AP Art History: 15th Century Southern Europe

Theme for 15th c. Southern Renaissance

"Rebirth" -- The Renaissance was a rebirth of classical ideals that spanned across media and disciplines: fine arts, literature, history, philosophy. Renaissance artists and patrons were influenced by humanism and a growing interest in the secular over religious concerns.

function of David

1. reveals to us the areas in which the medici and Donatello were aligned - both are interested in classics/humanism, and homoeroticism 2. medici fam commissioned, placed in the center of Palazzo Medici courtyard (in their house), "private sculpture" but also public - so while technically David was designed for the medici as the main audience (the homoeroticism is safe), the medici and Donatello knew David was actually visible from the street if u looked through the main gate as the photographer has done here, cannot see the homoerotism from far - therefore david has both a public and private audience, and david became assoc with medici themselves 3. medici are going to use a biblical subject to make a pol statement - florence often used david as symbol bc david becomes a king in bible, king with a long rule, enormously wise and respected, has qualities of leadership that medici want, want David to rep them and Florence 4. appropriation of sculpture after Medici exiled, David to city hall, do not change the work at all, when it becomes truly public, david reps florence and bad guy is medici

content of Palazzo Rucellai

a florentine palace or elaborate priv home 3 floors 1st floor: where business was conducted, many florentine homes hv private and public spaces, this is public part, supposed to be heavy thick broad imposing rusticated, rusticated stone used which is rough stones that creates a formidable appearance 2nd floor: piano nobilo: french: noble floor, principle of main floor in a house for the family, not business, where they receive guests, do not live here 3rd floor: where they lived and slept one more floor: hidden fourth floor where servants lived artist had to figure out how he would fit this building into existing space, architect makes this out of 8 previous homes, connects and guts them, unifies them on facade, facade just placed on top frieze containing billowing sails → symbol of Rucellai fam

function of Pazzi Chapel

a good work by pazzi fam, going to be donated to church to atone for their sins and secure their way to heaven originally this was used as a chapter house: a building next to a church for clergy meetings and prayer for monks since pazzi fam donated it, they could use it as funerary chapel for their relatives architectural experiment by Brunelleschi → asked 2 questions 1. can u apply classical architecture to churches, what would it look like 2. can u create a truly mathematically perfect space with perfect proportions?

context of Palazzo Rucellai

artist is architect, author, artist, poet, philosopher, humanist, renaissance man wrote De Re Aedificatoria (on Architecture) → his architectural treatise - book comes out of his huge interest in roman architecture, 1st italian architect to do so, so interested that he traveled to rome and studied specifically colosseum, fav building and greatest source of inspo book composed an ideal form of architecture 1. classical elements should be applied to contemporary buildings - not weird, is not bad that they are from the past, classical elements are appropriate and desirable 2. use system of ideal proportions as one would do for the body, attn to naturalism - building should hv ideal proportions 3. gothic elements (such as pointed arch with columns) were bizarre and illogical, does not like a lot of their characteristics, thinks pointed arch and columns should be sep in classical architecture

David

artist: Donatello culture: Italian medium: bronze date: 1440-1460 location: florence, italy size: 5'3" style: 15th c. Italian Renaissance learning obj: 15th c. southern sculpture themes: ideal man, biblical, politics, power, propaganda, revival of tradition, sexuality, appropriation, civic, public, private, innovation, materials with significance

Pazzi Chapel

artist: Filippo Brunelleschi culture: Italian medium: masonry date: 1429-1461 location: Basilica of Santa Croce, Florence, Italy style: 15th c. Italian Renaissance learning obj: 15th c. southern church themes: place of worship, religion, architecture, status, funerary, appropriation, revival of tradition

Madonna and Child with Two Angels

artist: Fra Filippo Lippi culture: Italian medium: Tempera on wood date: 1465 size: 3'2" x 2'2" style: 15th c. Italian Renaissance learning obj: 15th c Southern religious painting themes: ideal woman, family, biblical, religion, devotional object

Palazzo Rucellai

artist: Leon Battista Alberti culture: Italian medium: Stone, masonry date: 1450 CE location: Florence, Italy style: 15th c. Italian Renaissance learning obj: 15th c. Southern domestic space themes: domestic space, architecture, private, status, appropriation, revival of tradition, commercial

Birth of Venus

artist: Sandro Botticelli culture: Italian medium: Tempera on canvas date: 1484 - 1486 location: 5'6" x 9' style: 15th c. Italian Renaissance learning obj: 15th c. Southern secular painting themes: status, revival of tradition, ideal woman, innovation, sexulaity, female nude, philosophy, appropriation, changing interpretations

form of Pazzi Chapel

building off the cloister attached to main church of santa croce design symbolizes departure and contrast to gothic, inspired by classics not gothic common stone inside and outside is pietra serena: grey stone typical of italian renaissance churches; often used to articulate design elements, also used to reveal geometry from inside and outside we can see inspo of classics, inside based on pantheon used dome as principle architectural structure, the exterior tried to hide dome like panth exterior: lots of classical vocab, rounded arches, fluted columns, corinthian capitals, entablature with decorative frieze, small portico - if we walked under portico towards main building, we would see tiny little dome above us - designed front of the building to be reminiscent of roman triumphal arch (common commemorative architectural design in ancient rome, often by emperors to commemorate themselves) interior: rectangular layout with main room having main dome, (diff than pantheon bc that was circular), expanding and interlocking barrel vaults, pilaster: flattened column attached to wall that has not structural purpose, only decorative - other types of columns: column: attached to floor and entablature only, engaged column still rounded and decorative, connected to wall; pilaster: flattened (just like engaged just not rounded) - dome has 12 ribs, articulated using pietra serena, has to transition onto rectangular base using pendatives (triangular), dome has oculus (for light at center) and windows at base of dome - Brunelleschi designed low benches running around sides of building so monks could sit

function of Palazzo Rucellai

built to be the priv home of the rucellai fam → popular and imp florentine merchant fam, revivals with medici and pazzi - supposed to display status power and wealth building was also display renaissance desire for rationality, order, and classicism - humanism applied to building and classical revival applied too lol based off the colosseum in ancient rome bc the Rucellai fam wanted to hv their fam members as cardinal and popes in rome, by echoing very famous roman building they were applying this desire and infer connection to rome

content of Birth of Venus

classical subject matter bc renaissance most accepted story: venus was conceived when the god cronus castrated his father Uranus, had severed organs now casted out in sea, fertilized sea foam, then venus was born when she was born, she was born fully formed, got body upon shell, diven to shore by winds, shells sign of venus venus: she might be modeled after real woman, the patron was likely Lorenzo de' Medici, venus was likely based on his mistress, simonetta cattaneo vespucci roses scattered in painting, blowing in breezes, classics tell us that roses were created at time of Venus's birth bc love is beautiful but can be painful like rose looking far away: venus exists apart from the real world human experience and above daily human concerns 3 other figures: blown by shore by Zephyr (god of the wind), woman hanging on to him; most historians think she is Aura (goddess of breeze); on right hand side: most historians think it is Flora (rep of spring, flowers on dress and cloak that she will wrap around venus)

form of Birth of Venus

classical techniques that Botticelli used - figures pushed forward into a plane parallel to picture plane - reminds us ancient grek paintings and vases - plaque of ergastines - beautiful fine modeling on venus body (chiaroscuro) - white flesh and standing pose makes reminiscent of statues, contrapposto, controlled body, based on classical venus sculptures, derived from roman copies of greek statues - Botticelli's venus is based on the "modest venus" pose that was particularly popular in classical greek era - this pose involves venus covering up breasts and hips - Botticelli would have seen these sculptures through his patrons, the Medici, who owned a number of classical sculptures of Venus like seen on the slide this venus has some strange elements - elongated neck, left arm is a bit too long, torso is a bit too long, too slumped shoulders, pose is gravitationally impossible - the landscape is pretty unremarkable → flat, not rlly realistic, waves are just simple v shapes, - flora and venus kind of float, not anchored on ground, impossible - only shell casts shadow, none of the figures - while Botticelli is interested in classics, more concerned with creating beautiful light atmosphere rather than creating perfectly italian rational mathematical place worked with tempera, also mixed alabaster powder into pigment - v expensive and reflective - the paint looks a bit shimmery, the color would have originally been brighter Botticelli's teacher was Lippi; we can tell bc Botticelli's women tend to hv light strawberry blonde women with fair alabaster skin one of the first paintings ever in western euro painting on canvas canvas vs wood panels canvas size is not limited can withstand humidity (made of ship sails) cheaper than wood since it is new medium, artists are at first hesitant bc their painting styles would hv to be adjusted took a while to catch on bc considered "too informal" for the majority of subject matter painted (religious) wood size limited based on available wood cannot withstand humidity and would warp can be expensive, depending on type of wood, size and treatment was considered a traditional medium that artists knew how to work with considered "appropriate" for formal subject matter

form of Palazzo Rucellai

colosseum is basis for this, three things in common - tripartite facade: building with 3 distinct decorated stories - architectural features for decorative purposes, not structural, columns on facades of both - the order is of columns changes per floor, least decorative at bottom (heaviest) to the most decorative (lightest) with the colosseum they used tuscan order at bottom like Rucellai middle: colosseum uses ionic and alberti used composite order (combo of ionic and corinthian) top: corinthian order (fanciest, lightest) for both 1st floor: heavily rusticated, intention jagged, fortitude of family rep, tuscan order (doric with base), larger and more strong edged stone used 2nd floor: is composite order, combo of ionic and corinthian, still used valuets on corners, slightly smaller stones, intro of rounded arches 3rd floor: use pilasters (like all), corinthian order, rounded stones, shortest floor floors sep by stringcourse: a raised horizontal band on a building that denotes the floors, decorative artist is interested in return to greco-roman rather than gothic

context of Pazzi Chapel

commissioned by andrea pazzi in 1429, head of pazzi fam in florence, wealthy banking family, second to Medici, lived around santa croce, that was their main church, wanted to give back to it made chapel as good work to make up usury sin (charging for interest on loans) Brunelleschi was architect, worked on it for 1429 to 1461 (died), workers kept working on it, never quite finished to where Brunelleschi wanted it Brunelleschi also deeply inspired the classical past, wanted to revive it, used roman triumphal arches and the Pantheon as his inspo (thought it was the most perfect building)

context of David

humanism: in renaissance, an emphasis on edu and on expanding knowledge (especially of classical antiquity), the exploration of individual and potential and desire to excel, and a commitment to civic responsibility and moral duty - believe u can be both christian and humanist - David reveals an interest in humanism by both Donatello and the medici for 1000 years, since fall of rome, soul is focus of art and not the body, body was seen as a source of sin and was only appropriate in scenes of Adama and Eve - david is revolutionary bc it is the first life size free-standing bronze nude sculpture since the collapse of Rome, his nudity is heroic and not a sign of sin - heroic nudity: a figure's nudity is an indication of its status as hero or semi-divine being, develops during renaissance - nude being ideal, heroic, moral vs being clothed, transcends you higher, they are better than us history of florence 1428 battle between florence (mercantile republic) and Milan (military autocracy) Florence was not expected to win... but they do! claimed they had the support of god medici commissioned this sculpture david = Florence (medici) // Goliath = Milan - in Florence after victory, it became v popular to use biblical figure of david as metaphor for florence Medici rule from 1428-1494 under the guise of republic (they were really oligarchical dictators) - medici hv taken all their allies and family members and took over the city and gov spots, not rlly a republic medici exiled from 1494-1512 - people called them out, exiled them, leave everything and go city officials took the status and moved it to the city hall - appropriated, do not change sculpture - david = Florence (republic) // Goliath = Medici (autocracy) in 1512, Medici retake the city and declare themselves dictators in an autocracy

content of Pazzi Chapel

little art on the inside, architecture mostly creates design painted terracotta roundels by artist Luca della Robbia that depict 4 evangelists: - matthew with symbol of angel - mark with symbol of lion - luke with ox - john with eagle - all of them are writing the gospels mathematical harmony and geometry is content, Brunelleschi wanted that to be focus - believed that rationalism, mathematical harmony, and spatial perfection were proof of god and heavens and perfection of those 2 - calm rational mathematical space is sign of god presence

content of Madonna and Child with Two Angels

madonna and child scenes were v common in Italian renaissance, we have seen them before too but this is more humanistic image is based off real woman, Lucrezia Buti (humanizing of religion), seems real too mary hands clasped in prayer = devout and pious beautiful mary = virginity; pearls on headpiece = sign of mary as well bc of their perfection so also virginity beach and water (bay) = landscape symbol of mary, christians often refer to her as "port of our salvation" like she was a port in a storm, could exit choppy waters and find safety with her distant city = heavenly jerusalem mary is somber = she had special foreknowledge of christ's fate; all moments are tinged by the knowledge her son will one day die christ is a real naturalistic baby = emphasizes the humanity of christ and religion angels as children = to show the joy and sweetness of christian worship and faith differences bc early renaissance and gothic paintings of Mary & christ child - Italians: use slight halo, both mary and christ have light ring; gothic: solid halo that look like disks - renaissance: christ as a natural realistic baby vs christ baby-sized but an adult to show wisdom - rena: mary humanised by being v natural vs mary depicted in a formal, regal manner and her fam tree - childlike angels (humanizing religion) vs adult angels in gothic differences between early renaissance northern and southern religious paintings - s: glint of halo; n: no halo in attempt to humanize - s: childlike angels vs androgynous angels that are more adult in north - mary humanized by being v natural + having natural baby vs mary humanized by being in a contemporary setting (north) - chalky look of tempera (south) vs bright look of oil

form of Madonna and Child with Two Angels

medium: tempera (pigment mixed with egg yolk), fast drawing, chalky flat colored painting on wood panel (common b4 canvas) renaissance paintings were often referred to as windows into the world - supposed to refer to allusionism and representation (looks real) but also Lippi has literally used a windowsill and frame to play on this idea - windowsill helps figure press up close to us, we feel like we are in the same room no gothic stylization or elongation mary: bulk and heaviness of body while also delicate and pretty, 3d dimensional, solid and takes up space landscape seems real in back, used atmospheric perspective: to show that a landscape is deep and distant, the artist renders it as hazy and graying close up at her head: lippi was known for his delicate swirls of transparent fabric, his exquisite curling lines, and beautiful curvature tone from forehead thru eye socket thru cheek bone, down along chin towards chest - seeing diff shades of cream, using chiaroscuro: "chiaro": light; "scuro": dark; essentially the italian term for modeling; use of contrasts between light and dark

function of Birth of Venus

most historians believe patron was Lorenzo de' medici or someone from that fam probs based on his mistress occasion: medici wedding probs, hung at a country villa of theirs, some historians say it was hung over the marital bed (themed for martial bedroom activities the night of the wedding), set the tone satisfied Botticelli and medici's interest in classics medici would hv used this to study neoplatonism to see god's beauty and capability thru viewing physical beauty

content of David

old testament story of David, a young Hebrew shepherd who slays the giant Goliath David is standing Goliath's head that he has severed from its body armed only with rock and slingshot but only one who can defeat him, bc God is on his side the moment that Donatello picked during the narrative: the end of story, everything calm, we know the outcome (no stress for us), see david victorious bc of God emphasis in the work is not fully on David's bravery but rather that David has been successful bc of God posture: nonchalant, cocky, assured, confident stance; Donatello has tilted David's head a little for humility, doesn't want to be too arrogant hands: right hand holds Goliath's sword; sword has several notches and dents to show us he was an experienced warrior but david beat him; left hand is set on his hip, holding the stone that slayed goliath huge sign of supremacy by standing on decapitated head of Goliath nudity is a choice, was not actually nude while fighting, choice carries symbolism (heroic nudity), implies ur morality, truth, heroism, blessed by divine, elevated above us many historians say it is erotic and homoerotic; now they think it is not traditional depiction of teenage boy in renaissance we know... old testament story of David, a young Hebrew shepherd who slays the giant Goliath David is standing Goliath's head that he has severed from its body armed only with rock and slingshot but only one who can defeat him, bc God is on his side the moment that Donatello picked during the narrative: the end of story, everything calm, we know the outcome (no stress for us), see david victorious bc of God emphasis in the work is not fully on David's bravery but rather that David has been successful bc of God posture: nonchalant, cocky, assured, confident stance; Donatello has tilted David's head a little for humility, doesn't want to be too arrogant hands: right hand holds Goliath's sword; sword has several notches and dents to show us he was an experienced warrior but david beat him; left hand is set on his hip, holding the stone that slayed goliath huge sign of supremacy by standing on decapitated head of Goliath nudity is a choice, was not actually nude while fighting, choice carries symbolism (heroic nudity), implies ur morality, truth, heroism, blessed by divine, elevated above us many historians say it is erotic and homoerotic; now they think it is not traditional depiction of teenage boy in renaissance we know... - donatello was gay, commissioned by Medici (don't know specifically who) but a few Medici men were gay also; had an interest in homoerotism - biologically male with female attributes, smoothness of skin, emphasis on curvature, extreme contrapposto, heightened sexual parts; hat with flowers on it - standing on head of goliath, helmet has a feather on it, runs up in between the legs, does touch the bottom of David's testicles and buttocks; historians think they would not have included this unless they were trying to emphasize it, Donatello praised for it by Medici - enjoyed in part in result of homoerotism

context of Birth of Venus

prior to renaissance, the only appropriate instance of female nudity was when depicting eve (her nudity is necessary to retelling eve's story) Botticelli's venus is the FIRST non-religious nude of either sex significant for many reasons - her nudity is NOT heroic - her nudity has no religious or moral message - her nudity is ONLY about sexuality david (Who was nude) was a biblical figure and had a heroic quality to his nudity this painting starts leads to a tradition of nude females in art history conflicting views towards birth of venus pro philosophy: neoplatonism (popular philosophy in renaissance based on platonism or smth plato promoted) promoted by medici plato said the contemplation of physical beauty will help us understand spiritual beauty of our world which renaissance christians interpret thru christianity to show what god is capable of rena ppl say u hv to study physical beauty to see what christian god is capable of medici could study venus's body and try to understand god is more capable than the most beautiful thing we can see rn most historians believe that this is just a fancy philosophical way of justifying the study of nudity, just an excuse lol to them anti led by Fra Savonarola, famous friar who denounced art classism sexuality and nudity - believed medici had become symbol of excesses and corruption and vanities of italians then; this painting was not religious or moral to him, this is just nudity classicism, nudity, sexcuality and medici are anti-christian he super successful gathers the ppl of florence and italy to hv the Bonfire of the Vanities, 1497 - where italian renaissance art and books were burned by his followers bc anti-christian - this one amazingly survives - Botticelli was so influenced and affected by savanarola's words that he has nervous breakdown afterward, believed he was guilty by painting pagan works abt sexuality instead of god - became v religious and abandoned fine art painting all together

context of Madonna and Child with Two Angels

renaissance was revival of classics → these 3 specifically idealism, humanism, rationalism, this one has all 3 idealism: mary in particular ideal, beautiful, youthful humanism: mary and christ not regal or otherworldly; truly looks like a family portrait; we see a mary and christ's normal human experience rationalism: mary and christ are calm and restrained, do not exhibit emotion desote (in mary's case) feeling it artist: Lippi was a monk, Fra means monk in italian, very imp influential painter in Italian renaissance - we can learn a lot abt Lippi from another artist and first art historian Vasari - wrote book called Lives of Artists - recounts tales abt many sig artists across Italian renaissance, writes abt Lippi - Lippi was main patron was Cosimo de Medici - Lippi was not a well behaved monk, often slept with women and prostitutes, incredibly lustful that his physical desire for women would distract him from his art for days and weeks - cosimo gets so fed up with him for taking forever that he locks him up so he can't sleep with women thinking he'd nothing to do but paint - Lippi takes scissors and bedsheets, makes a rope out of them, escapes - Vasari says that cosimo learns that Lippi needed to be treated with respect and he apologized to Lippi - the story tells us about the artistic and social changes and attitudes towards art - art is no longer seen as a mere craft or physical skill, not just made by skilled worker - instead, something that comes from inspired place by someone gifted, u hv to be inspired, u cannot just be ordered to do, Lippi can only create when he is ready - change in how artists are viewed: skilled laborers → respected geniuses and professionals Lippi female figures all tend to hv same certain look: fair alabaster skin, strawberry blonde hair - Lippi was once commissioned paint altarpiece for nuns in italy - looked down and saw one beautiful nun named Lucrezia Buti - Lippi abducted her, keeps her in house, marries and has children with her - historians think the woman we see is based off nun/his wife

form of David

revival of classical techniques, beginning of italian renaissance, not there for 1000 yrs before - sculpture in the round, life size, naturalism, idealism, nudity!, contrapposto (creates naturalism), lost-wax casting technique rediscovered (figured out how greeks and romans did it) - david is more similar to doryphoros in terms of his contrapposto pose, his naturalism, and idealism

function of Madonna and Child with Two Angels

we do not know specific details of commission, but we know major patron so probs cosimo di medici would have displayed piety of owner and used to guide worship and prayer foreshadow christ eventual crucifixion and resurrection works that show virgin mary and christ child were incredibly popular during italian renaissance bc assoc with humanizing of religion (common in this time period)