Art History 6b

Duccio, Maestà Altarpiece, ca. 1308-11 (recto and verso)

-Altarpiece = painted panel that sits on a Christian altar table for use in the ritual reenactment of Christ's sacrifice known as the Mass. -Intercessor = figure of higher spiritual rank who serves as intermediary between ordinary Christians and God. ---Most important in this role is the Virgin Mary. verb form "to intercede" -Patron saint = holy figure who takes special care of (intercedes for) a person, place, or corporate entity. -Recto= front side & verso= back side -polyptych= a painting (usually panel painting) which is divided into sections, or panels -Altarpiece for the high altar in the Siena Cathedral -Siena had a unique style that emphasized decorative surfaces, sinuous lines, elongated figures and the heavy use of gold. -Duccio was the founder of the Sienese style and his work was quite different from the Florentine painter Giotto. -Giotto emphasized a greater naturalism—creating figures who are more monumental (large, heavy and with a greater sense of accurate proportion) and a greater illusion of three-dimensional space. -Recto: -The Virgin Mary had an enormously important role -The bridge that normal people could access Christ through -Pray to the Virgin Mary and she could speak to her son on your behalf -Role of the intercessor, or someone who intercedes between God and mankind -Traditionally garbed in an intense blue cloak that would have been expensive for the time because of the need for lapis to create the paint -Decorative surface and gold was particular to the Sienese style -Creating a sense of real mass and real volume with subtle hints of chiaroscuro in the shadows of the drapery on baby Christ -Remarkably animated angels; they look around -Baby Christ has a stare towards the viewer that resembles a fully conscious adult; aware of his wisdom -The recto provided an image available to the public -Verso: -The back of the church (place of the Altar) was reserved only for people associated directly with the Church -Privileged view for the Monks, Priests, etc. contains scenes, in chronological order, from the Passion of Christ -Unified panel scenes with chronological order made legible for the viewer -Use of continuous narratives in individual panels When more than one moment of time is depicted in a single frame -Duccio is visually bringing the scenes together, uniting formal elements between the panels -The three trees in the middle panels of the bottom register turn into the three crosses in the large crucifixion scene of the center panel of the top register -Enormous amount of gold leaf -Not all panels are visible together as some parts of the altarpiece have been taken out -It was cut up for private purchase in the 18th century Panels are scattered in museums around the world

Piero della Francesca, Portrait of Federico da Montefeltro and Bianca Sforza, 1472-73 (recto and verso)

-Among the most famous portraits of the Italian Renaissance, the diptych depicts the lords of Urbino, Federico da Montefeltro and his wife Battista Sforza -A diptych is any object with two flat plates which are a pair, these are often attached at a hinge -The two paintings are now inserted in a modern frame, would have originally been a diptych connected with a hinge -Bianca Sforza had just died, making this a commemorative portrait -A way for Frederico da Montefeltro to remember his wife -She is far more pale possibly because she had already died when this was painted -Only the extremely wealthy could have an image that could outlast them (portraits/ portraiture) -They both very formal and dressed up -High forehead is a symbol of beauty -Borrowed from Northern interest -High forehead as beauty -Intricacy, specificity, and detail in the background -Atmospheric perspective -Very strict profile in which the figures are rendered -Allows for formalities to come through -Based on coinage from Ancient Rome -Humanists of Montefeltro's court were actively collecting Ancient Roman Coinage at this time -The Duke is facing his wife, facing left -He had suffered wounds on the right side of his face -Missing his right eye and part of his nose -Formality and power from profile pose -Birds-eye view of landscape makes figures appear to tower over the land -Symbolism on the exterior (verso) -Two triumphal chariots (Ancient Roman image) -On both chariots are the portrayals of whom the portraits were depicting -On the back of Bianca Sforza's portrait she is riding the chariot pulled by unicorns and surrounded by personifications of her virtues -Classical inscriptions in Latin refer specifically to the virtues represented on each triumphal chariot -Sense of geometry and formality that complements the portraits themselves -Federico da Montefeltro was a condottiere -Condottieri were Italian captains contracted to command mercenary companies -A mercenary, sometimes known as a soldier of fortune, is an individual who takes part in military conflict for personal profit, is otherwise an outsider to the conflict, and is not a member of any other official military. -Mercenaries fight for money or other forms of payment rather than for political interests

Antonio del Pollaiuolo, Battle of Nude Men, ca. 1465. Engraving printed on paper.

-Antonio Pollaiuolo's Battle of Ten Nudes has been called the single most important engraving in European history -Based on Classical Antiquity (cultures of ancient Greece and Rome) -Because of its shallow space, it resembles ancient Roman relief sculpture -In the picture, five men wearing headbands fight against an equal number of men without headbands -The battle is set in front of a wall of lush vegetation. -Art historians disagree about whether the print depicts a particular scene from mythology or classical history, but some have suggested that it simply shows gladiators. -This is because in the central pair, the men are gripping a chain, a common weapon of gladiatorial combat. -Others have viewed it as a pattern piece, intended to demonstrate a range of poses and viewpoints for the benefit of other artists -The print is exceptional for many reasons -Over fifty copies of it exist, an extraordinarily high number for a work of art over 500 years old -It is believed that Pollaiuolo engraved the print completely by his own hand -The sign set in the far left of the vegetation bears his name (most often the artist's composition would be engraved by a printmaker). -Pollaiuolo's print is important mostly because it shows a new conception of the human body -The Renaissance started much earlier in the fields of sculpture and architecture than it did in painting and drawing -Although Donatello had created his nude David decades earlier, the nude had yet to be mastered in a two-dimensional form -Pollaiuolo's nudes may be overly muscular, but they were probably the most naturalistic human bodies created in Italian drawing up to that point. -The figures' muscles are flexed and exaggerated but nevertheless demonstrate the artist's keen understanding of anatomy -Pollaiuolo's understanding of the nude body resulted from his dissection of cadavers. -Common practice in Florence -Pollaiuolo's bodies are also derivative of ancient Roman art, an indication that he was looking at the classical past for inspiration -Because Pollaiuolo was trained as a goldsmith he was very skilled in working with metal. -The print showcases the artist's technical ability, especially in the modeling -Contouring of light and dark, used to create volume in the men's bodies -This print is an engraving -With a sharp tool Pollaiuolo scratched the drawing into a sheet of metal -Ink was then applied to the surface of the metal, and wiped off, leaving only the scratches filled -A piece of moist paper was then set over the plate, which was sent through rollers so that the wet paper could "suck up" the ink -At the end, the sheet of paper would be peeled off, and the image that resulted would be the mirror image of the one that Pollaiuolo drew -Two stages of the print actually exist -Engravings of The Battle of Ten Nudes ended up all over Europe -Although people in other parts of Europe might read about the great sculptures and buildings being constructed in Florence, Pollaiuolo's print was an actual piece of the Florentine Renaissance that they could hold in their hands, therefore helping to spread the Renaissance -Pollaiuolo's apparent interest is to describe the human body in a state of action, in varied poses, and from different angles (foreshortening)

The Limbourg Brothers, Très Riches Heures of Jean Duke of Berry, 1413-16

-Book of Hours for Jean Duke of Berry -Son and brother of Kings of France -Brother of the Duke of Burgundy -Calendar page= in a Book of Hours, illuminated page showing "genre scenes" set in landscapes or interiors that correspond with seasonal activities and conditions. -Can contain portraits, too. -Meaning is generated about the contemporary values (of the patrons): importance of social hierarchy, property and dominion, productive work, all under a feudal system -In the practice of Christianity, canonical hours mark the divisions of the day in terms of periods of fixed prayer at regular intervals. -A book of hours normally contains a version of, or selection from, such prayers -The frequently seen "Cloth of Honor" is a long, suspended panel of rich fabric located behind the painting's most important person, male or female -A cloth of honor in red fabric with gold decoration and the arms and devices of the Duke identifies Jean de Berry's place at the table. -Three Estates: clergy, nobility, and peasantry King Philip IV in 1302 first assembled three estates: the clergy, the nobles and the rest, known as the Third Estate. -Ultimately, the first two estates gleaned the power from the Third, because its enormous population made it unwieldy and thus decisions. -Known collectively as the Limbourg brothers, Paul, Jean and Herman de Limbourg were all highly skilled miniature painters active at the end of the 14th century and the beginning of 15th century. -Together, they created some of the most beautiful illuminated books of the Late Gothic period. -A book of hours was for personal, devotional use—it was not an official liturgical volume. -In the Très Riches Heures, there are a number of full-page images—including calendar pages. -The calendar pages often show agricultural scenes where happy peasants till the fields and harvest. In the background are castles and landscapes that were specific holdings of the Duke of Berry. -For every calendar page, the corresponding astrological sign is shown at the top of the page in a tympanum. -This is in part because the stars were integrally tied to the agricultural calendar -The most famous section of Les Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry is the Calendar. -Common to most Books of Hours, this part consists of a standard calendar marked with church feasts and saints' days. -It is usually illustrated, but the twelve full-page miniature paintings which decorate the months in the Tres Riches Heures are regarded as the most exquisite and original feature of the entire work. -The majority of the images - featuring some of the greatest genre paintings of the Middle Ages - feature one of the Duc de Berry's castles in the background, as well as scenes of both leisure and work which characterize the different months. -Above each painting is a hemisphere showing the signs and degrees of the zodiac, the numbers and days of the month, as well as details from the ecclesiastical lunar calendar.

Filippo Brunelleschi, Quatrefoil with the Sacrifice of Isaac, 1401-02

-Competition piece for the east doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni, Florence -Bronze plaque that depicts the Biblical story from the first book of the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament: The Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19) -Made in 1401 and preserved by the city of Florence -Asked for by the Arte di Calimala (wool merchants' guild) -It was never actually installed on the doors but rather used in a competition for the commissioning of the actual doors of the Baptistery -It is now in the museum of Florence's cathedral Brunelleschi's trial depicts the Sacrifice of Isaac—Isaac is placed dramatically at the center of the quatrefoil, his body writhing as his father, Abraham, prepares to shed his blood. -The forms of a rushing angel, animals, shepherds and surrounding landscape occupy the lobes. -The techniques that Lorenzo Ghiberti and Filippo --Brunelleschi used, led the introduction of the Renaissance. -The panels were heavily influenced by classical and Christian views, and pushed away from dominant themes in previous Gothic art. -In both panels there is an angel who intervenes at the exact scene where Isaac is on the altar with his father's knife to his throat. There are similarly two servants, a donkey and a ram are represented, as was told in the biblical story. -Ghiberti's version of the scene was more delicate in nature. Brunelleschi depicted Abraham directly gripping his son, illuminated with sharp diagonal angles and dramatic emotion which add a scary tension to the panel. -The angel is already coming to the rescue at the exact moment that the knife is on Isaac's throat. Isaac has his mouth open as if he were crying out in fear. The donkey, servants and ram are all looking away in sadness. -Brunelleschi's Isaac looks weaker and more hidden, with a loin cloth covering himself, as opposed to the attractive body of Ghiberti's Isaac. -The eye is moved across the composition in no specific direction. -He divided the panel into the lower section and upper section with no emphasis on one or the other. The figures in the front compete for the eye's attention, when the focus should be on Abraham and Isaac.

Lorenzo Ghiberti, Quatrefoil with the Sacrifice of Isaac, 1401-02

-Competition piece for the east doors of the Baptistery of San Giovanni, Florence -Bronze plaque that depicts the Biblical story from the first book of the Hebrew Bible/ Old Testament: The Sacrifice of Isaac (Genesis 22:1-19) -Made in 1401 and preserved by the city of Florence Asked for by the Arte di Calimala (wool merchants' guild) -It was never actually installed on the doors but rather used in a competition for the commissioning of the actual doors of the Baptistery -It is now in the museum of Florence's cathedral -After winning the competition, the actual doors (north doors) that Lorenzo Ghiberti was commissioned to make by the Arte di Calimala (wool merchants' guild) depicted imagery not from Old Testament, but scenes from the Life of Christ -Isaac is depicted as what some have called "the first truly Renaissance nude"—perfectly proportioned, energetic yet graceful. -An angel's gesture stops the sacrifice, and the viewer notices a ram caught in the thickets in the upper left-hand register. -Ghiberti has Abraham and his son are featured in a contrapposto position with a softer contact, but more emotions. -Ghiberti's appears more true to the story because Abraham looks saddened at the thought of having to kill his only son. -There seems to be a slight pause of grief right as the knife is pointed to Isaac. -With the strong emotions, it is shocking that Ghiberti reintroduced tasteful nudity and appreciation for muscular and physical structure from antiquity -There is a strong influence from the bodies of classical sculptures. -This allowed for realism, which was a prominent theme to achieve in the Renaissance. -Ghiberti's donkey and the two servants are not a distraction unlike Brunelleschi's, whose donkey appears to be one of the main focuses of the panel. -Ghiberti has flow with diagonal movement leading your eye to the main focal point of the altar. -The idea that Ghiberti was able to shape his bronze in a single, complete fashion could have been a key deciding factor for the judges. More cost efficient

Domenico Ghirlandaio, Portrait of Giovanna Tornabuoni, 1488

-Fine example of fifteenth-century Florentine portraiture -Florentines were particularly keen on self portrayal -Artists of the time followed classical order -Body proportions were idealised while faces left devoid of expression were expected to convey character -In this half-length portrait, the sitter appears in strict profile, with her arms bent and her hands clasped together -Giovanna Tornabuoni is idealized to the extent of becoming an "icon" of beauty for young Florentine girls -Attributes relate to a person's identity -Books means she is able to read -Gown tells us she's part of a wealthy family -Quote praises Giovanna and her virtuous qualities reflected in her beauty -Quotation font is an ode to classical Rome -Subject of the portrait is female beauty -Commemoration of Giovanna after her death -Personal response from her husband, Lorenzo Tornabuoni, to her untimely death

Giotto, Last Judgment, 1305-06, in the Arena Chapel, Padua

-Giotto's frescoes are all thanks to the patron's (Enrico Scrovegni) sin of usury that weighed heavily on his conscience -Usury is the practice of lending money at interest, or at unreasonably high rates of interest -Enrico Scrovegni's palace was next door, he owned the land, and he built this chapel and hired Giotto -He and his father were usurers -In a Catholic environment, being a banker made you a lot of money, but also in your belief system would send you to hell -Dante, the great, late, Medieval poet singled out Scrovegni's father for one of the more treacherous parts of hell in his most famous poem, The Divine Comedy -Enrico Scrovegni was really worried and for this reason he did, in Catholic belief system, a good work by building this Chapel and donating it to the Catholic Church -Way of atoning the sin of usury, hoping this would help his soul go to heaven -Enrico, himself, is depicted in the Chapel on the wall over the entrance (The Last Judgement) kneeling and handing the Chapel over to the Virgin Mary -He is on the side of the blessed -In The Last Judgement you see Christ at the very top and the damned are on Christ's left (sinister) and the blessed are on Christ's right (dexter) where we find Enrico -The elect/blessed (the people going to heaven) look up at the large Christ figure -Made choices of virtue within their lives -Below the elect are nude children coming out of coffins/ tombs -Nude figures are meant to represent the souls that are to be judged by Christ -Christ sits in the middle as Judge -Souls are being wakened from the dead to determine whether or not they are blessed and get to go to heaven, or are damned and going to end up in Hell (depicted on Christ's left but the viewer's right) -Follows standard iconography/ composition of The Last Judgement -Blessed/ those going to heaven on Christ's right (dexter) and the damned below on Christ's left (sinister) -Directly on either side of Christ there is no division between the dexter and sinister -This is Heaven with the accord of Saints -Around the full body halo (mandorla) there are angels blowing trumpets -Scene of Hell is on the lower right -Large blue figure is meant to represent Satan -Surrounded by souls being tortured in Hell -Imagery inspired indirectly by the work of Dante, writer of the Divine Comedy -Equates the punishments in Hell with the different kinds of sins people committed -The patron was concerned with the sin of usury, so usurers are seen being hung in Hell with the bags of money on the ropes that they're hanging from -Below the hanging usurers is Judas, the disciple that betrayed Christ -Anyone leaving the Chapel from this exit would look up at this scene of The Last Judgement and see the cross being carried by two angels and see Enrico Scrovegni (the patron) offering the Chapel to the three Marys -As the public would have walked out of the Chapel after Mass, they would be reminded right before walking back into the world (of desire/sin) that it all comes down to the decisions they need to make in their own life -A last reminder to take the stories seriously

Donatello, David with the Head of Goliath, ca. 1430-50

-Important sculpture of the early Renaissance because it was the first free-standing/ in the round, nude sculpture since classical antiquity -For 1,000 years, the Christian West had looked to the soul as the place to focus -The body was seen as a path to corruption, and was not to be celebrated -Revival of Ancient Greco-Roman style -Love and respect for the body -Return of contrapposto positioning -Weight placed in one leg, and the other is bent -Gives a sense of movement -Detached from figural grouping or architecture -Sense of autonomy (freedom from external control or influence; independence) -Figure could move forward on its own -Material nature references the classical -Cast in bronze (copper-tin alloy) -Casting technique allowed it to be hollow -At the beginning of the Renaissance artists are starting to re-explore how to create large-scale bronze sculptures -Overt sexuality and eroticism -Wearing boots and a hat but is otherwise nude -High resting place of the wing of the helmet -At odds with the civic symbolism of the sculpture -Important to the city of florence but has an intimate quality to it -Seen in the courtyard of the Medici Palace (the patron us unknown, but most likely a Medici) -Would have been visible from the street -Anyone publically viewing this sculpture would have understood David as a reference to their liberties and freedoms cherished by the Florentine people -To the Florentine people, this was not just the Biblical story of King David; there were many other associations -David, as the underdog, defeats his enemy with God's help -Florentine people identified with David because they also defeated their enemy (the Duke of Milan) with God's help -The subject of David represents Florence and the Florentine Republic -Goliath=Duke of Milan -Significantly stronger than Florence in the 15th century -The Medici family was also appropriating the allegorical reference of David for themselves and for their family name -David is the embodiment of the promise of a long rule as he will grow up to be a wise King -Representation for the Medici family's own rule within the city -Possible iconography in the stone that David holds relating to the city of Florence -Renaissance sculpture was often done in marble (stone) so Donatello could have been juxtaposing the two weapons as a way of juxtaposing the two warring cities -The sword representing the violence of Milan and the stone representing the culture of Florence

Masaccio, Holy Trinity, ca. 1427-28, in the Church of Santa Maria Novella, Florence

-Linear perspective= a mathematically calculated system of proportion for art to convey the illusion of recession into depth. -Can be accomplished in 2-dimensional art (painting, drawing) or 3-dimensional, low-relief sculpture. -Requires viewer to position themselves at a particular spot for optimal visual effects -Linear perspective is 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. -Orthogonals= compositional lines that appear to extend from the painted surface (closer to the viewer) into depth -Single point perspective is a type of linear perspective. -Linear perspective relies on the use of lines to render objects leading to the illusion of space and form in a flat work of art. -It is a structured approach to drawing. -Single point perspective gets its name from the fact that it utilizes a single vanishing point. -Subject is the Holy Trinity -According to Catholic doctrine, God is God the Father, -The Son (Christ), and the Holy Spirit -Fairly standard motif -Elder figure representing God the Father -Dove representing the Holy Spirit -Christ on the crucifix -Known as the Throne of Mercy -Idea that it is a throne of judgement -Through Christ, man can be saved -Mary gestures to Christ and God, acting as an intercessor -Intermediary between us and and the divine world -Saint John the Baptist is opposite of the Virgin Mary -Outside kneeling figures are the patrons who commissioned the fresco -Position of prayer and contemplation -At the very bottom is a memento mori -Reminder of death -Tomb and a sarcophagus -Inscription: "I once was what you are and what I am you also will be." -Reminder that our time on earth is short, death can come at any time and we should be preparing for our salvation -Reminder that this painting had multiple audiences -Dominican clergy of this church; friars -Laity; the faithful who were not clergy -Changes Masaccio brought to this motif -Classicism of the architecture -Rational and measurable space that makes sense -Naturalism of the figures -Usually Christ and God are placed in a mandorla to situate them in an otherworldly, heavenly space -Rather Masaccio gave us what looks like Ancient Roman architecture -Fluted pilasters (flattened column attached to a wall) -Corithian capital -Entablature -Cornice with dentils -Figures of the Trinity are framed by a round arch (not pointed medieval/ gothic arch) carried by two attached columns with ionic capitals -Barrel vault with a series of coffers with alternating colors -Space makes sense precisely because Masaccio used linear perspective -One of the earliest uses of linear perspective -Rediscovered by Brunelleschi less than a decade before -Create convincing illusion that this is not a wall, but in fact the space of a chapel -Linear perspective works best when the vanishing point is at the eye-level of the viewer -Orthogonals radiate from the vanishing point -Horizon line defined by bottom step -Exploits chiaroscuro (movement from light to dark) to create a sense of volume -Ribcage is lifted up -Visible musculature -Interest in naturalistic human anatomy is a key feature of the Early Renaissance -Gives divine figures human qualities -God the Father is standing (foreshortened foot)

Donatello, Saint Mark, ca. 1411-13, for Or San Michele, Florence

-Made for one of the exterior niches on the outside of Or San Michele Church in Florence -Or San Michele, Florence -Built as grain market in 1337, converted to guild chapels after 1380 -Or San Michele is in many ways the place where the Renaissance began in Florence -Secular function as a granary but also a spiritual function as a church -Outside sculptures were commissioned by the guilds -guild= association of artisans or merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area -First Renaissance sculptures were not commissioned by a church but rather by these secular organizations -Saint Mark was commissioned by the linen workers guild (Arte di la Linaiuoli) -We know this because he is standing on a pillow presumably made of linen -Type of advertisement -You could engage with the statue right on the streets of Florence -Reviving the Classical in important ways (antiquity) -Incredible early expression of contrapasso -Hasn't been seen in over 1,000 years (borrowed directly from Ancient Greek and Roman sculpture) -Hips push to the right -Cloth falling in perfect unbroken lines over the engaged leg resemble a Classical column -Opposite leg shows a bend in the knee -Even under heavy drapery, you could still understand the movement of the body and the shift of weight in the hips -Gives a sense of movement, as if he could walk at any second -Resembles an ancient Roman sculpture -Experience of the individual is also a revival of the Classical -While viewing this sculpture in the niche on the streets of Florence, there would be an immediate kind of relationship -At the same time he is seeing further past us -Facial expression of intelligence, internal focus, and awareness -Thinking and reflecting on the Gospels -Our eyes are drawn up the drapery and to the handling of stone creating his facial expression -Helps to understand him and be able to approach him in a real way -We can see the furrowed brow, the eyes that gaze out, and the beard that animates his face -Interest in human anatomy by the look of the hands and feet -Not generalized shapes but rather you can see the sense of bone, muscle, and veins -Other sculptures at the time resemble more like those of the High Gothic style -The face is more plain and less individualized -No human to human connection created -Large head made patrons unhappy but once installed the proportions seemed accurate and acceptable from the viewing point -Sculpture in the round was rare at this time due to fear or statuary becoming idols (practice of idolatry) -Drawing on antiquity to blend classical forms and themes with Christian narrative of Saint Mark

Filippo Brunelleschi, Pazzi Chapel, ca. 1433-61, at Santa Croce, Florence

-One of the great Renaissance spaces -Originally used as a chapter house -A meeting room for the monks of Santa Croce -True early Renaissance work of architecture by Brunelleschi (completed after his death) -Large use of pietra serena (blueish-grey sandstone) -Articulates the decorative elements on the wall -Articulates the walls themselves and the dominance of a perfect geometry -Makes clear of the various rectangles, squares, circles and semicircles -As if you are walking into an ancient Roman temple (antiquity) -Close to a central planned space, like the Pantheon -Attention to the perfect centralities and geometries that we associate with the ancient world -Creates classicism and revival of the standards and ideas of ancient Rome -Fluted pilasters, long walls, hemispherical dome with an oculus in the center and windows piercing its sides -Centrally planned space that becomes even more important in the high Renaissance -Technically not perfectly central because it is a little broader than it is long -Barrel vaulted spaces on both sides of the circular, central dome -The space gives a feeling of well thought out construction, design and order -The dome construct the space and gives it an overwhelming feeling of Classicism

Claus Sluter with Claus de Werve (sculptures) and Jean Malouel (painter), The Well of Moses, 1395-1406, for the Chartreuse de Champmol, Dijon

-Originally stood in the middle of a cloister surrounded by the cells of Carthusian monks -Rooms where they would meditate -Monastery was established by Philip the Bold, the Duke of Burgundy -The Duke commissioned this monastery in order for the monks to continuously say prayers over his soul -Also became the burial place for him and his family -Carthusians dedicate themselves entirely to solitary prayer -The Duke had great appreciation for the Carthusians -Well funded monastery with the most brilliant artists of -Europe working there -Hexagonal structure made of limestone -Each side has a prophet standing in front of a niche -Breaking with Medieval tradition of having figures completely embedded within the architecture -Rather, this is a high relief sculpture -Each figure of a prophet is separated by a column with a capital -On top of the capitals are angels in positions of grieving and prayer with their wings outstretched -Above the angels there is a base that used to hold a tall and narrow cross with Christ on it and a kneeling figure of Mary Magdalene -All used to be painted (polychromy) -Would have made it come alive and inspire the monks in their prayer when they looked at the monument -Individual life is given to each figure -Drapery gives a sense of movement of the body, not necessarily the structure of the body itself though -Figures seem to engage with the surrounding space -The figure of King David (important to the Duke of Burgundy) is so specific and individualized -Depth and sense of wisdom in his personality given off by his gaze -Possible that the figure of the Prophet Jeremiah is also a portrait of Philip the Bold -Moses looks past us as a seer, but Zachariah looks down at us and almost offers us his prophecy -Differently positioned angels -Depth of emotion in the angels and in the prophets -Served as inspiration to the monks -This structure was like the engine in the center of the monastery that was meant to power and inspire the prayer of the monks -Religions/People "of the book" refers to Jews, Christians and Sabians -Old Testament prophets: Moses, David, Jeremiah, Zachariah, Isaiah, Daniel

Jan van Eyck and Hubert van Eyck, Ghent Altarpiece (Adoration of the Mystic Lamb Altarpiece), 1432 (interior and exterior panels)

-Patrons: Jodocus Vijdt and Elisabeth Borluut -Polyptych made up of many panels' -Closed for much of the year and opened on special days as a kind of revelation -Top of the closed exterior has figures of prophets and sybils -Predicted the coming of Christ (Messiah) -The scene of the Annunciation is below them Angel Gabriel on the left of the closed exterior Holding lilies as a symbol of Mary's purity -Mary is on the right side of the closed exterior -Dove above her head represents the Holy Spirit -Attention to detail unique to the Northern Renaissance -Not the naturalism or realism being seen at the same time in Italy though -Awkward linear perspective that is not mathematically accurate -Figures are too large for the size of the room -No attention to the reality of the human body that is seen in the Italian Renaissance -Drapery hides the body -Figures represented at sculptures on the bottom register of the exterior are the two Saint Johns -Particular relevance for the chapel and for the family -Patrons depicted on exterior of the altarpiece -Northern renaissance has the ability to represent different textures (in the face of the patron) because of the oil paint -Oil paint has profound impact on the sense of the painting, especially on the interior of the altarpiece -When opened, we are struck immediately by the explosion of rich colors -Possible because of the luminousness of oil paint -God the Father is central in the interior -Dressed like a king with a Papal crown (triple crown) on his head -Crown at his feet shows that he's king of kings -Hold a scepter as a symbol of power -Theme of God's saving grace -Plan to forgive and redeem mankind -God's image being remade in the Renaissance as opposed to the earlier Medieval God seen as wrathful and terrifying -This is a God of forgiveness -Expression of the Humanist tradition developing at the time -On either side of God there is Mary (left) and St. John the Baptist (right) -Angels singing and playing music in Heaven -Rich environment of gold and jewels plus the sound of Heaven -Panels of Adam and Eve are represented very realistically and deeply human in their bodies -Not idealized like Masaccio or Italian Renaissance artists -However, don't have ancient Greco-Roman sculptures to look at for inspiration of idealizing or making perfect of the human body -Adam and Eve look like they were modeled by real people in a studio -About God willing to reach out to man even in all of his imperfection -Jarring inclusion of Adam and Eve figures underscores this willingness for God to reach down to our imperfect world -In representing a forgiving God, the van Eyck brothers are showing the influence of Humanism -Artists in the Northern Renaissance pay an enormous amount of attention to detail on things that are seemingly unimportant -Objects link us to the heavenly and spiritual -Makes the heavenly world concrete and understandable -Believable and tangible -Lamb in the central scene on an altar is a symbol of Christ and Christ's sacrifice -Not suffering; functioning in purely symbolic realm -Surrounding angels carry the instruments of Christ's suffering -Cross, crown of thorns, etc. -Sense of sacrifice for man's redemption -Prophets, Saints, Popes, and figures from the Old Testament all pay homage towards Christ (the lamb) -Fountain of life with a stream leading out and down towards the viewer and towards the altar/ chapel -Sense of overwhelming awe -Eyes are incapable of taking in this much visual information simultaneously -The painting transcends us through our earthly realm to help us come face to face with God

Rogier van der Weyden, Portrait of Francesco d'Este, ca. 1460 (recto/verso)

-Portrait = a likeness of a specific person, a representation of a particular individual , or [verb] "to portray": to depict or describe someone in art or literature -Counterfeit portrait is when the image was made in the presence of the person who is represented -On the back of the panel the Este coat-of arms with Leonello's crest, the hooded lynx is depicted. -Heraldry is a broad term, encompassing the design, display, and study of armorial bearings or coat of arms Este coat of arms depicted on the verso -The hammer and ring may be jousting prizes and therefore attributes -Attributes are objects or animals associated with a particular personage -Attributes relate to a person's identity -May be symbols of power -With his elongated features and introspective (self-analyzing) gaze, Francesco is the paragon of aristocratic detachment

Sandro Botticelli, Primavera, ca. 1482

-Primavera= springtime -Central in the painting is Venus, goddess of April/ gardens in her sacred grove -She looks directly out at the viewer -Helps us to enter into the space -The trees around her part to reveal the sky -Gives almost a sense of a halo around her -The half-circle could be read as architectural, almost like an apse -Usually in a space like this we would find the Virgin Mary in an ecclesiastical environment -Rather this is a natural or mythic environment with Venus -Renaissance could be seen as a rebirth of ancient Greek and Roman cultures -Embracing pagen subject (Venus) and other elements from ancient Greek and Roman Mythology -The Three Graces dancing on the left -Popular figural subject in Roman statuary -Truly see the figure in the round -Mercury, god of May, dispersing last clouds on the far left -Causing weather changes -Right to left progressions through the months of spring -Zephyr abducting the nymph Chloris on the far right -Flora scattering flowers to Chloris' left -Venus' son, Cupid, is above her firing arrows -Attribute of Venus -Elongated, weightless figures -Stand in rather impossible positions -At odds with 15th century Renaissance traditions in art -Not about linear perspective -May have a little atmospheric perspective in far background -Very frontal painting, much like a frieze -Might be referencing a set of literary ideas, but art historians don't really know what the painting is about -There is no known text in which the painting refers -Allegory "The representation of an abstract quality or idea through a series of symbols or persons given symbolic meaning" -Allegory of springtime -Also has to do with the Renaissance itself as it is the rebirth (like spring) -The painting is understood possibly as a sort of Neo-Platonic work -A kind of meditation on different kinds of beauty -Neo-Platonism -Neoplatonism arose during the Renaissance in an effort to bring back Classical ideals that were considered strong and valid means to build a community. -Plato believed in Beauty, the beauty of the ideal. He saw nature as imperfect, as a fruit, flower, and person will decline in beauty over time. -Neoplatonism shows up in art as allegory, oftentimes symbols and concepts from literature and Pre-Christian thought.

Melchior Broederlam (exterior) and Jacques de Baerze (interior), Altarpiece of the Crucifixion (Dijon Altarpiece), ca. 1394-99

-The Crucifixion Altarpiece of Champmol was commissioned by the Duke of Burgundy, Philip the Bold, for the monastery he founded known as the Chartreuse de Champmol, outside of Dijon, France. -At the time, Dijon was the capital of the Duchy of Burgundy and the Duke — Philip the Bold — was one of the wealthiest individuals in western Europe. -The exterior of the altarpiece is painted using oil glazing technique and tempera -Oil glazing allowed Broderlam to paint with an eye toward naturalism and capture minute detail. -Painted with scenes from the Infancy of Christ75 -The interior is an elaborately carved wooden triptych gilded in gold leaf -The golden interior would radiate light -The interior took much longer than the exterior -Interior is more important than the shutter work on the outside -The altarpiece is opened during mass and other important festivals (during "on hours") and closed the rest of the time (during "off hours") -The Crucifixion Altarpiece illustrates the life of Christ from the time of his immaculate conception to that of his burial -The story begins on the exterior with Broederlam's imagery which shows the early life of Christ: the Annunciation, the Visitation, the Presentation in the Temple, and the Flight into Egypt. -The narrative continues when the altarpiece is open: beginning with the Adoration of the Magi, then the Crucifixion of Christ (the central and largest of the scenes), and the final representation of Christ's Entombment. -Broederlam used intuitive perspective -The buildings recede at opposite angles away from the front of the picture plane and the floors tilt forward, rather than recede back into space. -By using this method, Broederlam created relatively three-dimensional spaces for his figures to inhabit. -Incarnation means embodied in flesh or made into flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient being who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial. -Painted in International Gothic style -Often features rich colors, gold, and carefully observed naturalistic details placed within a somewhat illogical space

Masaccio, Expulsion from the Garden of Eden, ca. 1426, in the Brancacci Chapel, Santa Maria del Carmine, Florence

-The story of Adam and Eve, also known as The Fall of Man (Expulsion from Eden) is the Original Sin -Masaccio's fresco depicting Adam and Eve being expelled from the Garden of Eden by an angel is located in the Brancacci Chapel inside the church of Santa Maria del Carmine in Florence. -The surrounding frescos in the Brancacci Chapel inside the church of Santa Maria del Carmine mostly tell the story of St. Peter, except for the Expulsion -The Original Sin makes Christ's coming necessary to redeem us and it also makes necessary the church that St. Peter found -The Expulsion shows the scene from the book of Genesis after the Fall -After Adam and Eve ate from the fruit which God had forbidden them to eat, they are cast out of the Garden of Eden and into the world where they are forced to labor and suffer the consequences of their sin. -It is a scene of remarkable emotion, as Eve cries out and Adam cannot bear to show his face. -Masaccio has also made strides in the structuring of the bodies of the figures -They are quite accurate as they show Adam's muscularity and the bending of his torso. -Eve, who covers herself in her shame, does so in a way which resembles classical statues of the Venus Pudica (Latin: modest Venus), which suggests that Masaccio was looking at ancient works for inspiration before or during his work on this fresco. -Paragone= Comparison between two different media (in this case fresco painting and sculpture) -One of the best ways of understanding Masaccio's contributions to Renaissance painting is by comparing the Expulsion to Masolino's fresco on the opposite wall in the chapel showing the temptation of Adam and Eve. -Masolino painted two expressionless figures who appear to be suspended in the air against a dark-colored background. -These figures appear static and more in keeping with medieval figural depictions. -Masaccio, however, has given Adam and Eve an incredible amount of expression as they grieve over the consequences of their sins. -They appear to be firmly planted on the ground and they are placed against a simple landscape setting. -Masolino's fresco may have been in keeping with traditional expectations, but Masaccio's was one which would push Renaissance artists forward. -The Gate to Heaven on the left is similar to Giotto's use of depicting architecture in painting -Architecture is like a stage set -Internal sense of guilt as Adam covers his face instead of his genitals -Previous restoration had covered the genitals with a vine, but it has now been restored to its original nude state -First artist in a very long time to attempt to paint the human body naturalistically -Not a perfect depiction (Adam's arms are too short, Eve's left arm is too long) -First attempt at naturalism in about 1,000 years -Adam's abdomen is naturally rendered giving it a sense of weight and musculature -Interested in modeling and paints in light to dark to make the forms appear three dimensional -Foreshortened angel is helping to create a sense of space for the figures to exist in (not just floating in air) -The scene is meant to start the reading of the story of St. Peter -Christian justification for images -Docere = to teach -Movere = to move the emotions -memoria = to remind -fresco=painting technique in which pigments are mixed with wet plaster that bind to the wall when dried (buon/true fresco)

Jean Pucelle, Hours of Jeanne d'Évreux, ca. 1325-28

Devotional art; devotional (adj.) referring to private meditation and prayer -Devotional objects include Books of Hours, the prie-dieu (prayer bench), and small and large works of art. -Although devotion may be performed privately, it can also be done in public space. -The Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux is one of the finest examples of a 14th century type devotional illuminated manuscript known as a Book of Hours -A Book of Hours was a devotional guide that aided the reader, by means of text and image, in a schedule of prayers throughout the day. -Created by the artist Jean Pucelle, this Book of Hours was commissioned for Queen Jeanne d'Evreux of France. -The figures are rendered in delicate grisaille (shades of gray) that imparts an amazingly sculptural quality, and the images are accented with rich reds and blues -A manuscript is written by hand -Pages are made of scraped animal skin: parchment -Vellum is prepared animal skin or "membrane", typically used as a material for writing on -Made with ink and/or color bound to page with tempera (egg) -Often made in monastic communities -Division of labor -Manuscript illumination= small painting in a manuscript Illuminated manuscript= a manuscript that includes painted pages -Incipit= the opening word or words of a medieval Western manuscript or early printed book. -In the absence of a title page, the text may be recognized, referred to, and recorded by its incipit -A donor portrait is a portrait in a larger painting or other work showing the person who commissioned and paid for the image, or a member of his or her family -In medieval illuminated manuscripts, bas-de-page scenes are unframed, sometimes whimsical images that appear below the written text and may or may not refer to it. -A drollerie, often also called a grotesque, from French language, is a small decorative image in the margin of an illuminated manuscript -The Hours of Jeanne d'Evreux has 25 full-page illuminations with 700 other bas de page (lower page) images on a total of 209 folios -Speech scroll is an illustrative device denoting speech, song, or, in rare cases, other types of sound. -Books of Hours were to be used at specific times of the day for appropriate prayer