Art History Sem 2 Midterm study guide

Linear perspective

(vanishing point, orthogonals, horizon line) A system of creating an illusion of depth on a flat surface. All parallel lines (orthogonals) in a painting or drawing using this system converge in a single vanishing point on the composition's horizon line.

Carracci Academy, Bologna, founded c.1583: Ludovico, Annibale & Agostino Carracci

group of artists that founded an academy in attempt to address and rectify a lot of the issues in art that were identified in the Council of Trent. Ludovico, Annibale & Agostino returned to their studies and trained a whole new generation of art.

manuscript illumination

handwritten book that has been decorated with gold or silver, brilliant colours, or elaborate designs or miniature pictures

Venus pudica

"Venus pudica" is a term used to describe a classic figural pose in Western art. In this, an unclothed female (either standing or reclining) keeps one hand covering her private parts. (She is a modest lass, this Venus.) The resultant pose - which is not, incidentally, applicable to the male nude - is somewhat asymmetrical and often serves to draw one's eye to the very spot being hidden.

Plenary Indulgence

An indulgence that removes all of the temporal punishment due to sin.

Baroque

An artistic style of the seventeenth century characterized by complex forms, bold ornamentation, and contrasting elements misshapen pearl overly grotesque or ornamented Defined by its complexity (theoretical or allegorical)

Maniera

- Maniera, (Italian: "manner," "style") in art criticism, certain stylistic characteristics, primarily in Mannerist painting. In the 14th and 15th centuries, manière in France and maniera in Italy designated refined, courtly manners and sophisticated bearing. The name was first applied to art—apparently to praise the grace of the art of the Italian court painter Pisanello.

Oil

Favorite medium for 5 centuries. Pigments mixed with oils (linseed, walnut, poppyseed) - Very slow drying, has greater covering power, and doesn't fade. - Applied on a wood panel primed with gesso or a -white primer to make it smooth -Has greater transparency.

camera obscura

A camera obscura is a darkened room with a small hole or lens at one side through which an image is projected onto the wall opposite the hole. The term "camera obscura" can also refer to analogous constructions such as a box or tent in which an image of the outside is projected inside. A box-shaped device used as an aid for drawing or entertainment. Also referred to as a pinhole image, it lets light in through a small opening on one side and projects a reversed and inverted image on the other

Vanitas

A vanitas painting contains collections of objects symbolic of the inevitability of death and the transience and vanity of earthly achievements and pleasures; it exhorts the viewer to consider mortality and to repent. A vanitas is a symbolic work of art showing the transience of life, the futility of pleasure, and the certainty of death, often contrasting symbols of wealth and symbols of ephemerality and death.

bel composto

Abstract. Skilled in a variety of arts, Gian Lorenzo Bernini incorporated his knowledge of theater to perfect the Baroque concept of the bel composto, meaning the beautiful whole or the effortless and harmonious synthesis of the arts of sculpture, architecture and painting.

Amor Vincit Omnia

Amor Vincit Omnia is a painting by the Italian Baroque artist Caravaggio. Amor Vincit Omnia shows Amor, the Roman Cupid, wearing dark eagle wings, half-sitting on or perhaps climbing down from what appears to be a table. (love conquers all)

French classicism

17th century. Three painters, born in France within a span of seven years from 1593, are profoundly influenced by the traditions of ancient and modern Rome. They transform them into a classicism which is unmistakably French. 17th-century French art is generally referred to as Baroque, but from the mid- to late 17th century, the style of French art shows a classical adherence to certain rules of proportion and sobriety uncharacteristic of the Baroque as it was practiced in most of the rest of Europe during the same period.

allegorical figure

An allegorical painting might include figures emblematic of different emotional states of mind - for example envy or love - or personifying other abstract concepts, such as sight, glory, beauty, Revolution, or France. These are called allegorical figures.

Masaccio, The Holy Trinity, Early Renaissance, ca.1425-1427/28

A fresco by the Early Italian Renaissance painter Masaccio. It is located in the Dominican church of Santa Maria Novella, in Florence. This painting was one of his last major commissions, and is considered to be one of his masterpieces. The fresco is located along the middle of the basilica's left aisle. Although the configuration of this space has changed since the artwork was created, there are clear indications that the fresco was aligned very precisely in relationship with the sight-lines and perspective arrangement of the room at the time; particularly a former entrance-way facing the painting; in order to enhance the tromp-l'œil effect. Originally, the design included an actual ledge, used as an altar, physically projecting outward from the now-blank band between the upper and lower sections of the fresco; further enhancing the sense of depth and reality in the work He painted figures are roughly life-sized. For an adult of average height facing the painting, their eye-line would have been slightly above 'ground-level' in the work; with Death in the form of the crypt and skeleton directly front of them, and the promise of Salvation above.

Andrea del Castagno, Last Supper, Early Renaissance, 1447

A fresco by the Italian Renaissance artist Andrea del Castagno, located in the refectory of the convent of Sant'Apollonia. The painting depicts Jesus and the Apostles during the Last Supper, with Judas, unlike all the other apostles, sitting separately on the near side of the table, as is common in depictions of the Last Supper in Christian art. Although the Last Supper is described in all four Gospels, Castagno's fresco seems most closely aligned with the account in the Gospel of John, in which eleven of the apostles are confused and the devil "enters" Judas when Jesus announces one of his followers will betray him. Saint John's posture of innocent slumber neatly contrasts with Judas's tense, upright pose and exaggeratedly pointed facial features. Except for Judas, Christ and his apostles, including the recumbent St John, all have a translucent disc of a halo above their heads. he detail and naturalism of this fresco portray the ways in which Castagno departed from earlier artistic styles. The hand positions of the final pair of apostles on either end of the fresco mirror each other with accomplished realism. The colors of the apostles' robes and their postures contribute to the balance of the piece.

Quinten Massys, Money-Changer and His Wife, Netherlandish Renaissance, 1514

A man, who is weighing the jewels and pieces of gold on the table in front of him sits next to his wife who is reading a book of devotion with an illustration of the Virgin and Child. The couple is not dressed as members of nobility, but rather as well-to-do burghers of Antwerp, where the painting was made. The two subjects are depicted half-length, seated behind a table. The scene is tightly framed, making them the focus of attention. They are in perfect symmetry. The man is busy weighing the pearls, jewels, and pieces of gold on the table in front of him. This is distracting his wife from the book she is reading-a work of devotion, as the illustration of the Virgin and Child shows. The mirror placed in the foreground-a common device in Flemish painting, allowing the artist to create a link with the space beyond the framed scene-reflects a figure standing in front of a window. On the right, a door stands ajar, revealing a youth talking to an old man. The artist has produced an archaic rendering of the volumes and colors, opposing red and green, for instance. This fact, as well as the minute level of detail of the objects depicted, has led some art historians to speculate that this might be an imitation of a lost work by Jan van Eyck.

Guild

A medieval association of craftsmen or merchants, often having considerable power. imitatio christi- The Imitation of Christ is a Christian devotional book by Thomas à Kempis, first composed in Latin c. 1418-1427. It is a handbook for spiritual life arising from the Devotio Moderna movement, of which Kempis was a member.

Giovanni Bellini, St. Francis in Ecstasy, Early Renaissance, ca.1470s

A painting by Italian Renaissance master Giovanni Bellini, started in 1475 and completed around 1480. Bellini depicted the religious figure of St. Francis of Assisi in the landscape. The painting portrays the Italian 12th-century saint Francis of Assisi in an Italian landscape, stepping out in the sun from his cave, his figure anchoring the creamy celadon and golden-green landscape. The oil painting of Bellini has a length of approximately four feet with a width of around four and a half feet, depicting a natural, but dramatic scene. This painting includes one of the largest and most extensive Renaissance landscapes. The painting contains a strong effect of mystical light through the use of golden rays coming from the uppermost left corner of the painting, showering over Saint Francis. The tones of brown and gold are used to illustrate the body, and a rocky niche is depicted in the shady portion. His brighter body contrasts with the darker environment of the painting. In the foreground, the focus is laid on stony, dangerous, dark and mossy cave with a shady entrance covered by twisted grapevines. Inside the cave, several possessions of the saint are represented such as Holy Book, desk, hermit's skull, a thorny crown and a crucifix made of stems. Although the scene is rocky, it does not look like infertile] In the center and the background of this painting, there is a walled hill with growing fields, a bridge over a running waterway, a coastal bird similar to a gray heron, a donkey, as well as a shepherd looking at his flock grazing. The landscape depicts a transformation into spring through the inclusion of growing grass. Bellini envisioned the stigmatization as a moment of human transformation into the divine. The sun's rays shine on St. Francis, symbolizing him as a Seraph-Crucifix in front of the sun, which indicates the suffering image of the Seraphim.

maniera greca-

A term coined by Giorgio Vasar for 13th-century Italian painting that was influenced by Byzantine styles. The maniera greca is characterized by gilded backgrounds, flattened space, and striations to suggest folds of fabric. Also known as the Italo-Byzantine style.

estilo desornamentado

A term, apparently in use by the 19th century, that describes a phase in Spanish architecture of the 16th and early 17th centuries which was in reaction to the very rich decoration of the Plateresque style. This much sparer style, which maintained the use of the classical Orders and reflected Jesuit disapproval of decorative excess, is exemplified by the work (1563-84) of Juan de Herrera at the great complex of the Escorial outside Madrid. The term is used by both British and American architectural historians, but not in Spain where writers have preferred to use the word 'classicism' to describe this episode in their native architecture.

Co Redemptrix

A title used within the Catholic Church for the Blessed Virgin Mary, as well as a Catholic theological concept referring to Mary's role in the redemption of all peoples.

Pollaiuolo, Battle of Ten Nudes, Early Renaissance, ca.1465-1470

An engraving by the Florentine Goldsmith and sculptor Antonio del Pollaiuolo which is one of the most significant old master prints of the Italian Renaissance. Depicts five men wearing headbands and five men without, fighting in pairs with weapons in front of a dense background of vegetation. All the figures are posed in different strained and athletic positions, and the print is advanced for the period in this respect. The style is classicizing, although they grimace fiercely, and their musculature is strongly emphasized. The two figures nearest the front of the picture space are in essentially the same pose, seen from in front and behind, and one purpose of the print may have been to give artists poses to copy. An effective and largely original return-stroke engraving technique was employed to model the bodies, with delicate and subtle effect.

Antiquarianism

An interest in the customs, art, and social structure of earlier peoples and civilizations. Interest in the culture of antiquity, especially that of classical Greece and Rome.

Andachtsbilder

Andachtsbilder is a German term often used in English in art history for Christian devotional images designed as aids for prayer or contemplation. The images "generally show holy figures extracted from a narrative context to form a highly focused, and often very emotionally powerful, vignette".

1800-1970: Art as Expression of Artist

Art is the objectification of feeling or of an artists experience. An example of this is " The Scream" painted by Edvard Munch. (expressive paintings) We revel in sharing the artists unique image of joy or pain. Birth of post industrial age.

Prehistory- 1800: Art as Reflection of Culture

Art: A permanent fixture that is uniquely created by an individual. Art is culturally significant meaning, skillfully encoded in an affecting, sensuous medium (Richard L. Anderson). This is referring to the communication of ideas like what a culture thought concerning social or religious practices in that time period. Politics, Belief System, Religion, and Hegemony (power systems).

Formal Analysis

Assess physical properties. (materials, sizes, style, visual elements, shape, etc.)

Michelangelo (1475-1564)

Born into an aristocratic family Wished to be apprenticed as an artist His father disapproved and beat him Trained in Medici household with neoplatonic philosophers Favored by Jullis II Distrusted mathematics and Leonardo techniques giudizio dell'occhio taught him the fresco technique Worked for over 75 years influencing 3 generations of artists

Bronzino, Venus, Cupid, Folly and Time (The Exposure of Luxury), Mannerism ca.1546

Bronzino, worked at the court of the Duke of Florence - Cosimo de' Medici (1519-74), later appointed Grand Duke of Tuscany by Pope Pius purposely designed as a complex, erotic allegory that included a range of iconographic symbols and emblems from the world of mythology. its composition provides Bronzino with ample opportunity to demonstrate his virtuoso figure painting and portrait art. The picture symbolizes the consequences of unchaste love. Its main figure Venus, goddess of love (identified by her doves and by the golden apple given to her by Paris) disarms her son Cupid (identified by his wings and quiver) by taking away his arrow as they embrace incestuously. Other characters embody concepts associated with the dangers of physical love. The nude child ("Pleasure") showers Venus and Cupid with rose petals oblivious to the pain (of love) from the thorn that pierces his right foot. Behind him, a creature ("Deceit") with the head of a girl but the body of a beast offers Venus a sweet honeycomb with one hand while hiding the sting in her tail with the other. behind Cupid is a dark screaming figure who symbolizes either "jealousy" or perhaps the effects of "syphilis", which had reached epidemic proportions by the mid-16th century. The figure in the top left of the picture represents "Oblivion" (depicted with a hollow head that cannot remember anything) is trying to draw a veil over the events below. However she is stopped from doing so by the balding man ("Time") with the hour-glass on his back.

Cimabue, Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets, Proto-Renaissance, ca. 1280-1290

By the late 1200s, large paintings featuring the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child seated on a throne were a common sight in Italian churches. She gestures toward the child with her right hand, while Christ raises his hand in a priestly pose of blessing, an adaptation of the ancient Byzantine icon type (known as the "Hodegetria") in which the Virgin Mary points to Christ as the way to heaven. This was really the first painting that breaks away from the Italo-Byzantine style and really challenged the notion of tradition. He incorporated naturalism- the painted or sculpted representation that is based on the close observation of the natural world which is at the core of classical art Comparing St Francis altarpiece to Madonna with Angels Similar Altarpieces, shaped same way, noses similar Different Treatment of space Directly related to naturalism

Giotto, Ognissanti Madonna, Proto-Renaissance, ca.1305-10

Byzantine Gold and halos Mary is disproportionate to the other characters (Byzantine) Shading in the neck to give flesh like tone in Mary Looks like a physical body underneath robes French Gothic style throne Niche behind her Dark to light in the garments Diagonal lines that go towards Mary to give illusion of space Characters are cut apart and give realistic crowd look Angels on similar ground Higher contrast between the lights and darks More realistic crowd of people Mary is the Queen of Heaven Illusionistic painting and setting

John Calvin/ Calvinism

Calvinism , the theology advanced by John Calvin, a Protestant reformer in the 16th century, and its development by his followers. The term also refers to doctrines and practices derived from the works of Calvin and his followers that are characteristic of the Reformed churches.

Mannerism

Catholic response to protestantism. Complexity of narrative, space, arrangement, return to gothic characters. No longer blind faith in our ability to control our destinies, our world, and the afterlife.

Classicism

Classicism, in the arts, refers generally to a high regard for a classical period, classical antiquity in the Western tradition, as setting standards for taste which the classicists seek to emulate. Tenebroso- Tenebrism, from Italian tenebroso, also occasionally called dramatic illumination, is a style of painting using especially pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts of light and dark, and where darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image. (stage lighting)

Council of Trent, 1545-63

Counter Reformation/ Catholic Reformation= The Council of Trent, held in three parts from 1545 to 1563, was the 19th ecumenical council of the Catholic Church. Prompted by the Protestant Reformation, it has been described as the embodiment of the Counter-Reformation. The Council of Trent was highly important for its sweeping decrees on self-reform and for its dogmatic definitions that clarified virtually every doctrine contested by the Protestants. Despite internal strife and two lengthy interruptions, the council was a key part of the Counter-Reformation (catholic response to Martin Lunthers 95 theses) and played a vital role in revitalizing the Roman Catholic Church in many parts of Europe. It served to define Catholic doctrine and helped to revitalize the Roman Catholic Church in the face of Protestant expansion. What emerged from the Council of Trent was a chastened but consolidated church and papacy, the Roman Catholicism of modern history.

Michelangelo, David, High Renaissance, 1501-04

David is one of Michelangelo's most-recognizable works, and has become one of the most recognizable statues in the entire world of art. David Stands at 13'5″ tall, the double life-sized David is depicted patiently waiting for battle, prepped with slingshot in one hand and stone in the other. Michelangelo carved the David after he had already carved the Pieta in Rome in the late 1490s and returned to Florence in 1501 Because the statue was intended to be placed in a high location on the church, it had to be large enough to be seen from below Has an elongated torso, large hands, head and feet disproportionally large for his body, possibly because they were deemed more visually important for viewers who would see the statue high up on the exterior of the cathedral. When Michelangelo received his commission in 1501, he was presented with the challenge of using the block of marble which had already been worked upon to some degree. David is a nude man with a very muscular physique. His veins are visible in his arms and hands as he clutches the stones with one hand and the slingshot in the other. His left leg, which straddles the rocky base upon which he stands, appears a big too long for his body. It accentuates the line of this leg as it forms an essential component in David's contrapposto stance. Michelangelo has depicted David so that his body responds to the stance he is in. David's weight has been placed on his right leg while his left leg is at rest. His hips have shifted with one side being higher than the other. This has caused David's spine and midsection to curve slightly, and his right shoulder drops slightly below his left one.

Donatello, David, Early Renaissance, ca.1446-1460(?)

David is the title of two statues of the biblical hero David by the Italian early Renaissance sculptor Donatello. Consists of a bronze figure that is nude except for helmet and boots. The story of David and Goliath comes from 1 Samuel 17. The Israelites are fighting the Philistines, whose champion - Goliath - repeatedly offers to meet the Israelites' best warrior in single combat to decide the whole battle. s famous as the first unsupported standing work of bronze cast during the Renaissance, and the first freestanding nude male sculpture made since antiquity. It depicts David with an enigmatic smile, posed with his foot on Goliath's severed head just after defeating the giant. The youth is completely naked, apart from a laurel-topped hat and boots, and bears the sword of Goliath. a young hero stands with sword in hand, the severed head of his enemy at his feet. The statue's physique, contrasted with the large sword in hand, shows that David has overcome Goliath not by physical prowess, but through God. The boy's nakedness further implies the idea of the presence of God, contrasting the youth with the heavily-armoured giant. David is presented uncircumcised, which is customary for male nudes in Italian Renaissance art.

desaturation modeling

Desaturating a color by mixing different colors and hues to lighten or darken or darken it

Carlo Maderno, Saint Peter's extended nave & façade, Italian Baroque, 1607-1626

Designed principally by Donato Bramante, Michelangelo, Carlo Maderno and Gian Lorenzo Bernini, St. Peter's is the most renowned work of Renaissance architecture. While it is neither the mother church of the Catholic Church nor the cathedral of the Diocese of Rome, St. Peter's is regarded as one of the holiest Catholic shrines. It has been described as "holding a unique position in the Christian world" and as "the greatest of all churches of Christendom". Catholic tradition holds that the basilica is the burial site of Saint Peter, chief among Jesus's apostles and also the first Bishop of Rome (Pope). Saint Peter's tomb is supposedly directly below the high altar of the basilica. For this reason, many popes have been interred at St. Peter's since the Early Christian period. St Peters did not initially look like this as with the sack of Rome in 1527 and the rise of protestantism construction on St Peters largely halted.

Diego Velázquez, The Water Seller of Seville, Spanish Baroque, ca.1619

Diego Velazquez specialized in a type of sombre genre painting in the style of the Bamboccianti, known as bodegones. Focusing on subjects like beggars, street sellers, and soldiers The Waterseller of Seville is the title given to three paintings by Velazquez, dating to the period before he left Seville for Madrid (1618-1622) The subject of this masterpiece of Baroque art is a street water-seller known as 'the Corsican of Seville' who, according to written accounts of the time, wore a smock with holes in it, the better to show off his skin sores to passers-by. But in this incredibly calm and quiet picture, Velazquez gives him the appearance of a saint or monk, who is almost unaware of the people around him, and who has a faraway look in his eyes that suggests a profound acceptance of life. He has two customers: a young boy standing next to him, and a young man partly obscured by background shadow. (His figure has faded with time; he is more visible in the Uffizi version). The waterseller passes a freshly poured glass of water to the boy, without looking at him. It is a bright, clean glass with a black fig inside it to freshen the taste of the water. The boy himself - whose young white face offers a sharp contrast to the seller's ageing brown features - also averts his gaze out of respect for the age and poverty of the street-seller. In the foreground we can see the seller's large ceramic pots of water - rendered like a still life painting - whose lines echo those on his face. It is the worn-out face of someone who has spent a lot of time standing on hot and dusty street corners - a sentiment reinforced by the earthy browns and ochres of the artist's colour scheme.

Rembrandt, Anatomy Lesson of Dr. Tulp, Dutch Baroque, 1632

Dr. Nicolaes Tulp was appointed praelector of the Amsterdam Anatomy Guild in 1628. One of the responsibilities of this position was to deliver a yearly public lecture on some aspect of human anatomy. The lecture in 1632 occurred on 16 January, and this is the scene that Rembrandt depicts in paint in The Anatomy of Lesson of Dr. Tulp. the focal point of the image is Dr. Tulp displaying the flexors in a cadaver's arm. Rembrandt notes the doctor's significance by showing him as the only person who wears a hat. Seven colleagues surround Dr. Tulp, and they look in a variety of directions—some gaze at the cadaver, some stare at the lecturer, and some peek directly at the viewer. Each face displays a facial expression that is deeply personal and psychological. The cadaver—a recently executed thief named Adriaen Adriaenszoon—lies nearly parallel to the picture plane. Viewing the illuminated body from his head to his feet brings into focus a book propped up in the lower right corner. In all, Rembrandt shows nine distinct figures, but does so as if they are a unified group.

Duccio, Madonna and Child Enthroned with Saints (Maestà), Gothic, 1308-11

Duccio's famous Maestà was commissioned by the Siena Cathedral in 138 and it was completed in 1311. Compressed within the compass of an altarpiece is the equivalent of an entire programme for the fresco painting of a church. On the wide main panel are the Virgin and Child enthroned with saints and angels. Beneath it and above it are a narrative predella with scenes from the infancy of Christ, and seven scenes from the life of the Virgin. Corresponding to this on the back there are twenty-six scenes from Christ's Passion. Originally there were subsidiary scenes from Christ's life above and below the main panel. Exquisite craftsmanship The coloring and supple draughtsmanship create effects of great beauty. A perfect example of religious art of the early 14th century Created by Duccio di Buoninsegna (1260-1319), the leading figure in the Sienese School of Painting during the trecento, it was painted in the flat hieratic style of Byzantine art, using egg-tempera on wood.

Eclecticism

Eclecticism is a kind of mixed style in the fine arts: the borrowing of a variety of styles from different sources and combining them. Significantly, Eclecticism hardly ever constituted a specific style in art: it is characterized by the fact that it was not a particular style. Eclecticism is a conceptual approach that does not hold rigidly to a single paradigm or set of assumptions, but instead draws upon multiple theories, styles, or ideas to gain complementary insights into a subject, or applies different theories in particular cases.

Hyacinthe Rigaud, Louis XIV, French Baroque, 1701

France, under Louis XIV, was an absolute monarchy where full power resided with the king. As an absolute monarch, Louis was not subject to any constitutional limitations, leading him to declare "l'etat, c'est moi" ("I am the state"). Louis ruled by divine right, receiving his authority directly from God. Louis became known as le Roi Soleil, the Sun King, furthering his claim of divine lineage by recalling the ancient Greek god Apollo and declaring himself, in his usual modest manner, to be the center of the universe. Rigaud's monumental portrait displays a life-size, full-body depiction of Louis XIV. Louis, as the focal point, stands in the center of the canvas, his body angled slightly while his face is turned to meet the viewer with the confidence and directness expected from a king. Billowing embroidered silk curtains form an honorific canopy over the King's head while the lavish carpeting creates an opulent environment worthy of the king's presence. To the left, a marble column sits atop a gilded base, symbolizing the strength of the monarch while again recalling the classical era. Louis' pose, like Charles' before him, allows him to literally look down on the viewer, despite both monarchs being quite short every detail was intended to remind the viewer of the supremacy of the monarch and his divine authority. Louis, dressed to the nines, is bedecked in his coronation robe. Even the materials of the robe reinforce the image of the monarch; the black-and-white ermine fur and the blue-and-gold fleur-de-lis, a stylized lily, are symbolic of the French monarchy.

genre scene

Genre painting, painting of scenes from everyday life, of ordinary people in work or recreation, depicted in a generally realistic manner. Genre art contrasts with that of landscape, portraiture, still life, religious themes, historic events, or any kind of traditionally idealized subject matter.

Giambologna, The Capture of a Sabine Woman, Mannerism, 1581-1582

Giambologna's Abduction of a Sabine Woman is one of the most recognized works of sixteenth-century Italian art by one of the least well-known artists of the period. Giambologna's works exemplified the characteristics of the Mannerist period, a time in which artists exploited the idea of beauty for beauty's sake in works that showcased their artistic talent with figures composed of sinuous lines, graceful curves, exaggerated poses, and a hyper-elegance and preciousness that delighted viewers. after the city of Rome was founded in 750 B.C.E., the male population of the city was in need of women to ensure both the success of the city and the propagation of Roman lineage. After failed negotiations with the neighboring town of Sabine for their women, the Roman men devised a scheme to abduct the Sabine women (which they did during a summer festival). What we see in Giambologna's sculpture is the moment when a Roman successfully captures a Sabine woman as he marches over a Sabine male who crouches down in defeat. Older man at the base, young nubile man and woman on top. Three figures spiral up in to space.

Donato Bramante, Plan for New Saint Peter's, High Renaissance, ca.1506

Greek cross plan as arms are of equal distance. Pope Julius II commissioned Bramante to build a new basilica. This involved demolishing the Old St Peter's Basilica that had been erected by Constantine in the 4th century The site is very holy as it is the site of the burial of St. Peter. Bramante did the first plan for the new church and proposed an enormous centrally planned church in the shape of a Greek cross enclosed within a square with an enormous dome over the center, and smaller domes and half-domes radiating out. When Bramante died, Raphael took over as chief architect for St. Peter's, and when Raphael died, Michelangelo took over. Both Michelangelo and Raphael made substantial changes to Bramante's original plan.

Matthias Grünewald, The Isenheim Altarpiece, Northern Renaissance, ca.1510-15

Grünewald's largest work, and is regarded as his masterpiece. Constructed and painted between 1512 and 1516, the enormous moveable altarpiece, essentially a box of statues covered by folding wings, was created to serve as the central object of devotion in an Isenheim hospital built by the Brothers of St. Anthony. St. Anthony was a patron saint of those suffering from skin diseases. At the heart of the altarpiece, Nicolas of Hagenau's central carved and gilded ensemble consists of 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. Hagenau's interior ensemble is therefore symmetrical, rational, mathematical and replete with numerical perfections 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. Grünewald's Crucifixion stands as one of the most poignant representations of this scene in Western art due to the artist's masterful depiction of horrific agony, with Christ's emaciated body writhing under the pain of the nails driven through his hands and feet. This body covered with sores and riddled with thorns must have terrified the sick, but also left no doubt about Christ's suffering, thus comforting them in their communion with the Saviour, whose pain they shared. "Grünewald depicts Jesus' body ravaged by crucifixion yet evokes pointedly the Christian message of Jesus' horrible suffering

four humors

Hippocrates' theory of the four humors basically states that the human body is made up of four substances. The theory refers to these substances as "humors." For ideal health, they have to be in perfect balance. When this balance is lost, it leads to sickness. According to the theory of the four humors, the substances that make up the human body are: black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. Hippocrates linked each of these humors to an element in the universe and atmospheric conditions: Black bile: related to earth, with cold and dry properties. Yellow bile: related to fire, with dry and warm properties. Blood: related to air, with moist and warm qualities. Phlegm: related to water, with moist and cold qualities.

iconoclasm

Iconoclasm is the social belief in the importance of the destruction of icons and other images or monuments, most frequently for religious or political reasons. More specifically, icons came to typify the art of the Orthodox Christian Church. Iconoclasm refers to the destruction of images or hostility toward visual representations in general. In a more specifically, the word is used for the Iconoclastic Controversy that shook the Byzantine Empire for more than 100 years.

St. Ignatius of Loyola: Society of Jesus, Jesuits

Ignatius of Loyola, venerated as Saint Ignatius of Loyola, was a Spanish Basque Catholic priest and theologian, who together with Peter Faber and Francis Xavier founded the religious order called the Society of Jesus and became its first Superior General at Paris in 1541. Spanish theologian and mystic, one of the most influential figures in the Roman Catholic Counter-Reformation.

quadratura

Illusionistic ceiling painting, which includes the techniques of perspective di sotto in sù and quadratura, is the tradition in Renaissance, Baroque and Rococo art in which trompe-l'œil, perspective tools such as foreshortening, and other spatial effects are used to create the illusion of three-dimensional space on an otherwise two-dimensional or mostly flat ceiling surface above the viewer. architectural setting fictively painted

textural illusionism

Illusionistic texture is that which stays completely within the realm of the 2-Dimensional surface, but which can evoke the sense of touch. Illusionistic texture is found within paintings and drawings that have a variety of objects—ie the flower petals look and appear to feel like flower petals and the firewood look and appear to feel like firewood. Our pebble and branch project using ink and our blind texture studies should come to mind. (providing the illusion of various textures)

Annibale Carracci, Gallery of the Palazzo Farnese, Italian Baroque, 1597-1601

In 1597, Annibale Carracci - co-founder of the Bolognese School of painting, along with his brother Agostino Carracci (1557-1602) and cousin Ludovico Carracci (1555-1619) - was commissioned by Cardinal Odoardo Farnese, Pope Paul III's nephew, to decorate the barrel-vaulted gallery on the main floor of the Palazzo Farnese in Rome. the frescoes marked a complete break from Mannerism and paved the way for the new idiom of Baroque painting which became the dominant style of the 17th century. It was also the Farnese collection of art from classical antiquity that prompted the decorative iconography of the Farnese Gallery. the Farnese Gallery decorations are mythological paintings dating back to pagan antiquity - a most unusual phenomenon in a city that prided itself on being the centre of Catholic Counter-Reformation art. collection of individual paintings surrounding a principal scene - The Triumph of Bacchus and Ariadne - which occupies the centre-panel of the ceiling. The whole decorative scheme was a showcase for the Carraccis' revitalized classicism - that is, a return to the naturalism of High Renaissance art, and thus a rejection of the prevailing idiom of Mannerist painting with its non-naturalistic contortions.

classical landscape

In a classical landscape the positioning of objects was contrived; every tree, rock, or animal was carefully placed to present a harmonious, balanced, and timeless mood. The classical landscape was perfected by French artists Nicolas Poussin and Claude Lorrain.

Hieronymus Bosch, Garden of Earthly Delights, Netherlandish Renaissance, ca.1510-15

In a period marked by religious decline in Europe and, in the Netherlands, the first blush of capitalism following the abolition of the guilds, the work has often been interpreted as an admonition against fleshly and worldly indulgence, but that seems a rather prosaic purpose to assign to a highly idiosyncratic and expressively detailed tour-de-force. It is a creation and damnation triptych, starting with Adam and Eve and ending with a highly imaginative through-the-looking glass kind of Hell. When the triptych is in the closed position, the outer panels, painted in grisaille join to form a perfect sphere—a vision of a planet-shaped clear glass vessel half-filled with water, interpreted to be either the depiction of the Flood, or day three of God's creation of the world. The first panel depicts God, looking like a mad scientist in a landscape animated by vaguely alchemical vials and beakers, presiding over the introduction of Eve to Adam The central panel from which the title Garden of Earthly Delights was derived. Here Bosch's humans, the offspring of Adam and Eve, gambol freely in a surrealistic paradisiacal garden, appearing as mad manifestations of a whimsical creator—sensate cogs of nature alive in a larger, animate machine. The last panel represents Earlier visions of Hell. Against a backdrop of blackness, prison-like city walls are etched in inky silhouette against areas of flame and everywhere human bodies huddle in groups, amass in armies or are subject to strange tortures at the hands of oddly-clad executioners and animal-demons.

giudizio dell'occhio

In art theory, it is primarily the concept of 'giudizio dell' occhio' - the judgement of the artist's eye - which is granted the task of judging measure, number and proportion to create beauty. giudizio dell' occhio' refers to the eye's. (make figures look correct when In reality they are not properly proportioned)

pendants

In art, a pendant is one of two paintings, statues, reliefs or other type of works of art intended as a pair. Typically, pendants are related thematically to each other and are displayed in close proximity

giant/ colossal order

In classical architecture, a giant order, also known as colossal order, is an order whose columns or pilasters span two storeys. At the same time, smaller orders may feature in arcades or window and door framings within the storeys that are embraced by the giant order.

Nicolas Poussin, Landscape with St. John on Patmos, French Baroque, 1640

In this painting, Saint John, one of the four Evangelists who wrote the Gospels of the New Testament, reclines beside his attribute, the eagle. He is here depicted as a powerful old man, presumably after retiring to the Greek island of Patmos to write his gospel and the book of Revelation at the end of his life. To suggest the vanished glory of the ancient world, Poussin carefully constructed an idealized setting for the saint, complete with an obelisk, a temple, and column fragments. Man-made and natural forms were adjusted according to principles of geometry and logic to convey the measured order of the scene. Even the profile view of Saint John is in harmony with the classical landscape. This painting may have been part of a projected series on the four Evangelists—in addition to this work, Poussin completed a companion, Landscape with Saint Matthew

Jacob van Ruisdael, View of Haarlem from the Dunes at Overveen, Dutch Baroque, ca.1670

In this painting, Van Ruisdael captured the essence of the Dutch landscape. From a high dune, we look out over the flat land in the direction of Haarlem, the city in the distance. Above the city stretches an immense sky with clouds drifting by. Van Ruisdael paints the sun shining between the clouds, alternating light and shade. He directs our gaze deep into the painting along the patches of sunshine, from the fields where linen is spread out to bleach to Saint Bavo's Church in the distance. It is an example of Dutch Golden Age painting and is now in the collection of the Kunsthaus Zürich. . In the left foreground is a marshy pool surrounded with trees. A road leads from it up a hill towards the right background. In the middle distance is part of the bleaching-grounds; large pieces of linen are spread out near cottages, and many persons are at work. In the distance is the town of Haarlem, dominated by the church of St. Bavo. The sky is filled with great masses of cloud which overshadow almost the whole landscape; stray sunbeams illumine part of the town and the bleaching-grounds

Intaglio

Intaglio is the family of printing and printmaking techniques in which the image is incised into a surface and the incised line or sunken area holds the ink. It is the direct opposite of a relief print, where the parts of the matrix that make the image stand above the main surface. (dollar bill)

Acrylic

Invented in the late 20th century with its binder being acrylic polymer, a synthetic resign that provides a fast drying flexible film. - Applies to a wider variety of surfaces. - Retains color intensity longer. -You can change the transparency by diluting it with water.

Tintoretto, The Last Supper, Venetian Renaissance, 1592-1594

Jacopo Robusti was a student of Titian and went by the name of Tintoretto (1518 - 1594). He combined the colors in Titian's works with Michelangelo's drawing prowess. often referred to as the outstanding Venetian representative of Mannerism. Mannerism was an art style that arose in sixteenth century Italy in which the art did not try to conceal its manmade limitations. The figures appear in a dark interior illuminated by a single light in the upper left of the image Shimmering halos on the figures clues viewers in about the biblical nature of the scene - this and the winged angles above set this Last Supper as more openly supernatural than Leonardo's rendition. The entire piece has is incorporated with Mannerist devices.The composition is imbalanced - instead of a horizontal or vertical line by which all objects are judged, the scene is slanted on a diagonal starting from the bottom left and moving to the upper right. Tintoretto painted a lively, chaotic scene in which Jesus is above and beyond the converging perspective lines that race diagonally away from the picture surface.

Leonardo da Vinci, Last Supper, High Renaissance, ca.1495-1498

Leonardo used an oil/tempera mix and applied it to a dry wall. He did this because he wanted to capture the look of an oil painting, but even within his lifetime it began to wear off. Further destruction was caused in the seventeenth century, when Monks cut a door into the bottom and the Monastery was bombed. Leonardo created the effect that the room in which Christ and the apostles are seen was an extension of the refectory. The scene shows us figures in a rectangular room with coffers on the ceiling and tapestries on either side of the room. The room terminates at three windows on end of wall and through the windows we can see into a beautiful landscape setting. The landscape in the background terminates in a kind of misty, grayish horizon. This device, in which the horizon's colors become more dull and colorless, is called aerial perspective and was used by Renaissance artists to create the illusion of depth in landscape scenes. Christ is in center among the apostles, and his body forms a triangle-like shape which is not overlapped by any apostles. There are four sets of three apostles at the table beside Christ, and these numbers may have been important for Leonardo for symbolic reasons We can see Leonardo's use of one-point linear perspective, in which the vanishing point is at Christ's head which his also framed by the pediment above and back-lit by the open window behind. Thus, Leonardo was keeping up with the innovative artistic techniques developed early in the Quattrocento.

Rachel Ruysch, Flower Still Life, Dutch Baroque, after 1700

Looking at this floral still life paintings can reveal an entire hidden world—of wealth, status, even the economics of the world's first financial crises. Rachel Ruysch grew up in Amsterdam, into a wealthy and prominent family of Dutch artists, architects and scientists. Her father, Frederik Ruysch, was an eminent scientist and professor of anatomy and botany. He encouraged her artistic talents, careful observation of the natural world and scientifically accurate renderings of plants and flowers. highly valued for its degree of skillful realism. Flowers Still Life depicts a profusion of scientifically accurate floral details. Each petal, stem, and leaf is minutely and precisely rendered. Textures are remarkably realistic, from the delicate paper thin poppy petals to the crinkly, brittle leaves. Looking closer still, we see that Ruysch has also meticulously depicted tiny insects: a caterpillar crawls on a stem, a bee gathers pollen from the center of a poppy, a white butterfly alights on a marigold. One common interpretation is to understand them in light of vanitas, a moral message common at the time. Taken from a passage in the Christian bible, it was a reminder that beauty fades and all living things must die. While still life paintings celebrated the beauty and luxury of fine food or voluptuous flowers, vanitas was a warning about the fleeting nature of these material things and the shortness of life. In Flowers Still Life, some flowers wilt and die while insects have eaten holes in the leaves. Wealthy Dutch consumers were being reminded to not become too attached to their material possessions and worldly pleasures; eternal salvation came only through devotion to God.

Martin Luther/ Lutheranism

Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism that identifies with the teachings of Martin Luther, a 16th-century German reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the church launched the Protestant Reformation.

1970- : Art as Reflection of Artist

Mass produced Utilitarian object were adopted as works of art because the artist says it's art. The artist finds these objects to be beautiful and the concept behind the work of art allows it to become a work of art itself. Death of modernism and birth of postmodernism. When the exchange of ideas overcomes that of the production of commodities.

Tempera

Most common type of painting used through the middle ages and the renaissance. It has desirable qualities such as it is strong, durable, has a matte like finish, and it's abundant. - Great for sharp lines and details such as hair but dries rapidly. - Cannot be mixed after applied.

Claus Sluter, Well of Moses, Early Netherlandish, 1395-1406

Named for the most famous biblical patriarch A monumental sculpture recognised as the masterpiece of the Dutch artist Claus Sluter (1340-1405-06), assisted by his nephew Claus de Werve. It was executed by Sluter and his workshop in 1395-1403 for the Carthusian monastery of Chartreuse de Champmol built as a burial site by the Burgundian Duke Philip the Bold A style combining the elegance of International Gothic with a northern realism, but with a monumental quality unusual in either. It was carved from stone quarried in Asnières and consisted of a large crucifixion scene or "Calvary", with a tall slender cross surmounting a hexagonal base which was surrounded by the figures of the six prophets who had foreseen the death of Christ on the Cross (Moses, David, Jeremiah, Zachariah, Daniel and Isaiah) Standing on slender colonnettes on the corners between these prophets are six weeping angels. All the figures, including the lost Calvary group, were painted and gilded by Jean Malouel, and some of this paint remains.

Titian, Venus of Urbino, Venetian Renaissance, ca.1538

Numerous identities are proposed for this nude woman seductively reclining in bed as she stares outward from an elegant bedroom. Interpretations of the figure in Titian's oil painting on canvas range from the divine to the vulgar. She might be the goddess Venus, a young bride, or an idealized female beauty. Others see her as a courtesan or mistress. highly naturalistic, visual seduction The Venus of Urbino Affords rich insight into the complex social practices intertwining marriage, sexuality, and female beauty in Renaissance Italy. Titian has domesticated Venus by moving her to an indoor setting, engaging her with the viewer, and making her sensuality explicit. The Venus stares straight at the viewer, unconcerned with her nudity. In her right hand she holds a posy of roses whilst she holds her other hand over her genitals. In the near background is a dog, often a symbol of fidelity. In a different space in the background two maids are shown rummaging through a cassone chest, where clothes were kept. The detailed depiction of the interior setting is unusual, perhaps unique Ideal female nude Cassone- A cassone or marriage chest is a rich and showy Italian type of chest, which may be inlaid or carved, prepared with gesso ground then painted and gilded. Pastiglia was decoration in low relief carved or moulded in gesso, and was very widely used

Rembrandt, The Company of Captain Frans Banning Cocq (Night Watch), Dutch Baroque, 1642

One of the greatest portrait paintings of the 17th century Dutch Baroque era, The Night Watch was executed by Rembrandt at the height of his career in Amsterdam. Originally called The Company of Frans Banning Cocq and Willem van Ruytenburch, it is a group portrait of a militia company, commissioned and paid for by the members concerned, and was intended for the Great Room of the Kloveniersdoelen It was given its popular but misleading title in the late 18th-century, based on the false assumption that it depicted a nocturnal scene. In fact, its subdued lighting was caused by the premature darkening of its multi-layered varnish Rembrandt's painting shows the company fully equipped, ready for action, and about to march. In all twenty-six figures are fully or partially visible, including three children (or dwarves) and small parts of five more figures can just be discerned in the background. To the right of the arch there is a shield, added later, bearing the name of eighteen of the persons portrayed. According to two of them, who gave evidence on Rembrandt's behalf during the investigation into his financial affairs in 1658, he was paid a total of 1,600 guilders - the sitters contributed an average of 100 guilders each, the sum varying with their prominence in the picture. This title, which was not given by the artist, was first applied at the end of the 18th century. By that time the painting had darkened considerably through the accumulation of many layers of dirt and varnish, giving the appearance that the event takes place at night.

Disegno

Organizing intellectual compositions around line

Jan van Eyck, Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride, Gianna Cenami (The Arnolfini Wedding), Early Netherlandish, 1434

Original double portrait 1434 oil painting on oak panel by the Early Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck. It forms a full-length double portrait, believed to depict the Italian merchant Giovanni di Nicolao Arnolfini and his wife, presumably in their residence at the Flemish city of Bruges. Italian agents for the Medichi Very wealthy patron of the arts 2 ½ ft tall Women represents the domestic side of life and the man represents public business It is considered one of the most original and complex paintings in Western art, because of its beauty, complex iconography, geometric orthogonal perspective, and expansion of the picture space with the use of a mirror. used the technique of applying several layers of thin translucent glazes to create a painting with an intensity of both tone and colour. The glowing colours also help to highlight the realism, and to show the material wealth and opulence of Arnolfini's world Van Eyck took advantage of the longer drying time of oil paint, compared to tempera, to blend colours by painting wet-in-wet to achieve subtle variations in light and shade to heighten the illusion of three-dimensional forms. Unique form of a marriage contract

Diego Velázquez, Las Meninas (Maids of Honor), Spanish Baroque, 1656

Originally entitled "The Family of Philip IV," Las Meninas depicts Velazquez himself working in his studio in Madrid's Royal Alcazar Palace. The setting is the cuarto bajo del Principe, the apartment once occupied by the crown prince Don Baltasar Carlos (who had died in 1646). After his early death, Velazquez took up lodgings there. On the walls we see copies of several works by Rubens, including, on the rear wall, Pallas and Arachne and The Judgment of Midas. The picture is composed like a scene from a play, with all the actors in their pre-planned positions, around the central blonde figure of the five-year old Infanta Margarita Teresa (1651-73). The daughter of Philip IV, King of Spain, and Maria Anna of Austria, she married Leopold I, becoming Holy Roman Empress, but died prematurely at the age of twenty-two. The actors in the painting include (from left to right): Diego Velazquez who stands behind his huge canvas, painting the scene; Maria-Augustina Sarmiento, the first lady-in-waiting (menina), who offers water to the future empress; the Infanta Margarita; Isabel de Velasco, the second lady-in-waiting, who curtsies; and the two female dwarfs - Maribarbola with her battered face, and Nicolas de Pertusato, who teasingly kicks the sleepy dog lolling on the floor. In the shadows behind them is the ladies' governess Marcela de Ulloa, and an usher; standing in the open doorway is Don Jose de Nieto Velazquez, the marshal of the queen's palace, who draws aside a curtain through which light enters, gently adding to - and competing with - that from another source, an unseen window on the right.

"January, February"

Painted between between 1412 and 1416 by the Limbourg brothers, it was completed after their death by Jean Colombe The Book of Hours prints come on 11 x 17 cotton rag paper in soft white with archival inks. Soft white is white but the paper has not been treated with bleaches or chemicals that would accelerate the paper's deterioration over time. Without comparison to other whites, it looks white. If you place it next to a brilliant white mass-market print, it will look slightly more cream. Shows Intuitive Perspective On the left we see January and February from the perspective of the noble and "rich folk" having a party, dancing, and enjoying previsions. On the right you see these cold months from the perspective of the towns people working outside while the women try to warm up inside their huts.

Fresco

Predominantly produced in Italy. Pigment suspended in water and applied to a lime plaster surface. (vehicle: water, binder: lime) Adding lime plaster to a wall and painting over it with water color. Buon Fresco and Fresco Secco (dry) good for adding additional detail

Printmaking

Printmaking is an artistic process based on the principle of transferring images from a matrix onto another surface, most often paper or fabric. Traditional printmaking techniques include woodcut, etching, engraving, and lithography, while modern artists have expanded available techniques to include screenprinting.

quadro riportato

Quadro riportato is the Italian phrase for "carried picture" or "transported paintings". It is used in art to describe gold-framed easel paintings or framed paintings that are seen in a normal perspective and painted into a fresco.

Artemisia Gentileschi, Judith Beheading Holofernes, Italian Baroque, ca.1619-1620

Rivulets of blood run down the white sheets, as Judith, a pious young widow from the Jewish city of Bethulia, beheads Holofernes, general of the Assyrian army that had besieged her city. The story of Judith and Holofernes is recounted in the Book of Judith, a 2nd century text deemed apocryphal by the Jewish and Protestant traditions, but included in Catholic editions of the Bible. Like the story of David and Goliath, it was a popular subject of art in the Renaissance and Baroque periods. one of the bloodiest and most vivid depictions of the scene Holofernes's muscular body projects dynamically into the depicted space as bold areas of light and dark draw attention to his powerful limbs. most importantly, whereas Caravaggio (above, left) pairs his delicate Judith with a haggard attendant who merely looks on, her eyes wide with disbelief, Artemisia depicts two strong, young women working in unison, their sleeves rolled up, their gazes focused, their grips firm. Caravaggio's Judith gracefully recoils from her gruesome task; Artemisia's Judith does not flinch. Instead, she braces herself on the bed, as she presses Holofernes's head down with one hand and pulls a large sword through his neck with the other. The creases at her wrists clearly show the physical strength required. Holofernes struggles in vain, the thrust of his arms countered by the more forceful movement of Abra, Judith's accomplice in this grisly act. blood violently spurts from the neck of Holofernes.

Juan Bautista de Toledo and Juan de Herrera, The Escorial, Spanish Renaissance, 1563-1584

San Lorenzo de El Escorial is an imposing architectural complex that is arguably the most ambitious monument constructed during the Renaissance in Spain. The starkness that Machuca, along with his contemporary Diego de Siloe, introduced into Spanish architecture was the dominant feature of the Escorial—the extraordinary building that epitomized Spain's architecture after mid-century and was Philip II's monument to posterity. He designed the Escorial, thirty miles northwest of Madrid, as an enormous rectangular precinct enclosing a royal palace, a monastery, and a church. The cornerstone was laid in 1563, and the complex finished in 1584. The period of its construction corresponded to the years of the Catholic Reform after the Council of Trent, and the building's astonishing severity and sobriety were indicative of both the religious spirit of Spain and of Philip II's own fervent Catholicism. The project was so complex that it took more than a decade to complete, and approximately a thousand people worked on it during its peak construction period. El Escorial is often described as severe or somber in appearance, with a symmetrically organized plan and a largely unornamented exterior In its day, this was remarkable because it broke with architectural styles popular on the Iberian Peninsula (the peninsula that encompasses Spain and Portugal), including the highly decorative Plateresque style, which was influenced by the ornate designs of silverwork.

Freestanding

Sculpture meant to be seen in the round. Commands an understanding of volume.

Relief Sculpture

Sculpture that projects from a background surface. Ex: a coin Low relief: Projects only slighting off the background and doesn't creating harsh shadows High releif: Very dramatic and projects more than half from the background.

dal sotto in sù

Sotto in su, (Italian: "from below to above") in drawing and painting, extreme foreshortening of figures painted on a ceiling or other high surface so as to give the illusion that the figures are suspended in air above the viewer.

Casting

Substitution of one material for another (clay and bronze) Lost wax or bronze hollow casting adopted by the Sumerians and Akkadians.

Age of absolutism

Sun king named Louis xiv who came to power in the 17th century. Established a new type of rule where the king is the ultimate authority without checks and balances.

Jean Pucelle, The Hours of Jeanne D'Évreux, Gothic, c. 1324-1328

The "Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux" is a richly illuminated 'book of hours' (a personal prayer book containing devotional texts and prayers for use at specific times of the day which was created for the French Queen, Jeanne d'Evreux, by Jean Pucelle, one of the leading miniaturists of the day. the figures are rendered in delicate grisaille (shades of gray), giving them an amazingly sculptural quality, and are accented with rich color and touches of lilac and turquoise The 209 folios include twenty-five full-page paintings with paired images from the Infancy and Passion of Christ and scenes of the life of Saint Louis, the queen's ancestor. In the margins, close to 700 illustrations depict the bishops, beggars, street dancers, maidens, and musicians that peopled the streets of medieval Paris The testament of Jeanne d'Evreux identifies this prayer book, left to King Charles V, as the one "that Pucelle illuminated." Grisaille, tempera, and ink on vellum The prayer book is very small - less than 4 inches by 3 inches - which places a premium on the drawing skill of the limner involved. The vellum used is paper thin and virtually transparent, while the text is composed in a very fine hand. The figure painting is done in tempera and grisaille (tones of grey) which imparts a surprisingly sculptural quality, and the images are enriched with accents of red and blue, along with touches of yellow, orange, pink, lilac, and turquoise.

Pietro da Cortona, Glorification of the Reign of Urban VIII (Allegory of Divine Providence), Italian Baroque, 1632-39

The Allegory of Divine Providence, a masterpiece of trompe l'oeil art, was created by Pietro da Cortona to decorate the large ceiling of the grand salon of the palatial home of the Barberini family, in Rome. The Allegory was is secular celebration of the pope's life and family. The Allegory of Divine Providence was seen as a highpoint of Baroque painting, and one of the greatest expressions of di sotto in su mural painting in Rome. Cortona's scheme marks the apogee of papal power and display. Cardinal Barberini enjoyed a "heavenly sign" foretelling his election - a swarm of bees (the family coat of arms) alighted on the wall of his conclave cell. A reference to this forms part of the central section of the decoration where Divine Providence, seated on clouds (with Time and the Fates beneath her), commands a personification of Rome to crown the Barberini arms. At the bottom is Minerva, goddess of Wisdom, overthrowing the Giants who are seen hurled down by those mountains they had amassed in order to challenge Heaven. Here is expressed the defence of ecclesiastical things. The virtues of Barberini rule were emphasized through other mythologies and personifications in the rest of the ceiling. Cortona's masterpiece includes a great painted cornice. This allowed him to compartmentalize various scenes. It also formed a backdrop in front of which many of Cortona's figures (including Minerva and the Giants) were represented in dynamic poses on a large scale at the front of the picture-plane. However, Divine Providence is more remotely shown high above, foreshortened in the central sky.

Pan-European Baroque

The Baroque is a name given to a style that dominated western Europe from the late 16th century to the mid-18th century (roughly 1580-1750). It is a style most closely associated with the art and architecture of Italy; however, it is recognized as a pan-European phenomenon, which more recently has also been applied to the arts of Spanish colonies.

caravaggismo/ caravaggisti

The Caravaggisti were stylistic followers of the late 16th-century Italian Baroque painter Caravaggio. His influence on the new Baroque style that eventually emerged from Mannerism was profound. Caravaggio never established a workshop as most other painters did, and thus had no school to spread his techniques.

Peter Paul Rubens, The Elevation of the Cross, Flemish Baroque, 1610-1611

The Elevation of the Cross altarpiece is a masterpiece of Baroque painting by the Flemish painter Peter Paul Rubens. The work was originally installed on the high altar of the Church of St. Walburga in Antwerp (since destroyed) In the central panel, we see the dramatic moment when the cross of Christ's crucifixion is being raised to its upright position. Rubens created a strong diagonal emphasis by placing the base of the cross at the far lower right of the composition and the top of the cross in the upper left—making Christ's body the focal point. This strong diagonal reinforces the notion that this is an event unfolding before the viewer, as the men struggle to lift the weight of their burden. visual sensation that the two men in the lower right are about to burst into the viewer's space as they work to pull the cross upward The viewer is caught in a moment of anxiety, waiting for the action to be complete. In the left panel (below, left) are St. John the Evangelist and the Virgin Mary, who, standing in the shadow of the rocky outcrop above them, look to their left at what unfolds before their eyes. Shown in quiet resignation and grief over the fate of Christ, the group of women below is a stark contrast of overwrought emotion. Here too Rubens uses a diagonal along the line of the women from the lower right to the mid-left, setting John and Mary apart, allowing the viewer to focus on their reaction. he right panel (above, right) continues the narrative event as Roman soldiers prepare the two thieves for their fate as they will be crucified alongside Christ. One thief—already being nailed to the cross on the ground—is foreshortened back into space, while the other—just behind him with his hands bound—is being forcefully led away by his hair. The diagonal Rubens created here runs the opposite direction as that in the left panel, moving from the lower left to the upper right along the line created by the leg and neck of the gray horse. These opposing diagonals further create tension across the composition, heightening the viewer's sense of drama and chaotic action.

fijnschilder

The Fijnschilders, also called the Leiden Fijnschilders, were Dutch Golden Age painters who, from about 1630 to 1710, strove to create as natural a reproduction of reality as possible in their meticulously executed, often small-scale works.

Vesperbild

The German earliest examples of Pietà were called Vesperbild, literally meaning 'image of the vespers', referring to the moment when, at sunset on Good Friday, the body of Christ was deposed from the Cross to be buried.

altarpiece

an artwork such as a painting, sculpture or relief representing a religious subject made for placing behind the altar of a Christian church.

Jules Hardouin-Mansart and Charles Le Brun, Galerie des Glaces (Hall of Mirrors), Versailles, French Baroque, begun 1678

The Hall of Mirrors, the most famous room in the Palace, was built to replace a large terrace designed by the architect Louis Le Vau, which opened onto the garden. the whole length of the Hall of Mirrors (73m) pays tribute to the political, economic and artistic success of France. Political successes are illustrated through the 30 painted compositions on the vaulted ceiling by Le Brun, which depict the glorious history of Louis XIV during the first 18 years of his reign, from 1661 to the peace treaties of Nijmegen. Military and diplomatic victories and reforms with a view to reorganising the kingdom are illustrated through allegories from Antiquity. Economic prosperity is revealed in the number and size of the 357 mirrors bedecking the 17 arches opposite the windows, demonstrating that the new French manufacture could rival the Venetian monopoly on mirror manufacturing. Artistic success is shown by the Rouge de Rance pilasters topped with capitals of gilded bronze based on a new design, which was referred to as "the French style" and was created by Le Brun upon the request of Colbert. The design incorporates the national emblems, with a fleur-de-lis topped by a royal sun between two Gallic roosters (the Latin word for rooster was gallus). Courtiers and visitors crossed the Hall of Mirrors daily, and it also served as a place for waiting and meeting. It was used for ceremonies on rare occasions, for example when sovereigns wanted an extra dash of lavishness for entertainment (balls or games) held for royal weddings or diplomatic receptions.

95 Theses

The Ninety-five Theses or Disputation on the Power and Efficacy of Indulgences is a list of propositions for an academic disputation written in 1517 by Martin Luther, professor of moral theology at the University of Wittenberg, Germany.

Sandro Botticelli, Primavera, Early Renaissance, ca.1482

The Primavera, the title of which means "Spring", is among the greatest works at the Uffizi Museum in Florence. It was probably created for the marriage of Lorenzo di Pierfrancesco (a cousin of the powerful Lorenzo the Magnificent Medici) in May, 1482. The scene shows a group of figures in an orange grove. One of the first things noticable is that little is used in terms of perspective; while some atmospheric perspective is visible through the trees to the right and to the left, we do not see the one-point linear perspective which some of the early Renaissance masters had used so effectively in the fifteenth century. Most of the figures have limbs which are long and slender and appear rather elegant. Botticelli produced art at a time when there was a demand in the court of Florence for this type of work. In the center is the Roman goddess, Venus. Her presence is a reflection of the humanist interest in the classical world which was popular in Florence at this time. She is depicted as an idealized woman, slightly off-center, with her head tilted and gesturing to her right Above her is a blindfolded cupid (her son), and behind him the tree limbs form an arch which conveniently frame Venus and provide her with a privileged position in the painting. To the far left, Mercury, the god of the month of May, has a staff which he may be using to usher away the winter clouds. He is readily identifiable by his prominent winged sandals.

Protestant Reformation

The Protestant Reformation was the 16th-century religious, political, intellectual and cultural upheaval that splintered Catholic Europe, setting in place the structures and beliefs that would define the continent in the modern era.

Reconquista

The Reconquista was a period in the history of the Iberian Peninsula of about 780 years between the Umayyad conquest of Hispania in 711, the expansion of the Christian kingdoms throughout Hispania, and the fall of the Nasrid kingdom of Granada in 1492.

Raphael, The School of Athens, High Renaissance, 1510-1511

The School of Athens represents all the greatest mathematicians, philosophers and scientists from classical antiquity gathered together sharing their ideas and learning from each other. These figures all lived at different times, but here they are gathered together under one roof. The two thinkers in the very center, Aristotle (on the right) and Plato (on the left, pointing up) have been enormously important to Western thinking generally, and in different ways, their different philosophies were incorporated into Christianity. Plato points up because in his philosophy the changing world that we see around us is just a shadow of a higher, truer reality that is eternal and unchanging Aristotle holds his hand down, because in his philosophy, the only reality is the one that we can see and experience by sight and touch Pythagoras (lower left) believed that the world operated according to mathematical laws. These mathematical laws were related to ideas of musical and cosmic harmony, and thus (for the Christians who interpreted him in the Renaissance) to God. Ptolemy (he has his back to us on the lower right), holds a sphere of the earth, next to him is Zaroaster who holds a celestial sphere. Ptolemy tried to mathematically explain the movements of the planets.

The Dutch Republic

The United Provinces of the Netherlands, or United Provinces, commonly referred to in historiography as the Dutch Republic, was a federal republic which existed from 1588 to 1795. It was a predecessor state of the Netherlands and the first fully independent Dutch nation state.

Book of Hours

The book of hours is a Christian devotional book popular in the Middle Ages. It is the most common type of surviving medieval illuminated manuscript.

Affetti

The concept of the affetti, derived from ancient rhetoric and poetic theory, was central to Renaissance art theory, and meant human passion and feelings conveyed.

Nanni di Banco, Four Crowned Martyrs (Saints), Early Renaissance, ca.1409-17

The designation Four Crowned Saints refers to nine individuals venerated as martyrs and saints in Early Christianity. . This statue by Nanni di Banco explains the stories of two groups of martyrs. According to the Golden Legend, the names of the members of the first group were not known at the time of their death "but were learned through the Lord's revelation after many years had passed. They were called the "Four Crowned Martyrs" because their names were unknown ("crown" referring to the crown of martyrdom). the four saints were soldiers (specifically clerks) in charge of all the regiment's records and paperwork who refused to sacrifice to Aesculapius, and therefore were killed by order of Emperor Diocletian (284-305), two years after the death of the five sculptors, mentioned below. The bodies of the martyrs were buried in the cemetery of Santi Marcellino e Pietro on the fourth mile of the via Labicana by Pope Miltiades and St. Sebastian.

Michelangelo, Creation of Adam, High Renaissance, 1511-12

The moment god has created adam sculpting him out of earth and kept in the boundaries of a mortal landscape God is shown inside a floating nebulous form made up of drapery and other figures. The form is supported on angels who fly without wings, but whose flight is made clear by the drapery which whips out from underneath them. God is depicted as an elderly, yet muscular, man with grey hair and a long beard which react to the forward movement of flight. Rather than wearing royal garments and depicted as an all-powerful ruler, he wears only a light tunic which leaves much of his arms and legs exposed. Adam is depicted as a lounging figure who rather lackadaisically responds to God's imminent touch. This touch will not only give life to Adam, but will give life to all mankind. Adam's body forms a concave shape which echoes the form of God's body, which is in a convex posture inside the nebulous, floating form. This correspondence of one form to the other seems to underscore the larger idea of Man corresponding to God; that is, it seems to reflect the idea that Man has been created in the image and likeness of God - an idea with which Michelangelo had to have been familiar. the Virgin Mary, who takes this place of honor next to God and the child next to her, who would therefore be the Christ Child. This view is supported by the placement of God's fingers on the child. The figures mirror each other. Humanistic idea that man is a god. Adams tesiticles are deflated and appear very small.

Leonardo da Vinci, Mona Lisa, High Renaissance, ca.1503-1506

The most recognized painting in the world Was stolen and the papers and articles about the heist made it famous Dressed in martial attire at the time with a veil. Wearing fashionable style The Mona Lisa was originally this type of portrait, but over time its meaning has shifted and it has become an icon of the Renaissance The Mona Lisa is a portrait of the wife of a Florentine merchant. The portrait was never delivered to its patron, and Leonardo kept it with him when he went to work for Francis I, the King of France. The Mona Lisa's mysterious smile is the focal point of the whole painting and has since inspired many other writers, painting, etc. The face and hands of the figure, set in its marble chair showing she is reserved, in that circle of fantastic rocks, as in some faint light under sea. The painting's novel qualities include the subject's enigmatic expression, the monumentality of the composition, the subtle modelling of forms, and the atmospheric illusionism. The Mona Lisa bears a strong resemblance to many Renaissance depictions of the Virgin Mary, who was at that time seen as an ideal for womanhood. The painting was one of the first portraits to depict the sitter in front of an imaginary landscape, and Leonardo was one of the first painters to use aerial perspective.

Late Medieval, Ivory Chest with Courtly Romances, Gothic, c. 1330-1350

The object called by the museum Casket with Scenes of Romances is a French Gothic ivory casket made in Paris between 1330 and 1350. The casket is one of the relatively few surviving Gothic ivory caskets decorated with a variety of themes from courtly literature, called composite caskets for that reason. By this period, Paris was the main European centre of ivory carving, producing large numbers of religious objects, including small diptychs with religious scenes that used the same relief technique. This casket may well have been a gift of courtship or upon marriage, and was probably intended for an aristocratic female owner, to keep her jewels and other valuables in. The carved scenes were possibly originally painted; as the paint on Gothic ivories tended to peel in places, it was very often removed by later dealers and collectors. The large size of the piece allows a wide range of the repertoire of popular scenes from different literary sources in French Gothic art to be shown, which display a variety of medieval attitudes to love and the role of women: Themes such as lust and chastity, folly and wisdom are juxtaposed in a series of non-connected scenes.

Virgin and Child (Virgin of Jeanne d'Evreux), Gothic, ca.1324-1339

The principal figure itself presents the reliquary to the viewer. Made of gilded silver, in which Mary is shown holding a reliquary in the shape of a lily. The statuette is typical of Parisian metalwork of the first half of the 14th century. The enamelwork on the pedestal is an early example of translucent basse taille enamelwork. The Virgin is shown standing on a rectangular entablature. In her hand she holds a fleur de lys of gilded silver and crystal. The lily contained relics such as scraps of clothes, hair, and milk of the Virgin. This type of reliquary in the shape of the Virgin derives from a Byzantine model called a Virgin of Tenderness. Her rounded face, the slight jut of her hips, and the cascading folds of her robe are typical of Parisian metalwork dating from the first half of the 14th century. Although the Virgin and Child now stands alone, it would originally have been one of a group of large gilded statuettes of the Virgin; however, the others have all been lost. The Virgin in the cathedral of Mantua indicates that this tradition survived into the second half of the 14th century.

Gianlorenzo Bernini, David, Italian Baroque, 1623

The sculpture was one of many commissions to decorate the villa of Bernini's patron Cardinal Scipione Borghese - where it still resides today, as part of the Galleria Borghese. It was completed in the course of seven months from 1623 to 1624. he subject of the work is the biblical David, about to throw the stone that will bring down Goliath, which will allow David to behead him. Compared to earlier works on the same theme (notably the David of Michelangelo), the sculpture broke new ground in its implied movement and its psychological intensity. Baroque art wants us to be able to relate to the image in our bodies, not just in our minds. Bernini's David uses the space around it—reaching out into the space of the viewer. Bernini's David is not content, the way Michelangelo's David is, to remain separate from us. When looking at Bernini's David, we immediately start to feel what David is feeling. This sympathy is very important to Baroque art. n the High Renaissance we saw the composition in the form of a pyramid, a very stable shape. But in the Baroque era we see compositions in the shape of diagonal lines, as in Bernini's David.The diagonal line immediately suggests movement and energy and drama, very different from the immobility of the pyramid shape.

Tuscan Doric Order

The simplest of the five orders of Classical Roman architecture, which were codified in the Renaissance. It resembles the Doric order but has a simpler base and an unadorned frieze.

Pollaiuolo, Hercules and Antaeus, Early Renaissance, ca.1475

The subject is taken from Apollodorus. On his way back from the Hesperides, Hercules engaged in a wrestling match with the giant Antaeus who was invincible as long as some part of him touched the earth, from which he drew his strength. Hercules held him in the air. until he weakened and died. Hercules is depicted with his arms locked round the waist of Antaeus, crushing the giant's body to his own. The Hercules and Antaeus demonstrate Pollaiuolo's knowledge of anatomy and his ability to represent physical and emotional violence. It is one of the earliest appearances of a mythological subject in the round. The unusual poses of the protagonists correspond to those painted by Pollaiuolo.

Roman triumphal arch, coffering, vault

The triumphal arch was a type of Roman architectural monument built all over the empire to commemorate military triumphs and other significant events such as the accession of a new emperor. Celebrated surviving examples of triumphal arch include the Arch of Constantine and the Arch of Septimius Severus, both in Rome.

Albrecht Dürer, The Fall of Man, Northern Renaissance, 1504

Throughout his life, Dürer beleived that the perfect human form corresponded to a system of proportion and measurements and could be generated by using such a system. The first man and woman are shown in nearly symmetrical idealized poses: each with the weight on one leg, the other leg bent, and each with one arm angled slightly upward from the elbow and somewhat away from the body The branch Adam holds is of the mountain ash, the Tree of Life, while the fig, of which Eve has broken off a branch, is from the forbidden Tree of Knowledge. Four of the animals represent the medieval idea of the four temperaments: the cat is choleric, the rabbit sanguine, the ox phlegmatic, and the elk melancholic. the two idealized figures of Adam and Eve stand in poses reminiscent of classical statues of Apollo and Venus.

Gianlorenzo Bernini, Piazza of Saint Peter's, Italian Baroque, ca.1656-1667

This grand public space designed by Bernini, to hold vast numbers of people who would come here to see the pope. This site on Vatican Hill, across the Tiber from central Rome, had held the ancient Roman circus of the Emperor Nero and it was here that St. Peter was buried, and around his grave was built the great early church, the first St. Peter's built by Emperor Constantine. The church we refer to as the old St. Peter's, and this is a church that dates to the time of the High Renaissance to the early 1500s to the patronage of Pope Julius II who is also responsible for other amazing things here like commissioning Michelangelo to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel or commissioning Raphael to paint frescoes in the stanza here in the Papal Palace. Bernini's piazza dates to more than 100 years later. This piazza is central to understanding Counter-Reformation architecture. The church recognized that art could be used to inspire the faithful and this piazza reaches out to do just that. "These are the motherly arms of the church, "reaching out to embrace the faithful "and to reunite heretics with the church," and those heretics that Bernini was referring to are the Protestants. The geometry of the space is clearly no longer the idealized geometry of the High Renaissance. This is not squares and circles. We're now seeing ovals or ellipses and trapezoids. This is a more dynamic and more complex geometry

Nicolas Poussin, Landscape with St. Matthew and the Angel, French Baroque, 1639-1640

This is a painting that really is about classical order and measured reality. We know this is Saint John because of the eagle that stands beside him, which is a traditional symbol of this evangelist We're looking at Saint John seated in the foreground writing the "Book of Revelation," writing about the end of time, the second coming of Christ. A really violent moment, but within this incredibly serene and peaceful landscape. Poussin's style was so influential that it became the standard for the French Academy. Those who painted landscapes in this way, with a sense of rigor and order and rationalism, and a kind of ideal landscape, became known as the Poussinists He's placed the main figure in the foreground, but he's really quite small in relationship to the landscape. He sits in a very classicized pose. In fact, we think that Poussin took this pose directly from representations of river gods from ancient Rome. that figure of Saint John is illuminated in the foreground. It's surrounded by the ruins of classical antiquity. We see ruins to his left and to his right. And also in the background, where we see the ruins of a classical temple and an ancient obelisk. So he's in this landscape that has a sense of the passage of time as he's writing his book about the end of time. Saint John is placed in the very foreground, right at the bottom of the painting. But we can't race back to the middle ground where that temple is that you had mentioned. Instead, we have a couple of visual paths. We might try to go down and straight back. But there we see water, not once but twice. We see a road on the right that seems to go back, that it draws our eye slowly through this landscape, so that we slow down and enjoy the space that he's created.

Sandro Botticelli, The Birth of Venus, Early Renaissance, ca.1484-1486

This is a work of tempera on canvas. During this time, wood panels were popular surfaces for painting, and they would remain popular through the end of the sixteenth century. Canvas was starting to gain acceptance by painters The theme of the Birth of Venus was taken from the writings of the ancient poet, Homer. According to the traditional account, after Venus was born, she rode on a seashell and sea foam to the island of Cythera. In the painting we see here, Venus is prominently depicted in the center, born out of the foam as she rides to shore. On the left, the figure of Zephyrus carries the nymph Chloris as he blows the wind to guide Venus. On shore, a figure who has been identified as Pomona, or as the goddess of Spring, waits for Venus with mantle in hand. The mantle billows in the wind from Zephyrus' mouth. The composition is similar in some respects to that of the Primavera. Venus is slightly to the right of center, and she is isolated against the background so no other figures overlap her. She has a slight tilt of the head, and she leans in an awkward contrapposto-like stance.

Jacopo Pontormo, The Descent from the Cross, Mannerism, 1525-28

This painting suggests a whirling dance of the grief-stricken. They inhabit a flattened space, comprising a sculptural congregation of brightly demarcated colors. The composition droops down towards the limp body of Jesus off center in the left. Those lowering Christ appear to demand our help in sustaining both the weight of his body (and the burden of sin Christ took on) and their grief. No Cross is visible; the natural world itself also appears to have nearly vanished: a lonely cloud and a shadowed patch of ground with a crumpled sheet provide sky and stratum for the mourners If the sky and earth have lost color, the mourners have not; bright swathes of pink and blue envelop the pallid, limp Christ. Moving him to be lamented and prepared for burial We don't know looking at this who took him off the cross No way spatially the figures are on the same plane

Late Medieval, Vesperbild (Röttgen Pietà), Gothic, ca. 1330

This piece part of the beauty and drama of Gothic art, which aimed to create an emotional response in medieval viewers. Shows a reclining dead Christ with three dimensional wounds and a skeletal abdomen. One of the unique elements of the Röttgen Pietà is Mary's response to her dead son. She is youthful and draped in heavy robes like many of the other Marys, but her facial expression is different. 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. intended as a focal point for contemplation and prayer. Even though the statues are horrific, 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. Röttgen Pietà painted wood, 34 1/2 inches high -Painted wooden sculpture, but it is damaged, paint is less vibran. -most of the Pieta statues of the time were from Germany, and the other surviving works are marble, or other stone, making this wooden sculpture all the more unique.

Ut Pictura Poesis

Ut pictura poesis is a Latin phrase literally meaning "as is painting so is poetry". The statement occurs most famously in Horace's "Ars Poetica", near the end, immediately after another famous quotation, "bonus dormitat Homerus", or "even Homer nods": Poetry resembles painting. axial symmetry- Axial symmetry is symmetry around an axis; an object is axially symmetric if its appearance is unchanged if rotated around an axis.

trompe l'oeil

Visual illusion in art, especially as used to trick the eye into perceiving a painted detail as a three-dimensional object.

Iconography

What does this work of art represent to the people looking at it? At the time and place, what would people looking at this think? Identify subject matter or symbolism.

Caravaggio, The Calling of St. Matthew, Italian Baroque, 1599-1600

What made Caravaggio so unique, was the true-life naturalism that made his figures seem completely real. The Calling of Saint Matthew depicts the moment when Jesus Christ inspires Matthew to follow him and become an apostle. The picture was commissioned by the will of Cardinal Matthew Contarelli, who had provided resources and specific guidelines for the decoration of a chapel based on scenes from the life of his namesake, Saint Matthew. The Calling of Saint Matthew illustrates the passage in the Gospel of Matthew (Matthew 9:9), when Jesus went into the custom house, saw Matthew at his seat and called to him, "Follow me". According to the story Matthew rose and followed him. In the painting, Christ (on the right, behind Peter) points to Levi, the tax-collector (the bearded man wearing a beret, who also appears in the two other Matthew paintings in the chapel) - and calls upon him to become the apostle Matthew. Although Levi is well to the left of the picture, the viewer's attention is nevertheless drawn to him by the hands pointing at him as well as by the intensity of the light shining on him. he introduces some very human interplay into the situation. To begin with, when he sees Christ pointing at him, similar to adams gesture in the creation of adam, Levi responds with a gesture, as if to say "Me?" indicating his uncertainty whether he is being addressed, or the younger man slumped on his right. In addition, the ray of light illuminating their faces, draws attention to the two youths, who appear rather lost in this group of older men. While one of them draws back in apprehension and looks to his older neighbour for protection, the other has turned to confront Christ, causing Saint Peter to gesture firmly for calm. Through the visual contrast between their reactions, Caravaggio displays psychological insight into two possible patterns of human behaviour in the same situation.

Louis Le Vau and Jules Hardouin-Mansart, Palace of Versailles, French Baroque, 1669-1685

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. Thanks to the team of Louis le Vau (architect to the aristocracy), André le Nôtre (landscape designer extraordinaire), and Charles le Brun (über-fashionable interior decorator and painter), Louis XIV's enormous and stylish palace was completed 21 years after it was begun in 1661 allowing Louis to officially set up court there The place has 700 rooms, 2,153 windows, and takes up 67,000 square meters of floor space. Over and above anything else, Versailles was meant to emphasize Louis's importance. When you walk through the palace at Versailles, you're bombarded with room after room of marble and gold and paintings: ceilings painted to place Louis in the company of the Greek gods, busts of him in a huge formal curly wig

Jan Vermeer, Woman Holding a Balance, Dutch Baroque, ca.1664

Woman Holding a Balance is a superb example of Johannes Vermeer's exquisite sense of stability and rhythm. A woman dressed in a blue jacket with fur trim stands serenely at a table in a corner of a room. The scales in her right hand are at equilibrium, suggestive of her inner state of mind. A large painting of the Last Judgment, framed in black, hangs on the back wall of the room. A shimmering blue cloth, open boxes, two strands of pearls, and a gold chain lie on the sturdy table. Soft light comes in through the window and illuminates the scene. The woman is so pensive that the viewer almost hesitates to intrude on her quiet moment of contemplation. The visual juxtaposition of the woman and the Last Judgment is reinforced by thematic parallels: to judge is to weigh. This scene has religious implications that seem related to Saint Ignatius of Loyola's instructions, in his Spiritual Exercises, that the faithful, prior to meditating, first examine their conscience and weigh their sins as if facing Judgment Day. Only such introspection could lead to virtuous choices along the path of life. Woman Holding a Balance thus allegorically urges us to conduct our lives with temperance and moderation. The woman is poised between the earthly treasures of gold and pearls and a visual reminder of the eternal consequences of her actions.

Martyrium

a building or chamber used by the early Christians as a burial place. A place where the relics of martyrs are preserved.

Concetto

a conceit especially in literary style

modular design

a design principle that subdivides a system into smaller parts called modules (such as modular process skids), which can be independently created, modified, replaced, or exchanged with other modules or between different systems

Grisaille

a method of painting in gray monochrome, typically to imitate sculpture.

Polyptych

a painting, typically an altarpiece, consisting of more than three leaves or panels joined by hinges or folds.

Rogier van der Weyden, Deposition from the Cross, Early Netherlandish, ca. 1435-1438

a panel painting by the Flemish artist Rogier van der Weyden created c. 1435, now in the Museo del Prado, Madrid. The crucified Christ is lowered from the cross, his lifeless body held by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus. The work was a self-conscious attempt by van der Weyden to create a masterpiece that would establish an international reputation. Van der Weyden positioned Christ's body in the T-shape of a crossbow to reflect the commission from the Leuven guild of archers for their chapel. arguably the most influential Netherlandish painting of Christ's crucifixion, and that it was copied and adapted on a large scale in the two centuries after its completion. The emotional impact of the weeping mourners grieving over Christ's body, and the subtle depiction of space. The figures are slightly less than life-size. Still wearing the Crown of Thorns, Christ has a beautiful though not an athletic body; there are no injuries from his Flagellation. Christ`s body is being lowered from the Cross by three men. The old man is probably Nicodemus, a Pharisee and a ruler of the Jews. The youth, apparently a servant, holds two viciously long and bloodstained nails removed from Christ`s hands; he has managed not to get bloodstains onto his white scarf, his white hose or his pale blue damask robe. The figure wearing cloth of gold is probably Joseph of Arimathea, the rich man who obtained Christ`s body and laid it in his own new tomb.

International Gothic

a period of Gothic art which began in Burgundy, France, and northern Italy in the late 14th and early 15th century. It then spread very widely across Western Europe, hence the name for the period, which was introduced by the French art historian Louis Courajod at the end of the 19th century.

Naturalism

a style and theory of representation based on the accurate depiction of detail.

Fleur-de-lis

a stylised lily that is used as a decorative design or symbol. The fleur-de-lis has been used in the heraldry of numerous European nations, but is particularly associated with France, notably during its monarchical period.

Martin Schongauer, Saint Anthony Tormented by Demons, Northern Renaissance, ca. 1470-1480

an engraving, probably created c. 1470-75, by Martin Schongauer of this popular scene in 15th-century art. In it grotesque demons swarm around Saint Anthony the Great, bursting with movement and energy as the saint calmly resists their temptations or blows. St. Anthony is shown with some of his signature attributes, dressed in a monk's religious habit and cowl, carrying a staff with a tau-shaped handle and his bound girdle book hanging from his belt. The image could depict chapter 65 from Athanasius's Life of St. Anthony, where the hermit has a vision of himself floating through the air and undefined beings prevent him from ascending back to reality or it could show the ninth chapter of Athanasius's Life of St. Anthony, where St. Anthony is attacked by the devil in the form of animals and beasts in the Egyptian desert and is levitated in the air by his practice of rigorous asceticism. forms the image from dots, lines and areas of hatching, varying spaces between them in order to enhance the interaction of white and black. The engraving exists in two states with only minor details added to the second.Parallel and fine cross hatching can be seen in the hermit's drapery and in the texture of the devils. Engraving- Engraving is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines are cut into a metal plate in order to hold the ink. In engraving, the plate can be made of copper or zinc. The metal plate is first polished to remove all scratches and imperfections from the surface so that only the intentional lines will be printed.

Jan van Eyck, Man in a Red Turban (self-portrait?), Early Netherlandish, 1433

an oil painting by the Early Netherlandish painter Jan van Eyck, from 1433. The inscription at the top of the panel, Als Ich Can (intended as "as I/Eyck can") was a common autograph for van Eyck, but here is unusually large and prominent. This fact, along with the man's unusually direct and confrontational gaze, have been taken as an indication that the work is a self-portrait. It has been proposed that van Eyck created the portrait to store in his workshop so that he could use it to display his abilities (and social status, given the fine clothes evident in the portrait) to potential clients. The original frame survives (the vertical sides are in fact a single piece of wood with the central panel), and has the painted inscription "JOHES DE EYCK ME FECIT ANO MCCCC.33. 21. OCTOBRIS" At the bottom, and at the top, the motto "AlC IXH XAN" ("As Well As I Can"), which appears on other van Eyck paintings, always written in Greek letters, and includes a pun on his name. shows a sharp and detailed analysis of the subject. The painting is a third life-size with the sitter sitting in three-quarters profile. His stubbled face is heavily lined with the onset of middle age, and his eyes are semi-bloodshot. He look outwards with a piercing gaze, looking directly at the viewer. His weary facial expression is achieved through a combination of his strong nose, tightly pursed by wide mouth and the framing of his face by the headdress. Interest in differentiating textures (Minitualist oil painting, liveliness, naturalism)

central plan

any structure designed with a primary central space surrounded by symmetrical areas on each side; also called a greek-cross plan. A domed or vaulted recess or projection on a building especially the east end of a church. the central plan design essentially compresses the basilica into a square.

Guilds

apprentices, masters Apprentices usually were boys in their teens who signed up with a master for around 7 years. They would work hard for the master during this time in exchange for learning the craft plus food, clothing, and shelter. Once the apprenticeship was complete, he became a Journeyman. Painters are in the same guild as physicians because they use powders. Sculptures are in the same guild as stone masons.

Jean Duc de Berry (1340-1460):

bibliophile brother of King Charles V of France. He owned over 300 manuscripts and would commission the three Limbourg brothers to work on the best example of manuscript illumination: Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry until dealth in 1416.

Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)

born in Vinci Trained by Andrea del Verroccchio Known for his investigations into the natural world Specifically into hydraulics, anatomy, optics Studies independently for a long time Was commissioned to paint the first high renaissance wall painting in The Refractory of Santa Maria Monastery (lunchroom)

Baroque Naturalism

carful observation of nature and life study. Utilized northern examples, Direct and relatable. (brutal realism)

Psychological cross referencing

ex: Donatello's David sculpture is lost in thought not interacting with the audience. He is expressionless. In Michelangelo's David he is actively eyeing his opponent creating psychological intensity. He is engaged.

Gianlorenzo Bernini, The Ecstasy of St. Theresa, Italian Baroque, 1642-1652

central sculptural group in white marble set in an elevated aedicule in the Cornaro Chapel, Santa Maria della Vittoria, Rome. It was designed and completed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, the leading sculptor of his day, who also designed the setting of the Chapel in marble, stucco and paint. The entire ensemble was overseen and completed by a mature Bernini during the Pamphili papacy of Innocent X. When Innocent acceded to the papal throne, he shunned Bernini's artistic services Canonized (made a saint by the Church) largely for the spiritual visions she experienced, Teresa of Ávila was a nun who lived in 16th century Spain, at the height of the Reformation. The two central sculptural figures of the swooning nun and the angel with the spear derive from an episode described by Teresa of Avila, a mystical cloistered Discalced Carmelite reformer and nun, in her autobiography, The Life of Teresa of Jesus (1515-1582). The group is illuminated by natural light which filters through a hidden window in the dome of the surrounding aedicule, and underscored by gilded stucco rays. Teresa is shown lying on a cloud indicating that this is intended to be a divine apparition we are witnessing. Other witnesses appear on the side walls; life-size high-relief donor portraits of male members of the Cornaro family, e.g. Cardinal Federico Cornaro and Doge Giovanni I Cornaro, are present and shown discussing the event in boxes as if at the theatre. Although the figures are executed in white marble, the aedicule, wall panels and theatre boxes are made from coloured marbles. Above, the vault of the Chapel is frescoed with an illusionistic cherub-filled sky with the descending light of the Holy Ghost allegorized as a dove.

Greek cross plan

church plan in the form of a Greek cross, with a square central mass and four arms of equal length. The Greek-cross plan was widely used in Byzantine architecture and in Western churches inspired by Byzantine examples.

Filippo Brunelleschi, San Lorenzo, Florence, Early Renaissance, designed ca.1434

considered to be a founding father of Renaissance architecture, was an Italian architect and designer, and is now recognized to be the first modern engineer. He devised an innovative, concealed internal structure of iron and wood to support the base, and a Roman style of brickwork laid in a herringbone pattern for the exterior. Other notable architectural achievements included the Ospedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents), as well as the Old Sacristy of San Lorenzo built for the Medicis, a structure that epitomizes Brunelleschi's restrained, harmonious style and strong sense of perspective.

Leonardo da Vinci, "Vitruvian Man," High Renaissance, ca.1490

depicts a man in two superimposed positions with his arms and legs apart and inscribed in a circle and square. Intended to explore the idea of proportion, the piece is part work of art and part mathematical diagram, conveying the Old Master's belief that "everything connects to everything else." "The proportions of the human body according to Vitruvius" Rendered in pen, ink, and metalpoint on paper, the piece depicts an idealized nude male standing within a square and a circle. Ingeniously, Leonardo chose to depict the man with four legs and four arms, allowing him to strike 16 poses simultaneously. The Vitruvian Man is based on De Architectura, a building guide written by Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius between 30 and 15 BC Perfect square inframed around a perfect circle. these are the measurements of the ideal body: four fingers equal one palm four palms equal one foot six palms make one cubit four cubits equal a man's height four cubits equal one pace 24 palms equal one man

Book of Hours

devotionals manuals, prayer for every hour of the day, 12 months illustrated, alternated between noble pleasures and peasant labors.

Neoplatonism

in 15th-century Florence, Neoplatonism was studied at the 'Platonic Academy' of Marsilio Ficino, and it became an important source for humanists. In writing on art, Plotinus argued that the artist in creating his work directly imitates the forms of this ideal reality, which are experienced as Beauty.

Sacra conversazione

in art, a sacra conversazione, meaning holy conversation, is a genre developed in Italian Renaissance painting, with a depiction of the Virgin and Child amidst a group of saints in a relatively informal grouping, as opposed to the more rigid and hierarchical compositions of earlier periods.

relic/ reliquary

is a container for relics. Relics may be the purported or actual physical remains of saints, such as bones, pieces of clothing, or some object associated with saints or other religious figures.

memento mori

memento mori are images meant to remind us of the inevitability of death. These objects and images warned their owners to enjoy life and act honorably, because the Grim Reaper might appear on the doorstep at any moment. Memento mori imagery is a direct response to the Black Death pandemic of the fourteenth century, but loss of life by disease, childbirth, or mere accident was persistent and highly visible throughout the Middle Ages. (ex: ivory skulls)

Perugino, Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to St. Peter, Early Renaissance, 1481

reduced the "flatness" of the two-dimensional surface and created a believable appearance of a scene in three dimensions The most striking element is line, one-point linear perspective. While the series of horizontal lines divide foreground from background, the diagonal orthogonal lines create the appearance of depth as they converge at the vanishing point near the doorway of the building in the background. The result is that the scene takes place on what appears to be a large grid which allows viewers to quite clearly ascertain the distance between figures in the foreground, middle ground, and background. In addition, Perugino used aerial perspective to make the hills on either side of the temple appear to fade into the background. Both types of perspective help the viewer understand visually that the scene is anchored realistically in three dimensions, even though it was obviously painted on a two-dimensional picture plane. This particular story underscores the message of Petrine authority, In the fresco, Christ is shown in the middle, literally giving St. Peter keys (alluding to the "keys to the kingdom of heaven", while the apostles stand in groups behind them. Also around them are figures in contemporary dress, who seem to witness the momentous event. The handing of the keys to Peter is meant to frame the Catholic doctrine of apostolic succession by which Christ handed power to Peter, and hence onto the popes. Christ and Peter are the figures of prime importance in this scene, and the importance of spiritual authority (embodied in the keys) is particularly emphasized by the key which hangs down vertically along the axis where the vanishing point is located.

Carving

removing unwanted material from the sculpture (subtractive process) Hardest method because there is no room for error.

intuitive perspective

scale diminution, consistent orthogonal recession. At a distance we naturally perceive objects as getting smaller. Objects converge as it gets further back (natural perspective)

Donato Bramante, Tempietto, San Pietro in Montorio, Rome, High Renaissance, 1502-1510

small circular chapel erected in the courtyard of San Pietro in Montorio in Rome on the supposed site of the martyrdom of St. Peter. It was commissioned by Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain and was built in 1502 after designs made by Donato Bramante. The design was inspired by a particular type of classical temple, specifically by the temple of Vesta at Tivoli Built on a circular plan and surrounded by columns. Bramante added a dome and chose the Doric order for the structure's decoration. Remarkable for its elegantly simple reinterpretation of classical forms, the Tempietto is regarded as one of the finest examples of High Renaissance architecture. The temple features so many well-mixed architectural references from Roman and Greek culture that word of its beauty and harmony quickly inspired praise from contemporary critics and artists such as Giorgio Vasari.

Giotto, Lamentation, Proto-Renaissance, c. 1305

the Lamentation of the Death of Christ is the most famous of the Scrovegni Chapel frescoes painted by Giotto in the first decade of the 14th century. The frescoes were commissioned by the wealthy Scrovegni family for their private chapel in Padua. Giotto's fresco cycle introduced a revolutionary style of naturalism with more realistic figures and more realistic emotions. Christ's body has been cut down from the cross and is surrounded by his weeping family and friends. His head is cradled in the arms of his mother, the Virgin Mary - who is the focus of the picture - while Mary Magdalene grieves at his feet, and John the Evangelist opens his arms wide in shock and anguish. The emotions of the mourners are expressed largely through their hands and faces, especially their mouths which seem to tremble with grief. Their bowed heads and hunched bodies add to the overall impression of misery. The human figures are given much greater three-dimensionality than normal, while Giotto also creates a convincing impression of space which lends an additional sense of reality to the picture. These three factors - (1) the naturalness of Giotto's faces and expressions; (2) the sculptural nature of his figures; and (3) the "depth" he creates in his pictures

Polychromy

the art of painting in several colors, especially as applied to ancient pottery, sculpture, and architecture.

Patron saint

the protecting or guiding saint of a person or place.

Sfumato

the technique of allowing tones and colors to shade gradually into one another, producing softened outlines or hazy forms.

maneria

visually complex, erudite and obscure