ART HISTORY MIDTERM

St. John Baptistery, Florence Cathedral, Florence Italy. Consecrated 1059

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Ghiberti, Jacob and Esau, from Gates of Paradise, Florence, Baptistery, gilded bronze, 1425-52

- Atmospheric perspective - Minimized relief in distance to give a sense of depth, brought out figures in front to emphasize depth - Figures appearing multiple times to tell story-- medieval convention carried over - System is not intuitive, marked vanishing point - Linear perspective is new

Sandro Boticelli, Birth of Venus, ca. 1484-86. Tempera on canvas. 5' 9" x 9' 2 "

- Based on poem - Draws on narrative of classical antiquity - Medici's prided themselves on being "Renaissance Men", painted for Medici's - Tempera - Everything happens in the foreground, background more of demonstration - Deep sense of anatomy on Venus - Botticelli drawing from classical forms (Venus Pudica) - Focused on references more than depictions of bodies in space - Related to humanist poetry - revival of theme of female nude consistent with neoplatonic view that beholding physical beauty prompts contemplation of spiritual beauty - nymph Pomona meets Venus on the island - New emergence of neoplatonism: mundane reality is superficial, beyond that there is imagination and if disciplined one can reach higher levels of the mind - Earthly objects have a heavenly template - Every iteration of a type is reflective of the heavenly original copy-- essential elements of "chairness" - Contemplation of earthly beauty-- considered ideal forms-- is a way to contemplate heavenly beauty, to have an understanding of what the universe is - We can only understand the world as we experience it, to understand divine you need to understand nature to grasp what God is

Duccio, The Betrayal of Christ, from the Maèsta Altarpiece from Siena Cathedral. Tempera and goldleaf on panel. 1308-13

- Betrayal of Christ by Judas - represents several episodes of the event-- betrayal of Jesus by Judas's false kiss, disciples fleeing in terror, Peter cutting off ear of high priest's servant - background is traditional with gold sky - bodies aren't flat shapes of Italo-Byzantine art-- imbued with mass, modeled with light/shadow range, convincing drapery - figures react to central event , variety of emotions through posture, gesture, & facial expression - careful differentiation b/w anger of Peter, malice of Judas (seen in faces around Jesus), apprehension of fleeing disciples - figures are actors in religious drama

Pietro Lorenzetti, Birth of the Virgin. Altarpiece for the Altar of Saint Savinus in Siena Cathedral, Siena, Italy. Tempera on panel. 1342

- Duccio's student - Lorenzetti contributed significantly to pictorial realism (highly naturalistic) that took place in 14th century Italy - Lorenzetti achieved remarkable degree of spatial illusionism in piece - large triptych (3 part panel painting) created for altar of Saint Savinus in Siena Cathedral - timber dividers painted as though they extend back into painted space - viewers seem to look through the frame like a stage, one divider cutting figure in half enhances illusion of blocking it from view & sense of depth/realism - using architecture to enhance illusion of painted figures acting out a drama used in future centuries - this kind of pictorial illusionism characterized ancient Roman mural painting - piece marked advance in worldly realism-- unlike other altarpieces in this era, figures aren't against a gold background, instead a detailed interior of an upper-class Italian home of the era as background - floor tiles and fabrics with receding lines enhance depth - front walls of house are removed to see inside, Saint Anne (mother of Mary) props herself up as newborn virgin is washed, women bring gifts - Anne resembles Nicola Pisano's Nativity virgin-- reclining figure on lid of a Roman sarcophagus - at left in side chamber Joachim (father of Mary) awaits news - piece notable for accurate capturing of details in the every day world & innovations in spatial illusionism

Simone Martini (and Lippo Memmi), The Annunciation Altarpiece, from Siena Cathedral. Tempera and goldleaf on panel. 1333

- Duccio's student - Martini worked for French kings in Naples & Italy, adapted elegant patterns of Gothic style to Sienese art - acquainted painters north of the Alps with Sienese style--> helped create International Gothic style (emphasis on decorative aspect of drapery, foliage, or setting): swept Europe in late 14th century/early 15th bc of appeal to aristocratic taste for vibrant color, lavish costumes & intricate ornamentation, elongated/dramaticized figures - Saint Ansanus altarpiece created for cathedral with radiant colors, fluttering lines, & weightless elongated figures in a spaceless setting (Martini's style) - angel Gabriel has just arrived, breeze lifting mantle, wings still beating, gold on his gown suggests he has come from Heaven to deliver message - virgin puts down book of devotions, shrinks demurely from Gabriel's bow - Mary pulls at dark blue gold hemmed mantle (colors for queen of Heaven) - b/w Mary and Gabriel is a vase of white Lillies, symbolizing virgin's purity - intricate tracery of French-Gothic inspired frame & elaborate halos (characteristic of Sienese painting) enhance magnificence - Lippo Memmi-- student and assistant to Martini, believed to have painted 2 lateral saints (Ansanus on left, Margaret at right), resemble statues of Gothic church portals, have greater solidity & lack linear elegance of central figures

Arnolfo di Cambio, Nave of Santa Maria del Fiore (Florence Cathedral), begun 1296 (façade added later)

- Florentines translate pride into landmark buildings like Santa Maria del Fiore - sight of most important religious observances in city - cathedral reveals competitiveness of Florence with Siena & Pisa - planned to hold city's entire population (100,000), only holds 30,000 - contrast to Gothic architecture style of French & Germans, they express growth shooting towards heaven, Florence Cathedral clings to ground - Cambio designed 3 wide naves (central part of church) ending under an octagonal dome - Giotto takes over after Cambio's death - Duomo could stand independently of the church, not present in France & Germany, no individual part of a Gothic church can stand alone, merge into each other until they reach the sky - Duomo divided into cubic sections tower is sum of component parts, could be removed from building with no adverse effects, could exist as object separate for aesthetic appeal - compartmentalization reminiscent of Roman style, but shows ideals of Renaissance architecture-- express structure in logical relationships of component parts to produce self-sufficient works

Filippo Brunelleschi, Sacrifice of Isaac, 1401-02, gilded bronze. (Rejected.)

- French style frame - shows angel's interruption of the action - Abraham lunges forward robes flying exposing Isaac's (son) throat to a knife - saving angel flies in from left grabbing Abraham's arm to stop - figures show Brunelleschi's ability to represent biblical scenes dramatically & faithfully - violent movement, high emotion - emphasizes planar orientation

Lorenzo Ghiberti, Sacrifice of Isaac, 1401-02, gilded bronze.

- French style frame - shows angel's interruption of the action - grace & smoothness - Abraham in typical Gothic pose contemplating act about to perform as his arm draws back to strike - Isaac, well posed and rendered, resembles Greco-Roman style in his stance - Ghiberti shows genuine appreciation for nude male form & deep interest in muscular forms/human body - the altar Isaac is on resembles this as well, decorated with acanthus scrolls used in Roman temple friezes - classical references reflect influence of humanism - spatial illusion: rocky landscape seems to emerge from the blank panel towards the viewer & so does the strongly foreshortened angel - Ghiberti is a goldsmith and painter, careful treatment of the bronze with sharp and accurate detail proves his still as a goldsmith - his door would be lighter, used less bronze than Brunelleschi

Giotto di Bondone. Madonna Enthroned (Also called The Ognissan: Madonna) from the Church of OgnissanA, Florence, Italy, ca. 1310. Tempera and goldleaf on wood.

- Giotto credited as first Renaissance painter - student of Cimabue - enthroned Madonna like Cimabue's piece - painted for high altar of church - against traditional gold background, Madonna sits on gothic throne - contrasts Cimabue's slender/fragile virgin with weighty Mary - Mary's breasts visible through white undergarment - no gold highlights on robe - Giotto constructs a figure with substance, dimensionality, usually suppressed to favor spirituality/scene in Byzantine and Italo-Byzantine art - Cimabue stacked angels to full height of piece, Giotto's angels stand on a common level (blank space above) - Madonna Enthroned marks end of medieval painting in Italy & beginning of new naturalistic approach

Giotto di Bondone. The Betrayal of Jesus, from the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy. Fresco. 1305-1306

- Giotto uses illusionistic painting-- spacial effects like foreshortening used to create illusion of 3D space on 2D flat surface -Better understanding of space - Saturated colors - Structure of composition draws eye to central image - Stillness amongst chaos with Jesus because he knows one of his apostles will betray him - for private chapel of the Scrovegni family - physical characterization of each and every figure (rare before Giotto) & clarity, delicacy, variety, and limpidity of their color - Famous Kiss of Judas (where good and evil clash in a meeting of lips) - Bright yellow robe of the betrayer in between others in grey-blue & faded red - humanistic in feeling of piece, feel the emotion and expression in the crowd of figures

Paolo Ucello. BaDle of San Romano, from the Palazzo Medici, Florence, Italy, ca. 1435 or ca. 1455. Tempera on wood. 6' x 10' 5

- History painting-- work of art that tells you about something that actually happened - Battle b/w Florence and Siena - Purchased by Lorenzo de Medici - Felt deep connection to work - Florence beats Vienna - Puts it in bed chamber - More gothic than naturalistic - Tempera paint - Lightweight drawn out figures - Artist trained in gothic style - Trying to create orthogonals to create more convincing space - Uses foreshortening (compressed body in foreground) to create a perspective - classically inspired figures with a receding landscape-- naturalistic

Pierro della Francesca, BaIsta Sforza and Federico da Montefeltro, ca. 1472-1474. Oil and tempera on wood. Each panel 1' 6 1⁄2" x 1' 1

- Husband and wife - Commissioned by duke (Federico) - Battista-- daughter of prominent Italian family raised in humanistic family - She would rule dutchy in his place - Battista so well educated - Died after 20 years of marriage - Federico never marries again, portrait for her - Traditional half pose, associated with medieval Italy - Oil and tempera - Oil is making its way to Italy - Details in jewels, textile, and landscape - Continuous looking landscape (Flemish model) - Atmospheric perspective to make it a more convincing work - Combination of Italian and Flemish conventions, profile portrait Roman coin style - Typical background of flemish paintings - Italian portraits

Masaccio Tribute Money in the Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence, Italy, ca. 1424-1427. Fresco, 8' 4 1/8" x 19' 7 1/8"

- Linear perspectival structure - Use of atmospheric perspective - Deeper sense of how bodies occupy space - Jesus in center tells Peter to retrieve the coin from the fish on left (tribute coin found in mouth of a fish at Lake Galilee), returns to pay the tax - tax collector in foreground, back to viewer, hand out awaiting payment - Peter puts coin in collector's hand on right - Halos move with figures - Interest in anatomy and proportion - Light is consistent with windows in chapel, one consistent light source, producing illusion of deep sculptural relief - Increases sense of naturalism - Vanishing point right on Christ's head - Directs attention to where you need to look to begin narrative

Jan van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece, for Saint Bravo Cathedral, Ghent, Belgium. Oil on panel. ca. 1423-32

- Netherlandish painter - altarpiece begun by brother Hubert - commissioned by diplomats for the center of the chapel built by donor in Ghent church - 2 exterior panels show donors kneeling and praying looking at 2 stone statues: represent Ghent's patron saints John the Baptist and John the Evangelist - Annunciation on upper register with representation of Flemish town outside window of central panel - upper panels show Old Testament prophets Zachariah & Micah with sibyls (Greco-Roman mythological female prophets) - when open altarpiece shows painting of human redemption through Christ - upper register God wearing the pope's triple tiara with a crown at his feet, to his right is the virgin represented in Gothic style and in a small diptych (2 paneled painting) queen of Heaven with stars on head - John the Baptist sits on God's left, choirs of angels on both sides - Adam & Eve in far panels - inscriptions above Mary and John show her purity and his greatness - entire altarpiece shows theme of salvation-- even though humans (personified by Adam & Eve) are sinful, they will be saved by God in his infinite love sacrificing his son for them - in center panel saints come from 4 corners of the earth toward altar of the lamb and octagonal fountain of life - lamb symbolizes sacrificed son of God, whose heart bleeds into a chalice while into the fountain spills pure river of water of life, on right apostles in robes, on left prophets - lower wing hermits, pilgrims, knights, & judges symbolize 4 cardinal virtues: Temperance, Prudence, Fortitude, & Justice - altarpiece celebrates whole Christian life cycle from fall of man to the redemption - meticulous attention to detail becomes hallmark of Flemish painting

Nicola Pisano, Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Shepherds from the pulpit for the Baptistery at Pisa, Italy, 1259-1260

- Pisano specialized in marble relief carvings - pulpit: raised platform where priests have sermons - Pisano creates first pulpit for this baptistry - medieval elements: trefoil arches (triple curved), lions supporting columns - classical elements: capitals (leaves crowning columns), arches are round like Roman architecture not pointed like gothic buildings, rectangular relief panels resemble Roman Sarcophagi - relief depicts infancy cycle of Christ (Annunciation top left panel-- angel Gabriel tells Mary she will give birth to Christ, Nativity center and lower half-- birth of Christ, Adoration of the Shepherds top right-- shepherds witness birth of Christ) - focus is Mary in Nativity-- reclining, posture/drapery resembles Roman sarcophagi - style is classical tradition

Perugino, Delivery of the Keys to St. Peter, in the Sistine Chapel, VaBcan, Rome, Italy. 1481-1483. Fresco. 11' 5 1⁄2 " x 18' 8 1⁄2 "

- Rome under control of papal states - Explosion of Catholic church commissions - Wall fresco in sistine chapel - Image of power - Balance and precision - Horizon line and orthogonals matching up with floor tiles - Christ hands keys to Peter - smaller figures in distance enhance sense of depth and act out New Testament stories - Christ and Peter the vanishing point in doorway

Andrea Mantegna, Camera Picta, Ducal Palace, Mantua, 1465-74, fresco

- Room is constructed to make you think you're in an architectural space - Andrea Mantegna, Oculus - Illusionistically rendered window, feat of illusionism - The view from below - Perspective meant to trick eye-- "trompe l'oeil"- fool the eye - For a private room (bed chamber) - completely consistent illusionistic decoration of an entire room

Claus Sluter, Well of Moses, in the Chartreuse de Champmol, Dijon, France, 1396-1406. Limestone. Originally painted and gilded.

- Sluter put in charge of Well by Duke of Burgundy - Netherlandish sculptor - large sculptural fountain in a well, served as water source for monastery - statues of Moses and 5 prophets - called a fountain of everlasting life - blood of crucified Christ symbolically flowed down over grieving angels and Old Testament prophets, spill into well & wash over Christ's prophetic predecessors redeeming anyone who drank from it - prophets have portrait like features & distinct personalities/costumes - David: elegantly dressed Gothic king, Moses: elderly horned prophet with long beard - remarkably naturalistic drapery enhanced by differing textures

Masaccio, Trinity with the Virgin, Saint John the Evangelist, and Donors in Santa Maria Novella, Florence. c. 1425-26/27. Fresco. 21' 10 5/8" x 10' 4 3⁄4"

- Virgin shown at her actual age (old woman at time of her son's death) - John on right - Mary's gesture to Christ, holds hand to show viewer spectacle - God emerges from behind Christ supporting the arms of the cross - Christ's blood runs down the ledge below symbolic of the wine of the Eucharist - donor portraits on bottom - vanishing point at the foot of the cross - Skeleton and phrase to remind people that they are mortal - Ripped from wall glued somewhere else, lots of reconstruction - Made for slow looking, layers made for contemplation - Contemplating the divine - Planned to scale for space - Mathematically constructed, chapel could be made based on where you're standing-- linear perspective - Real proportions based off architecture and optics-- new field adopted from Middle East

Rogier van der Weyden, Deposition from the Cross. Oil on panel. c. 1435-38

- Weyden renowned for portraits & dynamic compositions stressing human action/drama - central panel of a triptych commissioned by archers' guild of Louvain for church of Notre-Dame - patrons of painting acknowledged by incorporating the crossbow (guild's symbol) into tracery in corners - instead of deep landscape like Van Eyck, Weyden compressed figures & action onto a shallow stage with a golden back wall, imitating Gothic style - expressed maximum action within a limited space, but setting of crucifixion in a box is unrealistic, so is the size of the cross, arms not wide enough for Jesus to be pinned to - crisp drawing & precise modeling of forms resembles a relief carving - series of lateral movements gives compositional unity, cohesion strengthened by sorrow of most figures - similar poses of Christ & Mary further unify composition/reflect that Mary suffered same pain as Christ (postures resemble crossbows) - Weyden painted flesh and fabric very well, one of the best at rendering passionate sorrow

Cimabue, Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets from Santa Trinità. Florence, Italy. Tempera and goldleaf on wood. Ca.1280-1290

- built for church, altarpiece - Cimabue one of 1st artists to break from Italo-Byzantine style in 13th century Italy - challenged conventions of late medieval art to produce art that reflects the natural world-- classic naturalistic tradition - composition/gold background show artist reliance on Byzantine models, gold embellishments on Madonna's robe typical in Byzantine art, however not just decorative, enhance 3D drapery - Cimabue made a deeper space for Madonna and figures, uncommon in Byzantine art-- throne is convincingly receding, overlapping bodies of angels and prophets who look up and out from underneath reinforce sense of depth

Lorenzo Ghiberti, Gates of Paradise, Florence, Baptistery, gilded bronze, 1425-52

- cathedral officials commissioned him to make - abandoned quatrefoil frames of Andrea Pisano's south doors and his own previous doors reducing the panel # from 28 to 10 - each panel has a relief set in plain molding, depicts and episode from the Old Testament - complete gilding of reliefs creates elegant effect - created illusion of space with linear perspective (size/shape/position of objects determined by lines converging at a point on the horizon) and by sculpture - represented pavement where figures stand according to a painter's vanishing point (spot on the horizon where they meet) with overlaying orthogonal lines - as you look further up, the relief increasingly flattens - uses atmospheric perspective (creating depth with color and fine technique)-- form lines appear less distinct the deeper they are in space - size of each figure decreases in exact correspondence to its distance from the foreground - achieved greater sense of depth than thought possible for sculpture - style: mix of Gothic patterning of rhythmic line and realism in characterization, movement, and detail, kept medieval narrative (several episodes in 1 frame)

Melchior Broederlam, Retable de Champmol in the chapel of the Chartreuse de Champmol, Dijon, France, installed 1399. Oil and tempera on wood

- features sculpted passion scenes on interior - altarpieces often took form of polyptychs: hinged multi paneled paintings - construct narratives through exterior and interior narratives - Annunciation and Visitation on left panel - Presentation in the Temple and Flight into Egypt on right - show Christ's birth/infancy - panels = unusual combo of styles & symbolism, both include landscape and interior scenes, buildings depicted in Roman & Gothic styles - juxtaposition on left panel is symbolic-- rotunda (round dome building) refers to Old Testament, Gothic porch with lancet windows & tracery refers to New Testament, symbolically announce the coming of a new order under Christ - mixture of 3D rendition of landscape & buildings with solid gold background/flat golden halos for holy figures - illusionistic depiction of 3D objects & naturalistic representation of landscape

Giotto di Bondone. The Lamentation, from the Scrovegni Chapel, Padua, Italy. Fresco. 1305-1306

- fresco-- mural painting using application of pigments diluted in water on freshly laid plaster - Giotto uses illusionistic painting-- spacial effects like foreshortening used to create illusion of 3D space on 2D flat surface - boldly foreshortened angels in grief mourn dead Jesus before entombment - Mary cradles son's body - Mary Magdalene looks sadly at wounds at Jesus's feet - St. John the Evangelist throws arms back dramatically - shallow stage for figures intercepted by thick diagonal rock incline, defining a horizontal ledge in foreground - ledge provides visual support for figures, steep slope leads eye towards dramatic focal point in lower left (Christ) - postures and gestures of figures display broad range of grief (Mary's despair, outbursts of Mary Magdalene & John, philosophical disciples on right, sorrow of hooded mourners in foreground - single event provokes many individual responses that are convincing physically & emotionally - painters before Giotto rarely attempted this combo of naturalism, compositional complexity, & emotional resonance - single dead tree on ledge is tree of knowledge of good & evil draws attention to heads of Christ and Mary, dynamically off center - figures seen from back (common for Giotto) represent innovation, moving away from Italo-Byzantine style-- emphasize foreground, give illusions of space - use of light and shadow gives figures volume-- light from a steady source = 1st step towards chiaroscuro-- the use of contrasting dark and light for modeling used in later Renaissance painting - new age of humanism, old presentations of holy mysteries into mystery plays--> increase in popular sermons to huge city audiences prompted taste for narrative, as dramatic as possible - Giotto masters dramatic narrative, holy lesson, & humanism

Robert Campin, Mérode Altarpiece, c.1425-28. Oil on panel

- known as master of flémalle - Flemish painter - leading painter of Tournai - small altarpiece produced for private patron made for household prayer - integration of religious & secular-- biblical scene in typical Flemish home (separation in Flemish life not desirable) - Annunciation in central panel, Gabriel approaches Mary, through window is local cityscape, furniture confirms location as Flanders - book, extinguished candle & Lillies symbolize Mary's purity and divine mission - in right panel Joseph, unaware of central panel, constructs 2 mousetraps symbolizing Christ is bait set in the trap of the world to catch the Devil-- ax, saw, & rod in right panel also mentioned in Bible - in left panel closed garden is symbolic of Mary's purity, flowers relate to virtues - donors kneel in garden on left and witness event (donor portrait)

Hugo van der Goes, The Portinari Altarpiece (open), from Sant'Egidio, Florence, Italy. Tempera and oil on panel. Ca. 1473-78

- large scale Flemish work in family chapel - triptych painted in Flanders for Italian shipowner, gift from Portinari to church, appears on the wings with his family & patron saints - depicts subject based on 14th century vision of Swedish saint where Mary kneels solemnly to join Joseph, angels, & shepherds to adore Christ instead of cradle her newborn son glowing in divine light - to situate main actors at center of panel Goes tilts the ground - 3 shepherds enter from right rear (wonder, piety, curiosity) - architecture & continuous landscape unify the 3 panels - iris & columbine flowers represent the sorrows of the virgin, angels represent 15 joys of Mary, wheat symbolizes the Eucharist - to stress significance of the event, Goes revived medieval pictorial devices: small background scenes represent journey of Mary & Joseph to Bethlehem, the annunciation of the shepherds, & the arrival of the magi - scale variation in figures to show importance to central event also reflects old traditions - realism: characterized humans according to their social level but shows common humanity

Jan Van Eyck, Man in a Red Turban. Oil on panel. 1433

- man portrayed looks directly at viewer, 1st known Western painting to do so - true 3/4 head pose, created illusion that from whatever angle the face is observed the eyes stare back - Van Eyck used observational skill & his controlled painting style to make the portrait more specific-- beard stubble, veins bloodshot in left eye, weathered skin - could be a self portrait looking in a mirror - inscription on frame "As I can" in Flemish, Greek letters-- portrait was a demonstration piece intended for prospective clients (?) - on bottom date & "Jan Van Eyck made me" in Latin-- use of Greek and Latin suggests artist saw himself as a learned man

Limbourg Brothers, January, from Les Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry. Colors and ink on vellum. 1413-16

- manuscript illuminators: new conception/presentation of space, took on more pronounced characteristics as illusionistic scenes - Netherlandish painters - expanded illusionistic capabilities of illumination - full page calendar pictures represent 12 months of seasonal tasks, alternating scenes of nobility & peasantry, & feature the duke's relationship with his courtiers/peasants - above each picture is a lunette, depict the zodiac signs & the chariot of the sun in its yearly cycle through the heavens - a religious book - shows a picture of life in the territory the duke ruled to flatter the patron - January shows New Years reception at court, duke is host, head circled by fire screen halolike - his chamberlain stands next to him urging guests forward "aproche aproche" - lavish spread of food/tapestry emphasize extravagance - reinforced image of duke of Berry as devout, sophisticated art patron, scholar, & leader - expanded range of genre (integration of religious & secular) - piece reoriented art of manuscript illumination to resemble panel painting more closely

Ambrogio Lorenzetti. The Peaceful City from The Effects of Good Government in the City and the Country, Sala della Pace, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena, Italy. Fresco. 1338-1339

- meeting square of Siena = the Campo - Palazzo Pubblico's slightly concave facade conforms to irregular shape of Campo, tower lookout to city to defend against neighboring cities - Ambrogio was entrusted with major fresco painting in Palazzo Pubblico (Pietro's younger brother) - uses brother's advances in illusionistic modeling while displaying Sienese civic concerns - piece is panoramic view of Siena with palaces markets, towers & streets similar to ancient Roman murals - maidens hand in hand dance in a circle, dances regular features of springtime rituals, also serves as metaphor for peaceful commonwealth - Ambrogio uses observation of city & architecture to show growing Sienese knowledge of perspective

Petrus Christus, A Goldsmith in his Shop. Oil on panel. 1499

- portrays Saint Eligius (initially master goldsmith before committing life to God) sitting in his stall showing a wealthy couple a selection of rings - bride's betrothal girdle is on the table as a sign of chastity, she reaches for the ring the goldsmith weighs - crystal container for Eucharistic wafers and scales (reference to the Last Judgement), support religious interpretation/continues Flemish tradition of imbuing every day objects with symbolism - variety of objects in painting advertise the goldsmith's guild-- raw materials: precious stones, beads, crystal, coral; finished products: rings, buckles, brooches - pewter vessels on upper shelves are donation pitchers town leaders gave to distinguished guests - meticulous & symbolic objects represent importance of goldsmiths to secular & sacred communities while also enhancing naturalism in the piece - convex mirror in foreground shows other couple and a street with houses to extend viewer's space, furthering illusion of reality

Duccio. Madonna Enthroned with Saints and Angels, from the Maèsta Altarpiece from Siena Cathedral. Tempera and goldleaf on panel. 1308-1311.

- replaced much smaller painting of virgin on the high altar of the cathedral - Sienese believed virgin brought them victory over Florentines at battle of Monteperti 1260-- focus of religious life & republic - virgin enthroned as queen of Heaven with angels and saints - Byzantine tradition: in composition's formality/symmetry, & figures/facial types of angels & saints, but relaxed rigidness of figures, turn in quiet conversation - Duccio individualized faces of 4 patron saints of Siena kneeling in foreground, perform ceremonial tasks without stiffness & softened usual Byzantine hard body outlines/drapery patterns - drapery is loosely curved, common in French Gothic - even though naturalistic elements are present, Duccio respects tradition of altarpiece (focus of worship in Siena's biggest/most important church), function of piece limited experimentation with narrative

Ambrogio Lorenzetti. The Peaceful Country from The Effects of Good Government in the City and the Country, Sala della Pace, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena, Italy. Fresco. 1338-1339

- representation of a countryside beyond Siena's walls in a bird's eye view - villas, castles, plowed farmland, & peasants - allegory, not specific scene of Tuscan countryside, but has character of a portrait-- specific place and environment - piece is one of the 1st examples of a pure landscape in Western art since antiquity - personification of Security hovers at top left, unfolding a scroll promising safety to all who live under the rule of law (the Nine: enforce/administer law with penalties/punishments) - warning for those who might defy the Nine: model of a gallows with a hanged criminal held by Security

Donatello, David, from the Palazzo Medici, Florence, Italy. Ca. 1440-1460. Bronze, 5' 2 1⁄4" tall

- revival of freestanding nude statue-- classical revival (Greek contrapposto stance) - first Renaissance sculpture to portray nude male statue was Donatello - piece reinvented classical nude, but subject was not Greco-Roman god/hero/athlete, but youthful biblical slayer of Goliath (symbolizes of Florentine republic) - for Medici's, identify with Florence - classical poses and formats appealed to Medici's bc they were humanists - piece has both relaxed stance & proportions/beauty of classic Greek sculpture

Jan van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and his Wife. Oil on panel. 1434

- secular portraiture - depicts agent of Medici family in his home holding hand of second wife - recorded taking their wedding vows - dog symbolizes fidelity, finial (crowning ornament) of bed is a statue of St. Margaret, patron saint of childbirth, from finial hangs broom symbolic of domestic care - woman stands near bed and well into room, man stands near open window, symbolic of outside world - public reception area, not a bedchamber, husband could be conferring with wife about legal business in his absence - in background there is a convex mirror shows two people as well as the couple looking in through the door, husband might have hand raised to greet them - one of the men is Van Eyck, "Jan Van Eyck was here" above mirror

Giovanni Pisano, Annunciation, Nativity, and Adoration of the Shepherds. Relief panel from the pulpit for Sant' Andrea, Pistoia, Italy, 1297-1301

- son of Nicola Pisano - church pulpit sculptor - contrast to Nicola's piece-- figures are loose and dynamic with animation and deep space between suggests motion - in Annunciation (top left), virgin shrinks from angel's sudden appearance in alarm - virgin reclines in Nativity (left center) - shepherds and sheep on the right are unaware of event - turning/slender figures & emotionalism of the scene not found in Nicola's piece - style derived from French Gothic

Michael Wolgemut and workshop, Madeburga, page from the Nuremberg Chronicle. 1493. Woodcut

- woodcut became ideal medium for illustrating new printed books--> manuscript illuminator dies out bc of it - most ambitious early effort to make low-cost mass-produced books was Nuremberg Chronicle (history of the world made in Nuremberg) with 650+ illustrations furnished by Wolgemut - hand colored page represents Madeburga (Madgeburg, Germany) - blunt simple lines of woodcut technique give detailed perspective of Madgeburg-- harbor and shipping, walls & towers, churches & buildings & statue topped monument - illustration is not an accurate depiction of the city, work of artist imagination - Wolgemut often used the same image for different cities, even with little in common - this is a generic view of a late medieval German town not of a specific place - Nuremberg Chronicle is representative of a new craft