEXT -Earlier medieval representations of Christ focused on his divinity. In these works of art, Christ is on the cross, but never suffers. -These types of crucifixion images are a type called Christus triumphans or the triumphant Christ. -His divinity overcomes all human elements and so Christ stands proud and alert on the cross, immune to human suffering. -Late medieval devotional writingleaned toward mysticism and many of these writers had visions of Christ's suffering. -Francis of Assisi stressed Christ's humanity and poverty. Several writers, such as St. Bonaventure, St. Bridget of Sweden , and St. Bernardino of Siena, imagined Mary's thoughts as she held her dead son.

Screen with Siege of Belgrade and hunting scene (Brooklyn Biombo)

- Mexico - 1697 CE FORM - Japanese landscape elements - Floral elements bordering the entire screen - Thin painting, some parts are brilliantly illuminated - This is part of the only known surviving biombo econchado - enconchado means shell inlay so this is a shell encrusted biombo. so it's a combination of oil painting and mother-of-pearl that's been placed into the screen itself -You can see it in the helmets that seemed to shine and it's most prominent in the floral motifs that are at the very top that frame the battle scene FUNCTION - Folding screen - The Viceroy (ruler) himself, Jose Sarmiento de Valladares owned this object - We don't know who the artist was, but we know it's made by an artist in New Spain at the time for the viceroy. most likely to be placed inside of his new Palace in Mexico City. - each side of the biombo were intended for different audiences. - the side with the battle would have been intended for the viceroy and important individuals - the hunting scene was intended for the individuals the viceroy (smth smth receiving) often women - So this would have political used as an expression of his power. this particular viceroy has come from Spain to rule over this colony and so this would assert the dominance of the Habsburg in Mexico over the ottomans CONTENT - There's half a battle scene because this biombo is actually half of the original. the other half is in a museum in Mexico City - it's a chaotic scene between members of the Habsburg empire, the Spanish Empire at the time, and the Turks - the Habsburgs were the family that ruled Spain and was in control of so much of the new world but was also in control of Central Europe - This scene is taking place not long before this object is produced - ^Battle of Belgrade- between the Ottoman Turks and crouching into Central Europe - The other side: It's much more decorative and relaxed. it's a hunting scene but it is showcasing the artist's ability to display a beautiful landscape- asian inspired tapestry - The design for the hunting scene came from a Medici tapestry that was made in France. the tapestry was then copied into a print. and the same thing with the other side with the battle scene -Classical elements- the swags are the top held in the mouths by lions- these are classical elements that you see in the Renaissance that's coming from ancient Rome CONTEXT -Inspired by japanese folding screen and Japanese people call it biombo -This was a word that would have been used in the Spanish colony that is now Mexico -at this point in time Mexico is part of the Viceroyalty of New Spain, comprised of parts of the southwestern United States, Mexico and down through Central America -**the Viceroy is actually the administrator for the king It was trade with Philippines- included folding screens, lacquer boxes -The base and top looks like japanese lacquer

The Virgin of Guadalupe, Miguel Gonzalez

- Mexico - 1697 CE FORM -paint and mother-of-pearl, or enconchado. -the bodies of the angels and the frames they support, and most of the Virgin Mary's clothing uses pieces of mother-of-pearl shell. -The iridescent shell would reflect shimmering candlelight to emphasize the sacredness and importance of the Virgin Mary. -González also created a frame that includes more pieces of shell inlaid into wood. -Floral decorations in red and gold alternate with common symbols of the Virgin Mary. We see a ladder, palm tree, ship, lily, and fountain. -The ladder connoted Jacob's Ladder or the ladder to Paradise (u can think of Mary as the ladder by which her son descended to earth and by which mortals will ascend into heaven), while the palm tree signified an Exalted Palm and the righteous and chosen ones. -Mary is seen as the ship of salvation, but the ship could also refer to Noah's Ark. -The lily refers to Mary's purity, and the fountain refers to Mary as "the fountain of living water" -Enconchado artworks were popular in seventeenth-century Mexico. The shell is placed into the painting like mosaic, then covered with glazes. -Some scholars have noted the connection between enchonchado and Japanese namban lacquer work that uses a similar technique with shell inlaid into wood. FUNCTION - Portray the story of Virgin of Guadalupe and Juan Diego CONTENT - The images portray the Virgin as she appears on the tilma: in three-quarter view, crowned, hands clasped, eyes cast downwards, encased in light, and standing on a crescent moon that an angel supports. - The manner in which the Virgin of Guadalupe appears relates to Immaculate Conception* (the doctrine that Mary was conceived without original sin in her mother's womb) imagery which was based on Revelation 12: "clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head." -In the four corners of the painting there are four framed scenes carried by angels- they represent different moments in the story of the miracle. -In the upper left, Juan Diego is led to the Virgin Mary by angels. -In the upper right, Juan Diego has a vision of the Virgin Mary at the Hill of Tepeyac -in the lower left, Juan Diego takes leave of the Virgin Mary with a full cloak -and in the lower right Juan Diego reveals the image on his cloak to the bishop and others. -Above Mary is the dove representing the Holy Spirit in a golden cloud, and below an eagle perches on a cactus. -this symbol is in the Mexican flag, which refers to the Mexica (or Aztec) and the mythic founding of their capital city, Tenochtitlan (now Mexico City). -The symbol signals the Virgin of Guadalupe's direct connection to the people of New Spain CONTEXT -On December 9th, 1531, a decade after the downfall of Tenochtitlan (the capital of the Mexica, or Aztec, empire, today Mexico City) and the beginnings of Spanish colonization, a man named Juan Diego (born Cuauhtlatoatzin) was walking across the Hill of Tepeyac near a razed shrine (Tenochtitlan—including temples, shrines, and buildings—was destroyed in the Spanish colonial period) to the Mexica (Aztec) earth goddess Tonantzin when a woman appeared and spoke to him in Nahuatl, his native tongue. -The Nahua are an ethnic group from Central Mexico whose pre-Hispanic empire, the Aztec empire, was defeated by the Spanish in 1521. The language they spoke, Nahuatl, was the indigenous lingua franca in the colonial period in New Spain - She was Virgin Mary, and asked Juan Diego to go to the local bishop, Juan de Zumárraga, and ask for a church to be built on the hill in her honor. The bishop did not believe Juan Diego's story. - Mary asked Juan Diego two more times with the same request, but still no shrine was constructed. - During her fourth request on December 12th, she told Juan Diego to gather roses from the hill into his cloak (or tilma). -When he stepped before the bishop and opened his cloak, the roses—Castillian roses (which are not native to Mexico) spilled forth. - Imprinted on the tilma was an image of the Virgin Mary herself, known today as the Virgin of Guadalupe. -Zumárraga recognized the miracle, and a shrine to the Virgin of Guadalupe was built on the Hill of Tepeyac, with a basilica to her constructed below. -Today, the original miraculous tilma image hangs in the new basilica at Tepeyac in Mexico City. -the viceroyalty of New Spain consisted of Mexico, much of Central America, parts of the West Indies, the southwestern and central United States, Florida, and the Philippines. -Japanese goods were imported to Mexico via the Manila Galleons, where they were sold or sent on to Spain. Eventually, non-Japanese artists began to copy the Japanese technique.

Spaniard and indian produce a Mestizo, Attributed to Juan Rodriguez Juarez

- Mexico - 1715 CE -José Joaquín Magón FORM - This genre of painting, known as pinturas de castas, or caste paintings (racial and social identifier), attempts to capture reality, yet they are largely fictions. FUNCTION - This painting belongs to a larger series of works that seek to document the inter-ethnic mixing occurring in New Spain among Europeans, indigenous peoples, Africans, and the existing mixed-race population. - evidence suggests that some of these casta series were commissioned by Viceroys, or the stand-in for the Spanish King in the Americas, who brought some casta series to Spain upon their return. - Other series were commissioned for important administrators. - However, little is known about the patrons of casta paintings in general. - However Because casta paintings reflect increasing social anxieties about inter-ethnic mixing, it is possible that elites who claimed to be of pure blood commissioned casta paintings. CONTENT - "In America people are born in diverse colors, customs, temperaments and languages. From the Spaniard and the Indian is born the mestizo, usually humble, quiet and simple."- in an inscription on "The Mestizo" - The painting displays a Spanish father and Indigenous mother and two children, one of whom is a servant carrying the couple's baby. - This family model is possibly modeled on depictions of the Holy Family showing the Virgin Mary, saint Joseph, and Christ as a child. - The indigenous mother, dressed in a huipil (traditional woman's garment worn by indigenous women from central Mexico to parts of Central America) with lace sleeves and wearing sumptuous jewelry, turns to look at her husband as she gestures towards her child. -Her husband, who wears French-style European clothing and a powdered wig, gazes down at the children with his hand either resting on his wife's arm or his child's back. -The young servant looks upwards to the father. The family appears calm and even loving. This is not always the case, however. -Often as the series progresses, discord can erupt among families or they are displayed in unglamorous surroundings. -People also appear darker as they become more mixed. Casta paintings from the second half of the eighteenth century in particular focus more on families living in less ideal conditions as they become more racially mixed. ** -Earlier series, like Rodríguez Juáre's, often display all families wearing more fanciful attire. CONTEXT - Typically, casta paintings display a mother, father, and a child (sometimes two). - This family model is possibly modeled on depictions of the Holy Family showing the Virgin Mary, saint Joseph, and Christ as a child. - Casta paintings are often labeled with a number and a textual inscription that documents the mixing that has occurred. - The numbers and textual inscriptions on casta paintings create a racial taxonomy, akin to a scientific taxonomy. - In this way, casta paintings speak to Enlightenment concerns, specifically the notion that people can be rationally categorized based on their ethnic makeup and appearance. -They are commonly produced in sets of sixteen, but occasionally we see sixteen vignettes on a single canvas. -Costume, accouterments, activities, setting, and flora and fauna all aid in racially labeling the individuals within these works. -The first position of the casta series is always a Spanish man and an elite Indigenous woman, accompanied by their offspring: a mestizo, which denotes a person born of these two parents. - As the casta series progresses and the mixing increases, some of the names used in casta paintings to label people can often be pejorative. - Casta paintings convey the perception that the more European you are, the higher you are on the racial hierarchy. - Pure-blooded Spaniards always occupy the highest position in casta paintings and are often the best dressed and most "civilized." casta paintings convey that one's social status is tied to one's racial makeup.

Merode Altarpiece, Robert Campin (Annunciation Triptych)

- Northern Europe - 1432 CE FORM - Oil paint on oak- so the artist can make reflections on metals - Stylistic and technical evidence suggests that the altarpiece was executed in phases. -The windows of the central panel, originally covered with gold leaf, were painted with a blue sky, and the armorial shields were added afterward. FUNCTION -One of the most celebrated early Netherlandish paintings—particularly for its detailed observation, rich imagery, and superb condition—this triptych belongs to a group of paintings associated with the Tournai workshop of Robert Campin sometimes called the Master of Flémalle. -Documents indicate that he hired at least two assistants, the young Rogier van der Weyden and Jacques Daret -About two feet tall -It's a triptych so it can be folded up and carried to another room -The artist pays attention to everything -There are sharp folds in the clothes (it's not actually how drapery falls) -The cloth is thick and obscures the bodies There are many things in the small room -Realism, but the space is not mathematically accurate according to linear perspective because the floor is too steep -There was an increasing interest in commissioning paintings as aids in prayer for people to use in their homes CONTENT - Having just entered the room, the angel Gabriel is about to tell the Virgin Mary that she will be the mother of Jesus. - An image of Christ's conception in an interior not unlike the one in which they lived also may have reinforced their hope for their own children. - Taking place in a Flemish city -Center: The center scene looks like it's taking place in the living room of someone who lived in this area of Northern Europe in the 1400s - We see archangel Gabriel and Virgin Mary, and a scene that would have taken place 1500 years before this painting was made - This biblical scene of the annunciation is taking place in a Flemish household precisely to make these figures of mary and gabriel closer to us, to make our prayer more profound, to bring us closer to God - Gavriel is announcing to Mary that she will bear Christ - The shiny pot in the background reflects the light from the two windows. This is the symbol of Virgin Mary's purity and sinlessness -Theres a small figure holding a cross that seems to be gliding down golden rays that come through the round window. It's heading right to mary, and this is the holy spirit. *** -This is unusual because we normally see a dove as the symbol of the holy spirit -A lot of symbols we see have to do with the idea of the incarnation of God and Mary's virginity -Mary is reading a bible -Left: The donors, which are the patrons. A man and his wife who commissioned this painting witnessing the annunciation. Theyre shown kneeling, which is a typical positions to recognize them as donors. a town messenger stands at the garden gate. - Theyre set within a walled garden which has important symbolism in the late medieval and renaissance art which often refers to Mary's virginity. -In latin, this is known as the hortus conclusus, a closed garden, but we know we're in the northern renaissance bc there is an incredible amount of detail -Right: We see Joseph, mary's husband, a carpenter, who is in the act of making. He's surrounded by his tools. drilling holes in a board. -The object out the window and next to him are mouse traps -Saint Augustine said that the cross of the lord was the devil's mouse trap, the bait by which he was caught by the lord's death -We also see wood and an axe, a reference to the cross -So even though this painting is a celebration of the coming of Christ, we see references to Christ's death He's making holes in the wood and that references Christ's crucifixion CONTEXT -The Annunciation, which follows a slightly earlier workshop composition, probably was not commissioned. -Shortly thereafter, the male donor ordered the wings, which appear to have been painted by two artists. -At a later point, in the 1430s, presumably following the donor's marriage, the portraits of his wife and of the messenger were added. -The center was painted first, then the donor (left) then the right -They were painted on spec, which means it was hoped that someone would buy it, or get a patron

The Arnolfini Portrait, Jan Van Eyck

- Northern Europe - 1434 CE FORM - Oil paint on oak - He painted in thin layers to get the soft light - The figures are elongated, the room is cramped - It's not perspectively correct - We're not in the italian renaissance but in the northern renaissance- the love of texture, the use of oil FUNCTION -Portrays their wealth through their clothing, their furniture CONTENT - It is widely accepted that this is not an actual wedding taking palace, but a double portrait of a couple who are already married - The man is an italian merchant who worked in Bruges. Bruges was a thriving economic town int he early 15th century - Theyre joining hands, their shoes are off which means maybe something sacred is taking place - Theres a single candle in the chandelier which could be a symbol of the presence of God - The mans hand it up, which means perhaps he is greeting the two people at the doorway we see in the mirror - The signature above the mirror says "Johannes van eyck was here" so the artist's presence is there - There are scenes from the passion of Christ painted on the back pieces of glass panels that are set into the wooden frame- attention to detail - Theres a dog-symbol of fidelity or loyalty - Theres fruit on the trees outside but theyre wearing fur lined clothing. So even though it is warm weather, they are wearing their finest winter wear - At their window, they ave oranges, which represents their wealth because oranges were expensive in Flanders - Taking place in a bedroom- usually a place where it is private, but back then, it was a place where you receive visitors CONTEXT - Some scholars suggested that perhaps it's a memorial portrait and the woman on the right had actually passed away the previous year - Some suggested that this is a witnessing of the male giving authority to the woman in legal affairs

Adam and Eve, Albrecht Durer

- Northern Europe - 1504 CE FORM - Engraving - Despite the chill of the forest, the two human figures appear nude. -Their bodies are frontal, and they stand in a classical contrapposto, or counterpoise -The corresponding shift in hips and shoulders creating a convincing illusion of a body capable of movement but temporarily at rest. -Despite this apparent naturalism, their heads are turned to the side as they gaze at one another. -This twisting configuration of head and body is artificial. -The naturalizing contrapposto clashing with the artificiality of the rest of the pose establishes a pattern of contradictions that run throughout the picture. -the artist is enthralled by Italian and classical tradition. -The German forest is ennobled by classically proportioned figures who actually reference Greek sculptures of Venus and Apollo, and anchored in tradition with the symbolism of the humors. In Renaissance fashion, the perfect physical proportions of the body correlate with the interior harmony FUNCTION - the picture tells us primarily about the Renaissance, about Germany, and about Dürer himself rather than the text of Genesis - The poses of the two human figures are contrived to show off this German artist's knowledge of classical (Greco-Roman) proportions. -Based on the ideals of the Roman architect Vitruvius, the proportions of the face—for instance the distance from forehead to chin—determine the ideal proportions of the rest of the body. Dürer sacrifices naturalism to showcase his mastery of Vitruvian ideals. CONTENT -In the picture, Adam and Eve stand together in a dense, dark forest. -Far from the garden evoked in Genesis, this forest is distinctly German, the dark woods of the devils and spooks of Grimm's fairy tales. -Foreign and unexpected motifs intrude into this German wood. -A tree becomes distinctly odd, as we recognize that Eve is plucking an apple from a tree with fig leaves. -A parrot, a tropical bird, perches on a branch to the viewer's left. Six other animals stroll disinterestedly through or stand about—an elk, ox, cat, rabbit, mouse, and goat. -The elk, ox, rabbit, and cat exemplify the four humors or human personality types, all of which correlate with specific fluids in the body. 1. Melancholic: elk, black bile 2. Phlegmatic (cold, indifferent): ox, phlegm 3. Sanguine (optimistic): rabbit, blood 4. Choleric (irritable): cat, yellow bile - Only Adam and Eve are in perfect balance internally. - After the Fall, one humor predominates in everyone, throwing our temperaments into imbalance. - Dürer's placid animals signify that in this moment of perfection in the garden, the human figures are still in a state of equilibrium. The cat does not yet chase the mouse, and the goat (a reference to the scapegoat of the bible) is still standing on his mountain perch. CONTEXT - by the German renaissance artist Albrecht Dürer - The cartelino or small sign hanging from branch Adam grasps contains its own contradiction. It proudly identifies the artist as a citizen of the Franconian city of Nuremberg (Noricus), but does so in Latin, the language of the Mediterranean, of the Roman Empire and of the Italian Renaissance. - Colorful, tropical parrots were collectors items in Germany, and they were also symbols in art. - The call of the parrot was believed to sound like "Eva-Ave" —Eve and Ave Maria. -This word play underpins the Christian interpretation of the story of the Fall of Humanity by characterizing the Virgin Mary, mother of Christ, as the antidote for Eve's sin in the Garden of Eden. -The advent of mechanically reproducible media, both woodcuts and intaglio prints, was a revelation for Dürer. More people had access to the pictures

Isenheim altarpiece, Matthias Grunewald

- Northern Europe - 1512 CE FORM - enormous moveable altarpiece, essentially a box of statues covered by folding wings -interior ensemble is symmetrical, rational, mathematical and replete with numerical perfections—one, three, four and twelve. - All three scenes are highly idiosyncratic and personal visions of Biblical exegesis - the musical angels, in their Gothic bandstand, are lit by an eerie orange-yellow light while the adjacent Madonna of Humility sits in a twilight landscape lit by flickering, fiery atmospheric clouds. - realism and intensity of feeling may have been inspired by: the visions of St. Bridget of Sweden FUNCTION -created to serve as the central object of devotion in an Isenheim hospital built by the Brothers of St. Anthony. CONTENT -At the heart of the altarpiece, central carved and gilded ensemble consists of rather staid, solid and unimaginative representations of three saints important to the Antonine order; -a bearded and enthroned St. Anthony flanked by standing figures of St. Jerome and St. Augustine. -Below, in the carved predella, usually covered by a painted panel, a carved Christ stands at the center of seated apostles, six to each side, grouped in separate groups of three. -Grünewald's painted panels come from a different world; visions of hell on earth, in which the physical and psychological torments that afflicted Christ and a host of saints are rendered as visions wrought in dissonant psychedelic color, and played out by distorted figures—men, women, angels and demons—lit by streaking strident light and placed in eerie other-worldly landscapes. - The painted panels fold out to reveal three distinct ensembles. In its common, closed position the central panels close to depict a horrific, night-time Crucifixion. -The Virgin swoons into the waiting arms of the young St. John the Evangelist while John the Baptist, on the other side (not commonly depicted at the Crucifixion), gestures towards the suffering body at the center and holds a scroll which reads "he must increase, but I must decrease." -The emphatic physical suffering was intended to be thaumaturgic (miracle performing), a point of identification for the denizens of the hospital. -The flanking panels depict St. Sebastian, long known as a plague saint because of his body pocked by arrows, and St. Anthony Abbot. -In the predella panel is a Lamentation, the horrifyingly punctured dead body of Christ is presented as an invitation to contemplate mortality and resurrection. -The second position emphasizes this promise of resurrection. Its panels depict the Annunciation, the Virgin and Child with a host of musical angels, and the Resurrection. -The progression from left to right is a highlight reel of Christ's life. -The Resurrection panel is the strangest of these inner visions. Christ is wreathed in orange, red and yellow body haloes and rises like a streaking fireball, hovering over the sepulchre and the bodies of the sleeping soldiers, a combination of Transfiguration, Resurrection and Ascension. -Grünewald saves his most esoteric visions for the fully open position of the altar, in the two inner panels that flank the central sculptures. -On the left, St. Anthony is visited in the blasted-out wilderness by St. Paul (the first hermit of the desert)— the two are about to be fed by the raven in the tree above, and Anthony will later be called upon to bury St. Paul. -The meeting cured St. Anthony of the misperception that he was the first desert hermit, and was therefore a lesson in humility. -In the final panel, the depiction of St. Anthony's temptations in the desert; sublime hybrid demons, like Daliesque dreams, torment Anthony's waking and sleeping hours, bringing to life the saint's torment and mirroring the physical and psychic suffering of the hospital patients. CONTEXT -Nicolas of Hagenau? -St. Anthony was a patron saint of those suffering from skin diseases (Isenheim is a village about 15 miles south of Colmar). -The pig who usually accompanies St. Anthony in art is a reference to the use of pork fat to heal skin infections, but it also led to Anthony's adoption as a patron saint of swineherds, totally unrelated to his reputation for healing and as the patron of basket-weavers, brush-makers and gravediggers (he first lived as an anchorite, a type of religious hermit, in an empty sepulchre) -At the Isenheim hospital, the Antonine monks devoted themselves to the care of sick and dying peasants, many of them suffering from the effects of ergotism, a disease caused by consuming rye grain infected with fungus. =Ergotism, popularly known as St. Anthony's fire, caused hallucinations, skin infection and attacked the central nervous system, eventually leading to death. -It is perhaps not incidental to Grünewald's vision for his altarpiece that the hallucinogen LSD was eventually isolated from the same strain of fungus

Allegory of Law and Grace (gospel), Lucas Cranach the Elder

- Northern Europe - 1530 CE FORM -woodcut and letterpress, oil on wood, northern renaissance FUNCTION -The Reformation, initiated by Martin Luther in 1517, was originally an attempt to reform the Catholic Church. -However, reform quickly became rebellion, as people began to question the power and practices of the Catholic Church, which had been the only church in western Europe up until Luther. CONTENT -Two subjects divided by a tree -The left means that law alone without gospel does not get you to heaven -In the background you can see adam and eve -The Law and the Gospel explains Luther's ideas in visual form, most basically the notion that heaven is reached through faith and God's grace. -Luther despised and rejected the Catholic idea that good deeds, what he called "good works," could play any role in salvation. -two nude male figures appear on either side of a tree that is green and living on the "Gospel" side to the viewer's right, but barren and dying on the "law" side to the viewer's left. -Six columns of Bible citations appear at the bottom of the panel. -On the "gospel" side of the image (theright side), John the Baptist directs a naked man to both Christ on the cross in front of the tomb and to the risen Christ who appears on top of the tomb -The risen Christ stands triumphant above the empty tomb, acting out the miracle of the Resurrection. This nude figure is not vainly hoping to follow the law or to present a tally of his good deeds on the judgment day. He stands passively, stripped down to his soul, submitting to God's mercy. -In the left foreground a skeleton and a demon force a frightened naked man into hell, as a group of prophets, including Moses, point to the tablets of the law. -Christ sits in Judgment as Adam and Eve (in the background) eat the fruit and fall from grace. -Moses beholds these events from his vantage point toward the center of the picture, his white tablets standing out against the saturated orange robe and the deep green tree behind him, literally highlighting the association of law, death, and damnation. -Taken together, these motifs demonstrate that law leads inescapably to hell when mistaken for a path to salvation, as the damned naked man demonstrates. CONTEXT -The Law and the Gospel is the single most influential image of the Lutheran Reformation. -A decisive difference between Catholics and followers of Luther was the question of how to get to heaven, and what role, if any, religious art could play. -The Catholic Church insisted that believers could take action to vouchsafe their salvation by doing good deeds, including making financial donations and paying for elaborate art to decorate Christian churches. -Luther, however, insisted that salvation was in God's hands, and all the believer had to do was to open up and have faith. -As people became disillusioned with Catholic teaching, they grew angry about the ways the Catholic Church became rich in money, art, and power. When reform became impossible and rebellion the only course of action, furious, frustrated believers directed their anger at works of art, an easy and powerful target. -The Law and the Gospel is concerned with two roles that God plays, to judge and to show mercy. -On the one hand, God judges and condemns human sin; but on the other hand, God also shows mercy and forgiveness, granting unearned salvation to sinful believers.

Hunters in the Snow, Pieter Brueghel the Elder

- Northern Europe - 1565 CE FORM - Oil on wood panel from the Renaissance, from Flanders - In italy, there's an attempt to perfect the most ideal moment. But this is different from Northern painting which is concerned with narratives - The footprints in the snow show how deep the snow is - There is a visual rhythm and narrative- our eyes, following the trees, go own to the frozen pond where a woman is pulling somebody else on a sleigh -Then following the black crows you go under the arches and there's a woman above who is carrying firewood - Then we see lots of play on the ice- children, ice hockey - This painting was composed partially imagined FUNCTION - Made for a merchant in Antwerp that asked Bruegel to make six panel paintings, which were study of the labors of the months- each painting represented the diff times of the year. This one is winter - This is an idea that goes back to manuscript illumination, back to the Medieval Period - Virgil- The idea of landscape given meaning by the activities of the people that in habit it - The patron may have been thinking about virgil when he commissioned the series CONTENT - The landscape feels frozen and harsh, but warmed by the human inhabitants - Some hunters returning from their hunt with their dog, but they don't have much from their hunting - There's a rabbit hanging from the back of one of the hunters, but it is a pretty meager catch- shows the stresses of winter - There's a sense of melancholy- their backs are turned to us, the dog's heads are down - There's no middle ground- the eye moves immediately to the different side of winter, where there's playfulness - This painting is full of the activities of winter CONTEXT - By Pieter Bruegel- the Return of the Hunters/ Hunters in the Snow - We can see the distant hills that are a reminder that bruegel made his way from northern Europe across the Alps to Italy - When he traveled, he seemed to be most impressed by the Alps

Las Meninas, Diego Velazquez

- Spain - 1656 CE FORM - There's a kind of informality in the portrait- the people are spontaneous, unlike the formal portrait paintings of royal families, where they are usually posing for the painting - Naturalistic, but you can see the raw strokes of the paint FUNCTION - Meant for the study of the king, who would have been the person looking at the painting - So the figures in the painting are meant to look at the king, who's looking at the painting - This painting could support the idea that an artist is not only a painter, but an important craftsman, an intellectual CONTENT - We're looking at the painting that Velázquez himself is painting inside the painting, while looking directly at the viewer - In the center is the princess attended by the maidens of honor, a dwarf, her governess, and some other attendants - on the back wall, a mirror which is sort of a puzzle- we know its a mirror because unlike the canvases on the back wall, there is a much more reflective surface. -In The reflection, we see the King and Queen of Spain, Philip IV and his wife- we could be them looking into the mirror (which is why the princess and dog is looking at us), or the reflection could be the painting on in the painting

Sistine Chapel, Michelangelo

- Vatican City, Italy - 1508 CE FORM - Frescoes in the high vaulted ceiling FUNCTION - Commisioned by Pope Julius II CONTENT - Scenes from the book of genesis - Scenes of Old Testament divided by the fictive architecture - The narrative begins at the altar and is divided into three sections. - In the first three paintings, Michelangelo tells the story of The Creation of the Heavens and Earth; this is followed by The Creation of Adam and Eve and the Expulsion from the Garden of Eden; finally is the story of Noah and the Great Flood. -Ignudi, or nude youths, sit in fictive architecture around these frescoes, and they are accompanied by prophets and sibyls (ancient seers who, according to tradition, foretold the coming of Christ) in the spandrels. -In the four corners of the room, in the pendentives, one finds scenes depicting the Salvation of Israel. -The most famous- The Creation of Adam- hidden anatomy of brain -In The Deluge, the physical space of the water and the sky separates four distinct parts of the narrative -On the right side of the painting, a cluster of people seeks sanctuary from the rain under a makeshift shelter. -On the left, even more people climb up the side of a mountain to escape the rising water. Centrally, a small boat is about to capsize because of the unending downpour. -And in the background, a team of men work on building the ark—the only hope of salvation. -Up close, this painting confronts the viewer with the desperation of those about to perish in the flood and makes one question God's justice in wiping out the entire population of the earth, save Noah and his family, because of the sins of the wicked. -Unfortunately, from the floor of the chapel, the use of small, tightly grouped figures undermines the emotional content and makes the story harder to follow. -the Delphic Sibyl (ancient seers who, according to tradition, foretold the coming of Christ)- from the Vatican's collection- The overall circular composition of the body, which echoes the contours of her fictive architectural setting, adds to the sense of the sculptural weight of the figure. Her arms are powerful, the heft of her body imposing, and both her left elbow and knee come into the viewer's space -The Libyan Sibyl- Although she is in a contorted position that would be nearly impossible for an actual person to hold, Michelangelo nonetheless executes her with a sprezzatura (a deceptive ease) that will become typical of the Mannerists who closely modelled their work on his. CONTEXT -By Michelangelo, lying on his back, wiping sweat and plaster from his eyes as he spent years hundreds of feet in the air completing this commission that he never wanted to accept in the first place -Michelangelo began to work on the frescoes for Pope Julius II in 1508, replacing a blue ceiling dotted with stars -In 1510, Michelangelo took a yearlong break from painting the Sistine Chapel. The frescoes painted after this break are characteristically different from the ones he painted before it

School of Athens, Raphael

- Vatican City, Italy - 1509 CE FORM - High Renaissance - One point perspective - we see architecture that is very Bramantian, but also very ancient Roman - There are coffered Barrel vaults, Pilasters - The middle for ground is fairly empty, so the linear perspective at the bottom of the painting balance is too strong orthogonals at the top of the painting. -he wants to make way for the advancement a Plato and Aristotle as they walked down the stairs FUNCTION -Commissioned by Pope Julius II CONTENT - In the room called Stanza Della Segnatura - Raphael painted on the four walls, the four branches of human knowledge: - philosophy, having to do with things of this world - theology, having to do with issues relating to God and the divine - poetry - Justice - These four areas of human knowledge are symbolized by allegorical figures that we see on the ceiling - In the center, There are two great philosophers Plato and Aristotle surrounded by other philosophers and mathematicians from antiquity. - we can tell Plato from Aristotle because Plato is older and was his teacher. - Plato is also holding one of his own books, the Timaeus. -And Aristotle holds his book, the ethics the books represent the contrasting philosophies of the two men - Plato was known for being interested in the ethereal, the theoretical, which cannot be seen - He's pointing up - Hes wearing red (fire) and purple (air) - On the side of Plato, we see philosopher is concerned with issues of the ideal. for example we see Pythagoras, a mathematician - Aristotle focused his attention on the observable, the actual, the physical - His palm is down - Wearing blue (water) and brown (earth) - on his side, We see Euclid, the figure we associate with geometry. she seems to be drawing a geometric diagram for students interested in measure, the idea of the practical - Euclid is modeled on a friend of Rafael's - there's Bramante, the great architect asked by Pope Julius II to provide a model for a new Saint Peter's. -Bramante's design for Saint Peter's was based on perfect geometry of circles and squares. and it's really visible in the architecture that Raphael constructed for the School of Athens. -We see representations of classical sculpture in the niches on the left, that is on the platonic side. -we see Apollo the god of the sun, music, poetry, things that would be appropriate to the platonic -on right we see Athena, the god of war and wisdom, who presumably is involved in the more practical Affairs of man -In the middle there is Diogenes -And heraclitus, a philosopher, who seems to be writing and thinking quietly by himself. Others are engaged with others in the painting, but not him. His features are those of Michelangelo known for his rather lonely and brooding personality. Raphael has painted him here in the same pose as the prophet Isaiah on the Sistine ceiling although Isaiah looks up, Michelangelo's heraclitus looks down - Raphael also included himself- It's the young figure looking directly at us in a black cap, and standing among some of the most important astronomers of all time- Ptolemy and Zoroaster CONTEXT - Painted during the same time the Michelangelo was painting the Sistine Chapel ceiling just a few doors away. this room was originally a library, part of the papal Apartments, which is where the pope lived Commissioned by Pope julius II

Palace (château) of Versailles

- Versailles, France - 1669 CE FORM I- t's enormous- The place has 700 rooms, 2,153 windows, and takes up 67,000 square meters of floor space - Rooms of marble and gold and paintings FUNCTION - Versailles was meant to emphasize Louis's importance. - By building Versailles, Louis shifted the seat of French government away from the feuding, gossiping, trouble-making noble families in Paris. - He had the whole palace and its massive gardens built along an East/West axis so the sun would rise and set in alignment with his home. - And he filled both the palace and its gardens with sculpture, painting, and fountains that all focused on himself. CONTENT - ceilings painted to place Louis in the company of the Greek gods, busts of him in a huge formal curly wig staring at you wherever you go - Lots of gold to show how wealthy he was - The king's Official state bedroom was where the incredibly detailed lever (rising) and coucher (going to sleep) rituals would be perfofmed each day -Both involved a whole host of courtiers waiting on the king while he got up or went to bed, following strict rules of position and rank to determine who got to perform which parts of the ceremony. -The queens of France who lived at Versailles were the focus of a similar ritual (the Toilette) in the queen's main bedchamber, a room where they also gave birth in public. - The symmetrical Salon of War and Salon of Peace are decorated with paintings highlighting France's military might and the benefits of living calmly under a tranquil ruling government. -the Cabinet des Chiens (literally, the Study for Dogs) was a room that Louis XV's valets shared with his dogs, who also got to sleep in a room full of gilding and painted decoration. - The most famous room is the Hall of Mirrors, which runs along the entire length of the central building. - One wall contains a row of giant windows looking out over the gardens and the other wall is covered with 357 mirrors that catch the rising sun's rays inside the palace and remind us of Louis XIV's power - Though the room is over the top in its grandeur, it was mainly used as a passageway. -After the king got up for the day, he proceeded through this mirrored hall to his private chapel, and as many courtiers as could fit would squeeze in Since Louis XIV's day, the room has also been used for parties and military agreements -The outside has a basic strcuture that is classical: symmetrical, repetitive, and based on simple elements that are directly borrowed from ancient Greek temples. -The façade that faces the gardens looks similar to the White House. -Louis linked himself to Apollo. There's the Apollo Fountain and Apollo Salon. CONTEXT - When the King of France, Louis XIV, first decided to build a new palace and move his court out of Paris, there was nothing on his chosen site at Versailles but a smallish hunting lodge. -Today, the palace stands as a prime example of the over-the-top excesses of the French nobility that led to the French Revolution. -Important people- Thanks to the team of Louis le Vau (architect to the aristocracy), André le Nôtre (landscape designer), and Charles le Brun (interior decorator and painter), Louis XIV's palace was completed 21 years after it was begun in 1661 allowing Louis to officially set up court there

Woman Holding a Balance, Johannes Vermeer

- Northern Europe - 1664 CE FORM - The light from the window is illuminating her face and the front of her body - The painting was very carefully planned- the vanishing point is at the pinky finger of the woman's right hand - the exact center of the painting is where those balances meet - There's a subtle modulation from the deep Shadow near the light - and the gold of the curtain is picked up by the two bars of the frame on the right side and then picked up again by the gold quality of some of the pearls and overdress - Except for the red in the box, all the colors are dull FUNCTION - Perhaps the meaning could be: what was the relationship between wealth and spirituality? - maybe the dalen signifies that - mirrors are often symbols of vanity and so maybe that relates to the worldly possessions on the table in front of her. Nearest can also signify self-knowledge and truth - She's attending to the world of the physical and wealth other than the world of the spiritual CONTENT - Vanitas (still life artwork which includes various symbolic objects designed to remind the viewer of their mortality and of the worthlessness of worldly goods and pleasures)- symbol and theme - Shows a scene of everyday life- it's quiet - Woman dressed up in very fine clothing- she's part of the upper merchant class in Holland in the 17th century - She's wearing a typical cap made of linen that women would have worn when they were at home - She's also wearing a fur trimmed jacket - She stands at a table Karma and the wall opposite her is a window which is letting in a tiny bit of light in - also there's a mirror - in her hand there's a very fine balance. there is nothing on either side. It's as if she was waiting for the balance to come to rest - on the table before her we see a number of boxes. One box is open and that would have held the balance and the weights. In the other box are strings of pearls - we see some coins so we have an indication of material wealth and perhaps she's about to weigh the valuables that are in front of her - This painting it has more meaning though- in the back of the woman said you can see that there's a painting with Christ in a brilliant mandorla towards the top functioning as judge over all the souls that have ever lived and those souls are at the bottom - The souls at Christ's right would have been the Blessed, the shows on Christ's left would have been the Damned, and so this is The Last Judgement Her head divides the Blessed from the Damned CONTEXT - The upper merchant class was increasingly buying art when interpreting this painting, art historians think about the context of 17th-century Holland

The Tete a Tete, from Marriage a la Mode, William Hogarth

- Northern Europe - 1743 CE FUNCTION - Prompted by a concern in the 18th century that marriages were sometimes arranged for economic benefit rather than for love - marriage a la mode means "modern marriage" Hogarth is trying to remove any kind of sympathy we could have four Lord Squanderfield CONTENT AND FORM - makes fun of aristocracy - The six paintings in the series tell a story of an aristocratic family named the Squanderfields, suggesting that they squandered their aristocratic fortune - second canvas- Tete a Tete (head to head or face to face) - The husband has come home from a night of gambling and drinking and womanizing, which we know because the dog is sniffing at what looks like a woman's bonnet it in his pocket And he looks like he didn't sleep for a while - his wife looked like while he was gone, she also had some fun- her bodice is undone, she looks flirtatious -She seems to be signaling with a mirror held above her head to her lover perhaps- the chairs overturned, and instrument is on the floor, a music book is open which implies lovemaking which ended when the Husband came home - In the room behind them, we see images of saints Hogarth is commenting on immorality of this couple - To make sure the signals are noticed, Hogarth placed a third figure in the foreground. - he's an accountant and you can see that he is not happy- he holds receives, he holds bills and he throws his hands up because he cannot get this young couple to take their finances seriously - if you look at the mantelpiece, there are knick knacks lined up that look recently purchased and look inexpensive compared to the aristocratic environment- there's a contrast between the tawdry things that the young couple brought in and the classicism that is part of the aristocratic life - There is also a classical sculpture, but its nose is broken as if it were knocked over at a party - Behind it there is a painting of cupid among the ruins which shows that love is ruined - On one of the paintings in the other room, that is partially covered by a curtain, you can see a nude foot on a bed. this is a clear signal in the 18th century to a lewd painting CONTEXT - 18th century- By William Hogart- best known for making prints, not paintings - Prints are a lot less expensive than paintings - During the industrial revolution in England and France- so as a result theres a widening middle class that wants to buy art. - The aristocracy is losing power while the merchant class is becoming wealthy

Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel, Giotto

- Padua, Italy - 1303 CE -giotto FORM - there are numerous separate images in the chapel FUNCTION - According to the Church, usury (charging interest for a loan) was a sin, and so perhaps one of Enrico's motivations for building the chapel and having it decorated by Giotto was to make up for the sin of usury. -The chapel is known as the Arena Chapel since it is on the site of an ancient Roman arena (or amphitheater) -Private chapel connected to a palace that was owned by the Scrovengi family (the palace was torn down in the nineteenth century, though parts of the arena remain). CONTENT - frescoes were commissioned by a wealthy man named Enrico Scrovegni, the son of a well-known banker (and a banker himself). -Commissioning works of art for churches was a common way of doing "good works" which could help you earn your way into Heaven. -We can see Enrico himself in the fresco of the Last Judgment on the west wall of the Arena Chapel—he is shown on the side of the blessed. -He is depicted kneeling, presenting the chapel to the three Mary's, with virgin mary in the middle - The Arena Chapel is organized in a very strict way. Three registers begin at the top and move downward. - It's a continuous story. It begins with Christ's grandparents, it goes in to the birth of Mary, her marriage, and then when we get down to the second register we get to Christ's life or ministry. - Then, the bottom register is the Passion, these are the events at the end of Christ's life and immediately after his death. - the reason for the entire cycle can be seen at the apex of the triumphal arch on the opposite wall with God, who he calls Gabriel to his side telling him to go to the Virgin Mary and announce to her that she will bear humanities savior, that she will bear Christ. CONTEXT - The artist who takes the biggest step away from the Medieval style of spiritual representation in painting in the early 14th century is Giotto.

San Vitale

- Ravenna, Italy - 526 CE FORM -3f (flooring) 1g -Narthex- the entrances (same for hagia sophia) -Centrally planned church- its focus is on its center instead of basilica, which has a long, or longitudinal axis -Usually, a church is built like a cross. But this isn't -It has a ambulatory, or an aisle that surround its central space -on the east, theres an extension with an apse at the end -It has eight sides, octagon -Made out of reused brick from ancient Roman buildings -There are big piers that support the building -Doubled columns- stacked columns -Every surface is covered with imagery The only surfaces that are made of stone are made of decorative marble, cut to create abstract designs -The columns have classical orders -On top of the capitals are impost blocks that help make the transition up to the arches FUNCTION -church CONTENT -Mosaics are lit with windows and reflect light -The apse has three large windows and a large mosaic-Christ is dressed royally in purple sitting in an orb, the orb of Earth, the universe. Hes holding the book of the apocalypse with the seven seals visible. -In his right hand, he's handing a crown to San Vitalis, who was adopted as the primary martyr of this city -On the other side there is Ecclesius, who founded and sponsored the building of this church. we see him handing the church to the angel beside Christ -Below flow the four rivers of paradise -On either side of him, angels -Above the altar, theres an image of the Lamb of God. the Lamb of God refers to Christ. He wears a halo. The lamb was sacrificed for the redemption of mankind. The lamb is surrounded by a wreath of victory. In this case, the idea of the triumph of Christianity itself. -The wreath is held in place by four angels who stand on globes that refer to the globe upon which christ in the apse sits -We see Christ again, but this time bearded, older, in the archway at the beginning of the chancel. -Moving down the arch on either side are 14 figures, including the apostles -We see scenes from the old Testament, specifically ones that pre-figure the life of Christ, and the new testament Justinian mosaic and Theodora FORM -3f (flat, floating, frontal), 1g -Made out of tesserae, which are small pieces of colored glass, many with gold leaf -Overlapping suggests that Justinian is the closest figure to the viewer, but Maximianus's feet are lower on the picture plane which suggests that he is closer to the viewer. -This can perhaps be seen as an indication of the tension between the authority of the Emperor and the church. FUNCTION -This mosaic thus establishes the central position of the Emperor between the power of the church and the power of the imperial administration and military. -Like the Roman Emperors of the past, Justinian has religious, administrative, and military authority. -This identifies the mosaic as the so-called Little Entrance which marks the beginning of the Byzantine liturgy of the Eucharist. CONTENT -The two most important mosaics in San Vitale flank the apse. -They show the reassertion of Eastern imperial control. -They show the emperor Justinian in purple with a halo (hes divine)and his empress Theodora. -Justininan holds a bowl associated with the Eucharist, which he is handing in the direction of Christ in the apse. this wouldve held the bread for the sacrament of the Eucharist -Justinian is surrounded by his court. There are religious figures representing the church and the military. They never came to Ravenna. They're in the mosaics to reassert their control over the city. -For much of the 400s, Ravenna was under the control of a Goth, Theodoric, and he was an Arian, which means he didn't follow the orthodox doctrines of the church -The Arians believed that Christ was the creation of God the Father and therefore was lower in the hierarchy of the Trinity -Justinian, the emperor in Constantinople in the early 500s, sends his general, Belisarius, to conquer Italy, to reconquer Ravenna, and reestablish orthodox Christian belief. -The Arian belief was suppressed - So in the mosaic there are three sets of power- the church, emperor, and military -Justinian and Maximian (bishop) are more individualized. You can tell who they are. -Maximian hold a jeweled cross and wears the same purple that the emperor wears, associating him with the power of the emperor in Constantinople -The figure at the far right holds an incense burner -All figures are frontal, not realistic. They seem to float in eternal space. -The figures stand in front of a field of gold, a byzantine tradition -Justinian is thus Christ's vice-regent on earth, and his army is actually the army of Christ as signified by the Chi-Rho on the shield. -To the right of the apse windows, we see the panel of Theodora, the empress and it mirrors the panel with Justinian. She is seen as co-equal with Justinian, even though she was lower class, an entertainer apparently. -Shes wearing rubies, sapphires, emeralds and pearls. She has a halo -Theodora is carrying the chalice for the wine for the eucharist -At the bottom u can see Three Magi is visiting when Christ is born CONTEXT - As the Christian Emperor, he saw himself as the defender of the faith. -As such it was his duty to establish religious uniformity or Orthodoxy throughout the Empire. -Spiritual power go hand in hand with political power, the emperor

Bayeux Tapestry

- Romanesque Eruopse (England) - 1066 CE -Bishop Odo FORM - Measuring twenty inches high and almost 230 feet in length - Although it is called the Bayeux Tapestry, this commemorative work is not a true tapestry as the images are not woven into the cloth; instead, the imagery and inscriptions are embroidered using wool yarn sewed onto linen cloth - No shadows- very stylized FUNCTION - commemorates a struggle for the throne of England between William, the Duke of Normandy, and Harold, the Earl of Wessex (Normandy is a region in northern France) CONTENT - The Bayeux Tapestry consists of seventy-five scenes with Latin inscriptions (tituli) depicting the events leading up to the Norman conquest and culminating in the Battle of Hastings in 1066. -The textile's end is now missing, but it most probably showed the coronation of William as King of England. -The tapestry is sometimes viewed as a type of chronicle. -However, the inclusion of episodes that do not relate to the historic events of the Norman Conquest complicate this categorization. -the tapestry favorably depicts the Normans in the events leading up to the battle of Hastings, thus presenting a Norman point of view. -Most importantly, Odo Episcopus appears in several scenes in the tapestry with the inscription - The artists skillfully organized the composition of the tapestry to lead the viewer's eye from one scene to the next and divided the compositional space into three horizontal zones. -The main events of the story are contained within the larger middle zone. -The upper and lower zones contain images of animals and people, scenes from Aesop's Fables, and scenes of husbandry and hunting. -The seventy-five episodes depicted present a continuous narrative of the events leading up to the Battle of Hastings and the battle itself.** - A continuous narrative presents multiple scenes of a narrative within a single frame and draws from manuscript traditions such as the scroll form. -The subject matter of the tapestry, however, has more in common with ancient monumental decoration such as Trajan's Column, which typically focused on mythic and historical references. -The embroiderers' attention to specific details provides important sources for scenes of eleventh-century life as well as objects that no longer survive. -In one scene of the Normans' first meal after reaching the shores of England, we see dining practices. -We also see examples of armor used in the period and battle preparations. -To the left of the dining scene, servants prepare food over a fire and bake bread in an outdoor oven. Servants serve the food as the tapestry's assumed patron, Bishop Odo, blesses the meal -Immediately after dining, William and his half-brothers Odo and Robert meet for a war council. --Preparations for battle flank both sides of the first meal episode. -Here we see visual evidence of eleventh-century battle gear and the construction of a motte-and-bailey to protect the Normans' position. -A motte-and-bailey is a fortification with a keep (tower) situated on a raised earthwork (motte), surrounded by an enclosed courtyard (bailey). -Images of battle horns, shields, and arrows as crucial ammunition shed light on military provisions and tactics for the time period. -William's tactical use of cavalry is displayed in the "Cavalry" scene. The cavalry could advance quickly and easily retreat, which would scatter an opponent's defenses allowing the infantry to invade. It was a strong tactic that was flexible and intimidating. -Although foot soldiers are included in the tapestry, the cavalry commands the scene, thus presenting the impression that the Normans were a cavalry-dominant army.*** -Cavalrymen are shown wearing conical steel helmets with a protective nose plate, mail shirts, and carrying shields and spears whereas the foot soldiers are seen carrying spears and axes. -Representations of the cavalry show that the soldiers were armored but the horses were not. -Made by queen matilda CONTEXT -1066—William invaded and successfully conquered England, becoming the first Norman King of England -The Bayeux Tapestry was probably made in Canterbury around 1070. -Based on a few key pieces of evidence, art historians believe the patron was Odo, Bishop of Bayeux. Odo was the half-brother of William, Duke of Normandy. -By the late Middle Ages, the tapestry was displayed at Bayeux Cathedral***, which was built by Odo and dedicated in 1077, but its size and secular subject matter suggest that it may have been intended to be a secular hanging, perhaps in Odo's hall. -Many of the scenes are believed to have been adapted from images in manuscripts illuminated at Canterbury.

Ecstacy of St Theresa, Bernini

- Rome, Italy - 1647 CE FORM - Colored marble - Gilding - Baroque art- involve the viewer to inspire faith - Baroque art often appeals to our senses, which is different from the high renaissance and its appeal to the rational mind - There's a broken pediment, a sort of proscenium, a stage-like space - There's a window hidden behind the broken pediment that shines light through and then down onto the sculpture - Outside, there are two pediments and a spiral shaped - broken facade FUNCTION - Bernini used the physical body and a kind of sexual symbolism to get at the spiritual experience - The patron- the Cornaro family - Frederico Cornaro was a cardinal in Venice, but had important ties to Rome CONTENT - There's fresco on the ceiling and the stained glass - The ecstasy of teresa is a woman who had recently been canonized (in 1622), been made a Saint, who here is having one of her not so uncommon visions of an angel - The angel is pointing the arrow at the woman. Her body is writhing under the heavy cloth - He has a sweet and angelic smile and his body is graceful - There's a difference between the cloth the angel and the woman wears. The angel's cloth seems to whip around his body with the wind, while the woman wears heavy cloth - On either side of the chapel, we see relief sculptures of figures that look like they're in theater boxes, as if we were a part of an audience - The figures are the Cornaro family - Rays of gold representing light - If we look way up there's a fresco on the ceiling of the chapel that shows the Holdy spirit, a white dove, and light emanating from that- it's like the light is coming from the holdy spirit to the two figures CONTEXT - Bernini was deeply religious and interested in theater - Bernini was both a scupltor and an architect, a dramatist, and stage craftsman - In the Cornaro Chapel within the Church of Santa Maria della Vittoria - Saint Teresa wrote accounts of the visions that she had of angels using metaphors - "Beside me on the left appeared an angel in bodily form. He was not tall, but short, and very beautiful. And his face was so aflame that he appeared to be one of the highest ranks of angels, who seemed to be all on fire. In his hands I saw a great, golden spear, and at the iron tip there appeared to be a point to fire. This he plunged into my heart several times so that it penetrated to my entrails. When he pulled it out, I felt that he took them with it and left me utterly consumed by the great love of God. The pain was so severe that it made me utter several moans. The sweetness caused me by this intense pain is so extreme that one cannot possibly wish it to cease. Nor is one's soul content with anything but God. This is not a physical but a spiritual pain, though the body has some share in it, even a considerable share." - This was when Protestants in the north were revolting against the Cathlics, and saying that the pomp and ceremony of the Catholic tradition is not necessary - The protestants said that we should have a personal relationship with God, that we didn't need the ceremony of the church - What Bernini is doing is he is using all the pomp and ceremony, all the gold and marble to express a direct relationship between a spiritual realm and an individual

Catacomb of Priscilla

- Rome, Italy - 200 CE FORM - Tufa, the stone of rome- soft material, ideal for this kind of excavation - The passageways are stacked on top of each other - Low ceiling, rough earth and floor - On either side of the narrow hall, there are horizontal niches that are long enough to accommodate a body. Short ones held children while longer ones held adults - The passages seem to go on endlessly - Decorated with Roman first style wall painting- plaster built up and then painted to imitate marble panels FUNCTION - Places where the earliest Christians were buried - villa (home) of a wealthy woman named Priscilla - She donated the land as a place where at first her family would be buried and then eventually the Christian community CONTENT - Occupy about 10 km or more than five miles of burials - This is a labyrinth of narrow passageways - Some passageways are three stories deep Wealthier people would have a space large enough for a sarcophagus but most of the tombs are for the poor - The slots were covered with a slab of marble, or for the poor, just tiles of terracotta. All of that would be covered with plaster, which were often painted - Cubiculum- The larger rooms - Loculi- Horizontal shelves for burial - earliest Christian art is found: - The Madonna and child- an image of a nursing woman and another person that points to the mother and child, who seems to be holding a book (christian symbolism). A mother and child is a common subject in western art history - Inscribed Christian symbols - The anchor which speaks to safe harbor which is a reference to salvation - Theres also representations of a fish, which is a reference to Christ - We also see subjects that relate to christian themes of salvation, subjects from both the Old and New Testament. - This is especially true in a cubiculum called the Greek Chapel - Its not a chapel and it has nothing to do with Greeks. It has this name bc Greek and latin letters were found there - Held the sarcophagi of members of Priscilla's family. - There were meals taken in these spaces as part of a memorial to the dead - There's an image of the story from the book of daniel- the three youths were asked to worship a pagan golden idol and they refused and were sentenced to be burned alive but were saved. this appealed to christians who were persecuted at the time - The images show the miracles and teachings of Christ - Painting of old testament subject of abraham and isaac - Breaking of the bread scene - Reference to liturgy (public religious ritual), the practice of the Eucharist - Cubiculum of the Veil: Same woman depicted three times. On left she is being married, on right she is nursing. In the center she is in a pose called arrant, a pose of prayer meant to represent the woman in the afterlife, the woman resurrected - The largest painting is in the shallow dome of the cubiculum of veil is Christ represented as the Good Shepherd- contrapposto, similar to roman sculpture - Doves with olive branches surrounding Jesus CONTEXT - Now the tombs are emptied and uncovered - perhaps bc of a grave robbing for relics, because some who were buried there were martyrs (they were killed for being christian). - So their remains had spiritual importance and power - There's a myth that catacombs are a secret place where christians practiced their christianity during times of persecution -Its not until 313 when Constantine issues the Edict of Milan that Christianity becomes tolerated within the Roman empire

Santa Sabina

- Rome, Italy - 422 CE FORM -Classical -Narthex- entrance - It had a longitudinal axis so many people can gather for the liturgy with the focus on the altar - The arches leads our eye to the critical point ^ - Open space, we see a clear view through the nave and one aisle on either side, down toward the apse where the altar is. The apse is the semicircular space opposite the entrance of the church - it is lit through sunlight coming in from a clerestory (it doesnt have glass, it has a crystalline form of gypsum) Light comes in, annd light is God's divine soul - Spolia- columns align the sides and contain a nave arcade of arches. There are images created out of inlaid stone that show a chalice and bread plates. Spolia is reused material from another building - Corinthian capital - Down the nave there is a reference to the eucharist, which is part of the Christian liturgy where the priest enacts the sacrifice and resurrection of christ by offering the bread and the wine, which is body and blood of christ FUNCTION - Basilicas—a type of building used by the ancient Romans for diverse functions including as a site for law courts—is the category of building that Constantine's architects adapted to serve as the basis for the new churches. - The emphasis in this architecture is on the spiritual effect and not the physical. - It was an ancient pagan Rome, and administrative structure CONTENT - has a dominant central axis that leads from the entrance to the apse, the site of the altar. - The architecture is relatively simple with a wooden, truss roof. - The walls now plain, the walls apparently originally were decorated with mosaics. - like the interior of the Pantheon, the wall in the classical building was broken up into different levels by the horizontals of the entablatures. - The columns and pilasters form verticals that tie together the different levels. -Although this decor does not physically support the load of the building, the effect is to visualize the weight of the building. The thickness of the classical decor adds solidity to the building. -The glass tiles of the mosaics would create a shimmering effect and the walls would appear to float. -The emphasis in this architecture is on the spiritual effect and not the physical. -Held huge numbers of people -It had a sense of imperial authority -Has a carved wooden doorway with scenes of the old and New testament -In upper left corner, there may be one of the first examples of a crucifixion. We dont see crosses, but a large central figure with his arms out and two other figures in the same position, perhaps the two thieves that were crucified. The screen is elaborately carved CONTEXT -"Santa" means saint -Sabina became a Christian through her servant -Sabina was a martyr -At top of Aventine Hill -built after about a hundred years after Constantine legalizes Christianity

San Carlo Alle Quattro Fontane, Borromini

- Rome, italy - 1646 CE FORM - The walls move in and out, they undulate - Everything is about movement in this church - There are columns alternating with niches, curving rectangular panels and arches, coffers with rosettes - The Trinitarians had very little money and most of this church is made from inexpensive materials- stucco, kind of like plaster- soft cement that's easy to carve -Based on careful geometric structure -There are two triangles that share one side and within each of those triangles are circles and those circles are inscribed within an oval, and the oval is the primary shape of the floorplan -The two triangles form a diamond, and the opposite ends of the diamond define the ends of the lobes, on one side the apse, and the other side the entrance -When we look up, there's a love entablature -Above that we see arches that stretch and deform -Above that is a dome -We see hectagons, octagons, crosses, and at the center, another oval, and in that oval is a dove inside a triangle, a symbol of the Holy spirit, part of the three -part nature of God -There is a light, a supernatural light- there are windows next to the Dove that makes it look like it's glowing, and the windows can't be seen by people directly under -The lobing of the church is similar to the medieval use of the Mandorla, a full body halo in which Christ is often represented -Outside, there is concave and convex undulation -Above that, there are three concave spaces -The central space projects outward because of the medallion held by the angels -The entablature and the cornice above it are like the waves of an ocean -The columns are the pivot points for the building to move in and out FUNCTION - Tiny church - Borromini received this commission from the Trinitarian Order, the order that was dedicated to saving Christians that had been taken in war or by pirates CONTENT - The complexity on the bottom of the church and the clarity towards the top of the church is a metaphor that a divine geomtery underlies what seems like chaos of the earthly - Idea of God as the divine geometer CONTEXT - At San Carlino, "the Four Fountains" in Rome - Designed by by the Baroque architext, Borromini- he didn't want to be paid bc he wanted to design it how he wanted - The Trinitarians focused their devotion on the Holy Trinity- which explains the triangles - Before this church was made, Johannes Kepler wrote about how the universe was structured by the laws of geometry in the Harmony of the World

Angel with Arquebus, Master of Calamarca

- South America - 1650 CE FORM - The angel in Asiel Timor Dei holds the gun like a professional, close to his chest. - Although the gun is ready for firing, the angel does not hold the trigger, nor does he hold it at eye level. - Contrary to the aggressive face of Gheyn's soldier, the face of the angel is serene. The figure is graceful and almost looks like a dancer - The extended lines of the angel's body recall the Mannerist style still preferred in the Americas in the seventeenth century (Mannerism was a style that came after the Renaissance, in the early 1500s). - During the first half of the eighteenth century, when Asiel Timor Dei was painted, the use of gold and silver became prohibited in the clothing of nobility. - The military was, however, exempt from this rule. - Really small hand compared to body FUNCTION - these angels were created after the first missionizing period, as Christian missionary orders persistently sought to terminate the practice of pre-Hispanic religions and enforce Catholicism. CONTENT - Guns, angels and fashion- three elements in this painting - Depictions of androgynous, stunningly attired, harquebus (a type of gun) carrying angels were produced from the late-seventeenth century through the nineteenth century in the viceroyalty of Peru (a - Spanish colonial administrative region which incorporated most of South America, and was governed from the capital of Lima, c. 1534-1820) - Representing celestial, aristocratic, and military beings all at once - The Latin inscription of Archangel with Gun, Asiel Timor Dei indicates the name of the angel, Asiel, and a particular quality: Fears God. ** - The Latin inscriptions in the upper left corner of the painting Asiel Timor Dei are approximates of the original names of angels, and were related to the names of planetary and elemental angels in indigenous religions. - The dress of the angels with guns corresponds to the dress of Andean aristocrats and Inca royalty, and is distinct from the military attire of Gheyn's harquebusiers. - The dress of Asiel Timor Dei was an Andean invention that combines contemporary European fashion and the typical dress of indigenous noblemen. - The excess of textile in Asiel Timor Dei indicates the high social status of its wearer. - The elongated plumed hat is a symbol of Inca nobility, as feathers were reserved for nobles and religious ceremonies in pre-Hispanic society. - The broad-brim hat on which the feathers are planted was in style in France and Holland around 1630. CONTEXT - By Master of Calamarca- bolivian painter identitified as Jose Lopez de los Rios - The harquebus is a firearm with a long barrel created by the Spanish in the mid-fifteenth century. - It was the first gun to rest on the shoulder when being fired - This painting was found by itself, but was likely part of a larger series that included angels performing other activities such as drumming and holding lances. - The Catholic Counter Reformation held a militaristic ideology that portrayed the Church as an army and angels as its soldiers. - The asexual body of the angel in Asiel Timor Dei is consistent with biblical descriptions. - early American images often alluded to angels' connection to certain indigenous sacred planets and natural phenomena, such as rain, hail, stars and comets. - Firearms did not exist in the Americas before the Spanish conquests, and there is evidence suggesting indigenous people saw guns as supernatural manifestations. -Paintings of angels with guns were perhaps representative of both the power of the Spaniards over indigenous people and protection offered to faithful Christians.

Frontispiece of the Codex Mendoza

- Spain - 1541 CE -antonio de mendoza FUNCTION - Around 1541, the first viceroy (ruler) of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza, commissioned a codex (manuscript) to record information about the Aztec empire. CONTENT AND FORM - contained information about the lords of Tenochtitlan, the tribute paid to the Aztecs, and an account of life "from year to year." - The Codex contains a wealth of information about the Aztecs and their empire. -For instance, the Codex's frontispiece relates information about the organization and foundation of the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, or the place of the prickly pear cactus. -it shows us a schematic diagram of Tenochtitlan, with the city divided into four parts by intersecting blue-green canals. -The division of the city into four parts was intended to mirror the organization of the universe, believed to be four parts aligned with the four cardinal directions (north, east, south, west). -At the center of the schematic diagram of Tenochtitlan is an eagle on a cactus growing from the midst of a lake. -The eagle and the cactus relate to the narrative surrounding the capital's establishment. -According to Aztec myth, their patron deity, Huitzilopochtli (Hummingbird Left), told the Aztecs' ancestors to leave their ancestral home of Aztlan and look for a place where they saw an eagle atop a cactus growing from a rock. -He informed them that when they saw this sign, they should settle and build their city. -For the Aztecs, they observed the sign in the middle of Lake Texcoco, and so established their capital on an island in the lake -The cactus upon which the eagle rests also symbolizes the place name of Tenochtitlan. -The cactus is a nopal, or prickly pear cactus, which in Nahuatl is nochtli. -The cactus grows from a stone, or tetl. When paired together, they form te-noch to connote the place of the prickly pear cactus, or Tenochtitlan. -below the cactus and stone in the middle of the drawing is a war shield, indicating the Mexica did not settle peacefully in the Valley of Mexico. -The simple structure above the eagle likely symbolizes a temple, possibly an early phase of the Templo Mayor, or the Aztec's main temple that was located at the heart of the city in the sacred precinct -To the right of the eagle is a simplified skull rack (tzompantli), another structure found near the Templo Mayor. -Different types of plants, including maize, or corn, dot the city's four quadrants, no doubt alluding to the agricultural fertility associated with the city. -Ten men are also depicted in the four quadrants, wearing white garments and displaying top knots in their hair. -These figures led the Aztecs to this island location. Their name glyphs are attached to them in a manner typical of pre-Conquest manuscripts; a thin black line connects to a symbol that denotes their name. -One man, different than the rest and seated to the left of the eagle, has gray skin, as well as a different hairstyle and red mark around his ear. -These traits identify him as a priest because he let blood from his ear as offerings to deities and ash covers his skin. His name glyph identities his as Tenoch. -Other motifs, such as the speech scroll coming from his mouth and the woven mat upon which he sits, convey his high status as well. -Surrounding the entire page are year glyphs, beginning on the upper left with the date 2-House (1325 C.E.) and finishing (counter clock-wise) with the date 13-Reed. There are a total of fifty-one year glyphs. -One year is marked—the year 2-Reed, which occurred twenty-six years after Tenochtitlan's establishment -the reed has a cord wound around it and a fire drill appears above it. -These symbols note that the year 2-Reed was the first year of a new 52-year cycle, the time during which new fire was drilled to begin the new cycle and signal the completion of the previous 52-year cycle. -For the Aztecs, the New Fire ceremony occurred every 52 years—a complete cycle of the solar calendar—and it assured that the sun would rise again. -Just prior to the beginning of a new cycle, new fire was drilled in the body of a sacrificial victim. After this point, the fire was distributed among people to light their homes. -Below the diagram of the city are two scenes of military conquest. The artist emphasizes the military power of the Aztecs by showing two soldiers in hierarchic scale: they physically tower over the two men they defeat. -The Aztec warriors are also identified by their shields and their obsidian-bladed weapons (called macana). -burning temples paired with specific hills note that Colhuacan and Tenayuca were defeated. -This scene of conquest alludes to early Aztec military victories, which aided them in building their power even prior to their first official tlatoani came to power. CONTEXT - The artist or artists were indigenous, and the images were often annotated in Spanish by a priest that spoke Nahuatl, the language spoken by the Nahuas. -Viceroy Mendoza intended to send the Codex to the Spanish King, Emperor Charles V of Spain, although it never made it to Spain; French pirates acquired the Codex and it ended up in France. -Upon its appearance in sixteenth-century France, it was acquired by André Thevet, the cosmographer to King Henry II of France, and Thevet included his name on several pages, including at the top of the Codex Mendoza's frontispiece.

lamentation (arena chapel part 3)

FORM - fresco buon -Giotto simplified the background, but where we might expect to see, the most important figure, Christ, in the center Giotto has moved him off to the left. - The landscape is in service of drawing our eye down toward Christ, that rocky hill that forms a landscape that moves our eye down to Mary and Christ. - Mary raised her right knee to prop him up. She twists her body. And puts her arms around him, one hand on his shoulder, another on his chest. - She leans forward as if to plead with him to wake up as if in disbelief that this could have happened. - Giotto is so interested in naturalism that he's willing to show two figures where we only see the backs. we would never have seen this in the medieval period. that's because those figures provide no information to the narrative. All that they do is frame Christ and Mary. They draw our eye to those most important figures. FUNCTION Show the mourning of Mary over Christ's death CONTENT - Lamentation- Christ has been crucified, has been taken down off the cross, and he's now being mourned by his mother, by his followers. - Putting emphasis on Christ as physical, as human. at the top there's a tree and the tree might look dead, but of course, it might also be winter and that tree might grow leaves again in the spring and it is an analogy to Christ and his eventual resurrection. - At Christ's feet we see Mary Magdalene with her typical red hair, who is attending to his feet and, of course, that's appropriate given the biblical tradition as well because she had anointed Christ's feet and there's a real sense of tenderness there. -There are angels, but these angels are not detached figures. They mourn as we mourn. They rent their clothing. They tear at themselves. They pull their hair. They are in agony. -So, like the figures with their backs to us, they assist in Giotto's creating an illusion of space and like the angels above them, the human figures display their grief in different ways. Some are sad and resigned and kind of keep to themselves, other figures throw their arms out. -There's a real interest in individuality, in the different ways that people experience emotion. we move to the next image, which is the scene where Christ says, "Do not touch me." Where Mary Magdalene recognizes him as he has been resurrected and you'll notice that Giotto has continued that mountain. -Our eye then moves down and so there is this visual relationship that is drawn between Christ's death, Christ's mourning and Christ's resurrection by the landscape that frames them. -In the trompe-l'oeil depictions of inset stone there is another painted scene in the little quatrefoil. And here we see Jonah being swallowed by the giant fish- It is a perfect Old Testament analogy to the New Testament story of Christ's crucifixion and ultimate resurrection. It's a tour de force of emotion. -It's such an expression of his late medieval period, his moving towards what we will eventually call the Renaissance. CONTEXT Lamentation comes from the word to lament, to grieve

fresco cycle (arena chapel part 2)

FORM - kiss of judas or golden gate?1- example of the humanism of Giotto. We see their faces together, it is a kiss, it is incredibly intimate and personal. - Their faces come together, they touch, and almost become a single face. The warmth of their embrace, the warmth of the figures around them who watch, and something that we see throughout the cycle, figures who have mass and volume to their bodies, who exist three dimensionally in space. -Gone are the elongated, swaying, ethereal bodies of the Gothic period and Giotto gives us figures that are bulky and monumental where drapery pulls around their bodies and taken together with the emotion in their faces, it's almost like we have real human beings in art for the first time -Giotto was Cimabue's student and learned from that great master who had begun to experiment with the chiaroscuro, this ability to model form, and mass -Giotto does not really care to depict every single one of the 12 apostles. He's really giving us only three or four faces and the rest are just an accumulation of halos. -painted in bone fresco, true fresco. That is, pigment is applied to wet plaster. - Enrico Scrovegni, when he drew up the contract with Giotto, did not want the blue's brilliance to be diminished by being mixed with the plaster so he asked that it be applied as secco fresco. Dry freso, but it didn't adhere CONTENT -The narrative cycle begins on the right altar side in the top register. It introduces Yoakim and Anna, the grandparents of Christ (mary's parents) -Yoakim begins by being thrown out of the temple for his childlessness. He's grown old without children. This is not in the Bible though. These are the extra stories that were added to the Biblical narrative because people wanted to know what happened in between the events that really are mentioned in the Bible -Much of this is from a book called The Golden Legend that filled in that narrative. -the last scene on the right side of the upper register is the meeting at the Golden Gate. -To get here, Yoakim has prayed to God, wanting a child. Anna, his wife, has done the same and they've both been visited and been told that there is hope and they're shown coming together for the first time in front of the Golden Gate of Jerusalem -If we move across to the other wall, the upper register continues the narrative. Mary is born, she's presented in the temple, she's married, and then we get back to the altar side of the chapel and there we reach the triumphal arch and we're back to God the Father now, but below that we have the enunciation. -In the register below, we see scenes from Christ's childhood, including the circumcision, the flight into Egypt. -The massacre of the innocents and then moving to the next wall we begin the story of the ministry of Christ and his miracles. -As the story unfolds from scene to scene, Christ is often shown in profile, which is derived from the Roman tradition of coinage, which is the most noble way of representing a figure and he's shown moving from left to right, which is the way that we're meant to read the scenes. -We see Christ on a donkey with the apostles behind him. -the figures in the lower right, there are three of them, begin to pull off their outer garment. One man is pulling his arm out of his sleeve. The next is taking the garment off his head. And the final one is placing that garment at the feet of the donkey in an act of respect, but it is almost cinematographic. - move on to the bottom register, to the end of Christ's life. On the lowest register, the register that's devoted to the scenes of the passion, is the arrest of Christ also known as the kiss of Judas. this is the moment when Judas leads the Romans to Christ and they arrest him, and take him away, and torture him, and ultimately crucify him. -Judas is one of the 12 apostles, one of those considered closest to Christ. He betrays him for 30 pieces of silver. -It's a terrible betrayal because this is one of the people that Christ trusted most and Judas has betrayed Christ, not by pointing at him from afar but with a kiss. -Judas is a little bit shorter. He looks up at Christ Giotto has created this sense of violence and one of the ways that he's done that is by reserving half the painting, the sky, just for those lances, for those torches, for those clubs, and the way in which they're not held in an orderly way, but they are helter-skelter crossing at angles. -The crowd is multiplied because we can see numerous helmets, which would have originally been silver but have oxidized. -And there's one man on a horn who's blowing, creating the sense of energy, this audio that goes with this painting that finishes the whole scene and it's chaos and it's drama. CONTEXT -There is this idea that is, part of the chapel as a whole that it is about the movement of time.

introduction (area chapel part 1)

FORM AND CONTENT - There are lots of narrative scenes, but even in between those scene's are trompe l'oeil, faux marble panels. - We get the sense that there is inlaid stone, but this is all painting. -That extends even onto the ceiling where we have a star-studded blue sky with images of Christ and Mary and other Saint's and figures. -Giotto inserted a panel painting. It's not fresco, he chose to paint it in a style that was more conservative, less earthly within the style that we see in the frescoes. -We begin to see illusionism that we see throughout the cycles. -If we look to Mary and the angel, Giotto has created an architectural space for each of them. -These are not panel paintings with gold backgrounds that suggest a divine space, these are earthly settings for Mary and the angel. -Two scenes below the enuciation are empty architectural spaces, these rooms, that have oil lanterns that hang from their ceiling and there is a delicate sense of space of light and shadow. -It is this bravura example of naturalism and it shows Giotto's interest in the world, the present, the physical space that humanity occupies FUNCTION -Private chapel CONTEXT - Dante, the great late medieval poet, in his most famous poem, The Divine Comedy, singles out Scrovengi's father for one of the more treacherous parts of Hell. So Enrico was really worried, and for this reason, he did a good work

Last Judgement (arena chapel part 4)

FUNCTION -virtues and vices- these are the good and evil that we confront, all of us, in our lives and these are the things that decide at the day of Judgement we go to Heaven or Hell. CONTENT AND FORM -Below the Passion scene is even more painting. -There are representations of virtues and vices, that is expressions of good and evil. - We're looking at the figure of Envy. Here is a figure in profile engulfed in flames, clutching a bag. but reaching with her other hand for something she does not have, something that she wants. She's not content with what she has, she wants more.She's got huge ears. It's as if every sense is attuned to what she does not have. We see emerging from her mouth, a snake, who moves toward her eyes. it doubles back on itself because it is what she sees that bites her, in a sense. - The final virtue, as we move towards the exit of the Chapel is Hope and she is reaching upward, floating, a classicized figure. she's winged like an Angel and is lifted up toward a figure on the upper right who's handing her a crown. She is in the corner looking up towards The Last Judgement and is of the same scale. Her body is in the same diagonal position as the elect in the bottom left corner. -We see the elect, many of them with their hands in positions of prayer looking up towards the enormous figure of Christ, the largest figure in this Chapel. We should say that the elect are the blessed, that is these are people that are going to Heaven. You'll see that they are actually accompanied by Angel's that look so caring and gentle. They're shepherding these people into Heaven. If you look carefully you can see that there feet are not on the ground, they're actually levitating slightly, they're rising up. -Just below the elect you can see that there are what seem to be children, naked, coming out of coffins, out of tombs. Those nude figures are meant to represent the souls that are to be judged by Christ, who sits in the middle. He sits here as Judge to judge those souls that are being wakened from the dead to determine whether or not they get to go to Heaven or if they're going to end up on the right side of this painting in Hell. -This follows very standard iconography or standard composition of The Last Judgement with the blessed, those who are going to Heaven on Christ's right and the damned below on Christ's left. -Just either side of Christ, though, that division of left and right doesn't happen. That's because this is Heaven. -There we see accord of Saint's and around that mandorla of Christ, we see Angel's blowing trumpets. - These are images that come right out of the Apocalypse, the Gospel according to John.** The book of Revelation. - We have the Angel's announcing the end of time. We have Angel's above them rolling up the sky as if it were a scroll. These are images that we generally see in Last Judgement's because they are in the text of the Bible. - The scene of Hell on the lower right with a large blue figure that is meant to represent Satan, surrounding him are souls being tortured in Hell. -Dante equates the punishments of Hell with the different kinds of sins that people committed. in The Last Judgement that we're looking at and because the patron here was concerned with the send of usury, we see usurers featured and they're being hung with the bags of money on the ropes that they're hanging from. -Below the usurer's you can actually make out a specific individual, also hanged, this is Judas, the Disciple that betrays Christ.

hagia sophia (Theotokos mosaic, apse/ Deësis mosaic)

Theotokos mosaic, apse FORM -Style that we call the middle Byzantine -She's 16ft high -The gold represents the divine light of heaven,something we often see in byzantine art -She seems like she is floating, above the sky FUNCTION -It originally had inscription that said "the images which the impostors had cast down, here pious emperors have set up again" -Sort of condemning those who destroyed the images and reasserting the importance of images CONTENT - Virgin Mary seated on a clench with two cushions and she holds her lap the Christ child. -This is close to an icon that is in the church of st. Catherine in Sinai in Egypt -Theotokos means "one who gives birth to Christ" CONTEXT -There was always tension in church about creating images of Christ, Mary, God. because God is the creator and then the artist is also creating -People were concerned that people were worshipping images instead of passing thru to the prototype to the divine figure -In the 8th century, the emperor forbade the use of images in the church. This begins a period of iconoclasm ("breaking images") almost every image was destroyed. This lasted 700s-800s Deësis mosaic FORM -Small pieces of glass, some with gold in them, some colored (tesserae) -Theyre set in the wall at different angles to catch the light in diff ways -High off the ground- they are distant from us in a heavenly space, not an earthly space -Christ is looking at us, while the other figures are bowed -Elongated fingers face and features -emotional FUNCTION -Show intercession (prayer) CONTENT -Shows Christ in the center with his right hand blessing, his left hand holding the Gospels -He's flanked by the Virgin Mary and St. John the Baptist -Deësis means that intercession -Both of these figures are coming to Christ on behalf of mankind CONTEXT -Late Byzantine -It was covered then recovered -This church was the heart of Eastern Orthodox tradition, and it had been controlled briefly by the Latins aka the Roman Catholics, the Western Church -Expression of Renaissance