Art 196 - Unit 4
Sandro Botticelli, Primavera, ca. 1482. tempera on panel, 6'8"x10'4"
(Mercury, Three Graces (make a closed, mostly inward looking circle of femininity // one of them is looking at Mercury possible implying they fall in love), Venus, Eros, Flora, Chloris (wood nymph she turns into Flora when she is seized by Zephyr), Zephyr (wind god)
Lorenzo Ghiberti, Sacrifice of Isaac, 1401-03, Gilt bronze relief, 21x17"
(this particular relief won the competition)
contrapposto
A style of sculpture where people are depicted standing and leaning so that the person's weight is being put on one side.
quatrefoil
An ornamental design of four lobes or leaves as used in architectural tracery, resembling a flower or four-leaf clover.
(?) Which of the following is true of this drawing?
It reflects High Renaissance interest in the basic geometric shapes of the circle and the square, It reflects High Renaissance interests in the writings of Ancient Roman authors, It reflects a belief that the human form was divinely created and is the measure of the natural world, It reflects Leonardo's practice of using images to test hypotheses and communicate knowledge
(?) Which of the following is true of this work?
It represents an Old Testament hero (David), The hat it wears is evocative of a pagan god (Mercury), It is cast in bronze
(?) Which of the following is true if this fresco?
It uses linear perspective to create an illusionistic three-dimensional space, It uses (the representation of) three-dimensional space to establish a hierarchy between the human and the divine, The skeleton is a reminder of human mortality
(?) Which of the following is true about Filippo Brunelleschi's dome for the Florence Cathedral?
It was built with courses of herringbone brick, It has virtually the same diameter as the dome of the Pantheon
(?) Which of the following is true of this work?
Its iconography reflects a concern with fertility, Its use of pagan mythology reflects Renaissance ideas about gender and sexuality, It was commissioned on the occasion of a wedding
(?) These two reliefs were submitted to a competition for the commission of a set of bronze doors. Which one was declared the winner by the guild overseeing the contest?
Panel B (Lorenzo Ghiberti's panel)
(?) Based on what we know about Leonardo, which of the human senses did he consider the most valuable for collecting and disseminating information?
Sight
(?) What is the period in Europe that was marked by a humanistic interest in the art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome called?
The Renaissance ( means "rebirth" )
(?) Why is this painting in such a state of disrepair?
The painter experimented with an oil and tempera medium applied to dry plaster.
(?) Why were these men adopted as the patron saint of the Guild of Wood and Stone Carvers?
They were martyred for refusing to carve a pagan idol
schiacciato
a 'flattened out' style of relief invented by Donatello. This technique involved extremely shallow carving and utilized light and shadow to create the full pictorial scene. shallow relief
Paragone
a debate from the Italian Renaissance in which one form of art (sculpture or painting) is championed as superior to all others
Nanni di Banco, Quattro Santi Coronati (Four Crowned Saints), ca. 1409-16/17, Or San Michele, Florence. marble, 6'
also Sculptors at Work (relief on the predella)
(?) According to a traditional account, how did Filippo Brunelleschi win the commission to build the dome of the Florence Cathedral?
by cracking an egg
Leonardo da Vinci, Vitruvian Man, ca. 1487. pen and ink, 13.5x9.5"
comes from Leo's research while reading On the Art of Building by Vitruvius. It states that circles and squares come from the human figure. Leo then illustrates it.
Filippo Brunelleschi, Dome of Florence Cathedral (Santa Maria del Fiore), 1420-36, diameter: 138', height to lantern base: 299', height to lantern top: 351", Guild of Wool Manufacturers (comp.)
had a double shell with internal ribs // herringbone patterned brick
Masaccio, The Holy Trinity with the Virgin, St. John and Two Donors, ca. 1425, Santa Maria Novella, Florence, detached fresco, 22x10'
inscription painted above the skeleton reads "What I once was you are; what I am, you will become." // uses linear perspective to convey the message
Donatello, St. George Tabernacle, from Or San Michele, ca. 1410-17, Florence, Italy. Marble, height of statue: 6'1"
made for Guild of Armorers, patron St. George (knight who killed the dragon and saved the damsel [not recognized anymore])
Filippo Brunelleschi, San Lorenzo, ca. 1421-69, Florence, Italy
nave, aisle, clerestory // pietra serena (local Florentine sandstone; "serene stone") // crossing square modularity
Donatello, David, ca. 1420's-1460's. bronze, 62.25"
originally installed in the Medici home // compared to a Greek original ca. 450-440 BCE
(?) According to Leonardo, which of the following is the more intellectual (and therefore more praiseworthy) art?
painting
linear perspective (one-point)
parallel lines appear to converge with distance (vanishing point, orthogonals, transversals, atmospheric (aerial) perspective
(?) The interior of this church is considered to be an example of the Renaissance style because of its use of [blank].
rounded arches, the Corinthian order
(?) What is this type of shallow relief carving called?
schiacciato
(?) What do we call the technique that Leonardo used to soften the contour of this figure's jawline?
sfumato
Leonardo da Vinci, Project for a Church, ca. 1490. pen drawing, 9x7"
shows the interconnectedness of Leonardo's thinking
sfumato
the technique of allowing tones and colors to shade gradually into one another, producing softened outlines or hazy forms.
chiaroscuro
the treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting. Light and Dark
(?) In this relief, the sculptor has used the technique of linear perspective to create a sense of depth.
true
(?) Part of the reason Lorenzo Ghiberti won the competition for the commission for the Baptistry doors was because his relief used one-third less bronze than Filippo Brunelleschi's relief.
true