Art history through the 19th Century- Venetian Renaissance

Cassone

(plural cassoni) - The Italian term for large, lavishly decorated chests made in Italy from the 14th through the 16th centuries. Usually commissioned in pairs for a bride to store her trousseau. - Marriage chest where a bride kept her trousseao as she moved into her new home.

Bellini "Feast of the Gods" c. 1530

- Artist Titian was credited with having worked on this commission. -Commissioned by the Duke of Venice, also known as the Doge. - Nearly 6ft canvas was to hang in the Doge's private Library. -the subject matter is from the ancient port Ovid's play entitled "Fasti". - A mythological banquet of the gods. - Arcadian landscape, the gods of Olympus take part in a sensual picnic where satyrs and nymphs cater to their every need. - Depicted the gods as contemporary Venetian peasants and yet based their form on Greco-Roman figures and poses. - the sensual theme is tinged with erotica; there is a god with his hands in between the lags of a sleeping nymph. - The light is a soft, glowing, late-afternoon light. - places together vibrant jewel-toned colors with soft, flesh-tones and polished metals. -

Giovanni Bellini

- Bellini is created with creating the "Venetian style" - Trained by his father in the early Renaissance International Style, was also influenced by the intense color and light of 15th century Flemish oil paintings. - Worked primarily used oil paints, giving his painting a rich luminous quality full of vibrant, reflective colors.

Arcadian

- Depictions of an idyllic place of rural peace and simplicity. Derived from Arcadia, an ancient district in Southern Greece.

San Zaccaria Altarpiece, Bellini, 1505

- Early example of the Venetian Renaissance style and shares many similarities with those works produced around this time in Rome and Florence. -Subject matter is Madonna and Child surrounded by the saints, demonstrative with volumetric figures in well-integrated figural group arranged in three-dimensional pyramidal composition, conveying a sense of serenity but with monumental visual impact. - Used a method call colorito for his line work unlike the High Renaissance masters. - Luminous, warm color palette that gives the scene an atmosphere of serenity.

Giorgione, The Tempest, 1510

- Enigmatic picture that looks to show a storm approaching as mercenary soldier observes a gypsy woman nursing her baby. - Arcadian scene use with a classic nude female. - Recent X-rays show that in the original under-drawing Giorgione has a woman in place of the soldier. - thus the image seems to be personal in nature, more than about mood than storytelling. - According to the curator at the Academia in Venice, where this painting is housed, the story may depict that of the youth Paris, the son of the King of Troy. It may perhaps depict the moment when Paris takes his leave from the nymph Oenones and their child Corythus. The royal shepherd is leaving his wife and child in the mountains for the most beautiful woman in the world, Helen, the Queen of Sparta, who was promised him by Aphrodite. This was to lead to the Trojan War, during which Paris, as well as Oenones and their son, perished. The approaching storm with bolts of lightning and the small monument with broken column may allude to the terrible fate in store for Troy and the three people depicted here.

Titian's technique

- His process was very strict and involved an underpainting of reddish brown which he believed would lend warmth to the surface. Then the luminous oil color was laid over that layer. ( Drawing , or disegno, played almost no role. - Used layer upon layer of thin glazes ( velatrura/veiling quality so their layers are veils of color) helping unify the overall tonal range. Last step was flicks of lead white, often smudged with his very own fingertip that would create reflective sparkle. - used a method of composing his compositions from a series of triangles punctuated by diagonals. Triangles would lend stability to the composition while the diagonals would suggest dynamic movement.

Veronese, Triumph of Venice (1585)

- Huge illusionist ceiling painting commissioned for the grand council hall of Doge's Palace in Venice. - The main figure is the personification of Venice crowned by the personification of Fame. - The theme is the glorification of Venice. -Images such as this were meant to instill civic pride in the Venetian viewer and to convey a sense of awe and respect to a visitor from afar/ - Exemplifies the sweeping grandeur of Veronese's style and anticipated the drama, scale and decorative inclinations of the Baroque

Villa Rotunda, Palladio

- Located on the Venetian mainland in the city of Vicenza - Built between 1566-1570 - Commissioned by a retired priest who liked to entertain, and use the villa as a summer home. -The setting of the villa on acres of idyllic pastoral grounds reflects the love of Arcadian landscape displayed in Venetian painting. - Many Venetians often built summer homes to escape the muggy, smelly, crowded, urban existence of Venice in the hot summer months. - Such estates also provided the owner with a good investment as they often raised crops on the vast grounds. - Used Aceient Roman Pantheon as a model. - Based on classical motifs, balance and the mathematical relationship of harmonious parts - Directly inspired Thomas Jefferson's home Monticello.

Isabella d'Este, Titian

- Painted between 1534-1536 First lady of the Renaissance, she was an example for women to break away from traditional roles, and even founded a school for young women. She ruled Mantua, was well educated and a big patron of the arts. -Married at 15 & was know for her great beauty, immense fortune and brilliant mind. - She was a successful diplomat and administrator whose motto was "Neither hope nor fear" - When this portrait was painted she was past the age of 60, but requested that she be depicted as she looked in her 20's, however he conveys her strength, self-cofidence and energy that defined Isabella's older personality

Tiziano Vecelli (Titian)

- Painter on par with the Renaissance masters Leonardo & Michelangelo, because of his technical innovations and compelling subject matter. - Most prolific and prodigious of the Venetian painters. -After Bellini's death in 1516, he replaced Bellini as the official painter of the Republics of Venice. - Had a long list of prestigious patrons, including the Spanish King Charles V who elevated the artist to noble rank. - Incredible colorist who perfected the oil on canvas mode of painting established by Giorgione. - Gifted portaitist

Villa Rotanda elevation and plan

- The build consists of a central-plan, situated on a hill-top with commanding views. -Includes foru identical temple-front facades and projecting porches, each offering a unique view.

Venetian Art

- Venetian love of colors and textures that characterize the art of the period was influence by their trade with the near East , the Orient and beyond. -Tends to be more secular(non-religious) than Roma & Florence -Characterized by: worldly themes of pleasure, sensuality, the pastoral, the mythological, as well as some religious subject matter. - Due to the often erotic overtones of many Venetian artworks, along with the carefree and often indulgent lifestyle of the Venetians, Venice became a primary target of the Spanish Inquisition. - Art was infused with light, color and warmth not seen in high Renaissance. -Light &color where the most important. -Venetian artists also tend to favor outdoor Arcadian landscape scenes that take the local viewer away from the dense urban fabric of the crowded island. It has been said that the art of Renaissance Venice stresses the senses, while the art of Renaissance Rome and Florence stresses the intellect.

Tintoretto

- Venetian painter known for dramatic action-filled canvases - One of Titian's students, known as Tintoretto "little tinter). - Greatly inspired not only by his teacher's use of color, but also by Michelangelo's use of line and his rendering of figures. - His work is very unique and many experts consider him to be a Venetian Mannerist whose work strongly anticipates the Baroque style of the 17th century. - His unique style is characterized by powerfully dramatic composition of deep spirituality and mysticism.

Venice, Italy Late 16th century

-A republic that remained independent from the rest of Italy. - escaped the political turmoil that affected Rome and Florence with the invasion of the Spanish and later the French. - Located on the Adriatic Sea, Venice had a long dominated trade in areas. - Turks became their worse enemy due to trade. - Urban island floating on a lagoon

Tintoretto, Last Supper, 1594

12' x 8' oil on wood composition was painted for the inside of the grand Venetian church, San Giorgio Maggiore. - feature 30 figures and depicts the Last Supper taking place in a bustling contemporary Venetian tavern complete with barmaids, dogs, and even a cat. - Used dioramas as preparatory studies to aid with his complex figural arrangements. - Chose a dark palette punctuated with glowing areas of light. - figures are sculptural and heavily contoured - The dramatic religious scene with its mystical light contrasts greatly with the relaxed mood and warm light of Giorgione or Titian.

Protestant Reformation

A religious movement of the 16th century that began as an attempt to reform the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the creation of Protestant churches.

Giorgione

A venetian Renaissance that is not only a talented artist but a pastoral poet who loved to sing and play the lute. - Student of Giovanni Bellini who had a great understanding of light and color. - Favorite themes were typically Venetian and included: nature, pleasure, classic mythology and the classic female nude. - Used sfumato and mysterious landscapes in his work, point to the influence of Leonardo da Vinci. - Popularly known as the "Father of Modern Painting" due to his innovative oil-on-canvas technique. ( previously artist would use oil on wood panel) -Died from the plague

Colorito

Italian, "colored" or "painted." A term used to describe the application of paint. Characteristic of the work of 16th-century Venetian artists who emphasized the application of paint as an important element of the creative process. Central Italian artists, in contrast, largely emphasized disegno the careful design preparation based on preliminary drawing.

Titian, Venus of Urbino, 1538

Original location painted for: Urbino Artistic Movement: Venetian Renaissance Date:1538 Country: Italy Medium: Oil on canvas Function: Possibly a portrait of the Duke of Urbino's lover Commissioner: Duke of Urbino -Full of iconography - Background two women gathering items from two long chest called cassoni. - On the windowsill above the cassoni is a myrtle plant which is an evergreen plant symbolizing marital fidelity. - there is also a sleeping dog that normally symbols of loyalty but also fidelity. - The nude woman is also holding a bouquet of flowers. Typical to symbolize love, lust, reproduction, or female genitalia. - Painting has multiple interpretations. - Shows Titian's ability with colorito with the deep Venetian red. - This sensual, carnal color of the bed cushions, flowers and skirt of the woman in the background contrast wonderfully with the soft, warm flesh tones of the classical nude. - Uses perspective - His attention to balance is not a rigorous as the High Renaissance painters. - the small dog at the end of the bed, a pedant figure to used to balance out the composition. - The nude woman is infused with sfumato, less sculptural creating a luminous and sensual figure.

Veronese's "Feast at the House of Levi"

Originally entitled "Last Supper", but the Spanish Inquisition questioned Veronese's interpretation of the event, calling it too festive and was bothered by the presence of German mercenary figures. - During this period Germans represented a threat to the Catholic church due to the Christian reform movement started in Germany by Martin Luther ( Protestant Reformation) - Veronese interpreted the Last Supper as a splendid courtly feast, rather than a solemn, sobering meal where dire revelation take place. - Artist shares the High Renaissance sense of balance, interest in perspective and Leonardo's horizontal emphasis. - However, his use of many colors and half-tones, monumental architectural settings and a grand cast of characters is uniquely his own.

Pastoral Symphony, Titian

Titian [1490-1576] - Pastoral Symphony, 1508. - Has a great deal of controversy surrounding it. - Attributed solely to Giorgione, over time , experts began to believe that some of the figures may have been painted by Giorgione's student Titian, whose early painting style was very similar to his master's. Additional research has led scholars to the recent conclusion that the entire painting is the work of titian - Focused on the the narrative or meaning behind the piece. -The Venetian love of the pastoral accounts for the setting, an Arcadian landscape in which we see two musicians accompanied by two nude female figures. While the men are in contemporary Venetian garb, the women have stepped right out of classical antiquity; they are reminiscent of ancient goddesses of love and nature. - The musicians are inspired by the women, who are muses, personifications of inspiration. (A personification is a representation of an abstract idea or object in human form.) The lute represents poetry or music, the player is a poet, and the well from which the muses gather water symbolizes inspiration. -All of this poetic inspiration takes place in a serene paradise bathed in the warm sfumato haze of afternoon light. The overall mood is at once sensual and sentimental, evoking a feeling of tranquility and longing. What Titian gives the viewer is indeed a mere theme rather than a story.

Veronese

Venetian Renaissance Painter - his painting are characterized by their splendid pageantry, large-scale ( usually 20' to 30' or more), classical architectural settings and vibrant palette.

Palladio

Was an Italian architect active in the Republic of Venice. Palladio, influenced by Roman and Greek architecture, primarily by Vitruvius, is widely considered the most influential individual in the history of Western architecture. - Chief architect of the Republic of Venice and as all great Renaissance masters, was influenced by classical antiquity. - Studied acient Roman architecture in Rome and wrote several treatises on architecture. - His buildings and overall style were incredibly influential, especially in 18th-century England and America. - He is best know for the villas he built on Venetian mainland. Most famous was Villa Rotonda

Diorama

a small scale depiction of a scene or composition using figurines, often made of clay and viewed through a window or from one side.

Velatura

a thin layer of opaque paint, spread out so it creates a milky or foggy haze that obscures some of what's beneath it, but not all. It's like a glaze, but created using an opaque or semi-opaque pigment rather than a transparent one.

Arcadian landscape

refers to a notion of the pastoral idea; a place of perfection and pleasure.

Personification

the giving of human qualities to an animal, object, or idea. - occurs when an abstract idea or object is given human form.

Iconography

the visual images and symbols used in a work of art or the study or interpretation of these.