Art History Exam #3 Early Renaissance, High Renaissance, Late Renaissance, & Mannerism
Who was Michelangelo's younger contemporary?
Raphael
What allowed Rome to become a major artistic center by the end of the 15th century?
The reinvigoration of the papacy after the end of the schism in 1417
What is chiaroscuro?
-A method of modeling a subject by having light wash over it, and drawing attention to the features -means "light-dark" in Italian
Raphael
-He spent time in Florence studying the innovations of his ninja turtle brothers: Leonardo & Michelangelo -He painted portraits & religious pictures that synthesized their innovations and helped to establish his reputation -studied the innovations of his ninja turtle brothers: Leonardo & Michelangelo -succeeded on the strength of his technical brilliance, his intelligent approach to composing pictures, and his dialogue wit the other artists of his time. -he was said to be charming & diplomatic with his patrons. -he created a large body of Renaissance pictorial work -he also oversaw a lively & large workshop, which fostered many young artists.
Piero della Francesca
-One of the most distinctive and original artists of the second half of the fifteenth century -He worked for patrons throughout central Italy -His art brought him to the attention of the cultivated Duke Federico da Montefeltro -painted Double Portrait of Battista Sforza and Federico da, Montefeltro
What does Michelangelo's, "Pieta," depict?
-The Virgin Mary holding her dead son. Michelangelo imagines the farewell between mother & son as a calm & transcendent moment. -the large figure of Mary easily supports Jesus' weight & creating a very stable composition. -She seems to young to be holding her grown son, making the image an echo of the Madonna A Child theme.
What does Raphael's, "School of Athens," depict?
-a gathering of philosophers from ancient Greece, framed by illusionistic architectural & sculptural forms
Although each High Renaissance artist developed a distinctive visual style that grew out of the ideas of the 15th century, their works still shared what features?
-a high level of technical skill -an understanding of and reliance on the forms of antiquity -balance and clarity in their compositions -great emotional power
Marcello Ficino
-a member of the Medici circle -based his philosophy on his study of the Greek philosopher Plato -strove to reconcile Platonic thought with Christianity, and drew complex parallels between them -believed that Venus exists in two forms -described the Celestial Venus as "a nymph of excellent comeliness, born of heaven and more than all others beloved by God." In such language, he likens the antique goddess to Mary (Christ's mother).
What does Titian's, "Venus of Urbino," depict?
-a nude young woman lying on a bed in a well furnished chamber -as the presence of the wedding chest and dog suggest that the painting commemorated a marriage.
Leonardo
-a scientist, painter, sculptor, musician, architect, & engineer. -his works are among the most famous in European art -owes his fame to his technical skill and his constant investigations of natural and human phenomena -believed that the eye was the perfect instrument for studying the world. -was fascinated by all elements of nature
Mannerism & Mannerist artists
-became a style of utmost refinement, which emphasized grace, variety, and virtuoso display instead of clarity and unity -explores different definitions of beauty -aimed for originality & personal expression -Used thetechniques of naturalism, chiaroscuro, and composition -made images that are less balanced and more expressive than those of their immediate predecessors.
Girolamo Francesco maria Mazzola (1503-1540) aka Parmigianino
-born in the city of Parma -gifted painter -made his reputation as a painter in Rome, Florence, & elsewhere before returning to home in 1530 -A noblewoman in Parma commissioned his most famous work, The Madonna with the Long Neck, in 1535 for a family chapel in the city -He had made a deep study of Raphael, but he had a different ideal of beauty.
Titan
-he dominated Venetian painting in the 16th century -he was committed to exploring Venetian traditions of subject matter & technique -he is one of the most prolific and inventive artists of the period. -throughout his life, he earned commissions from the most illustrious patrons in Europe; he also trained many of the Venetian artists of the 16th century.
Pope Sixuts IV
-he paid for numerous architectural and artistic projects to beautify Rome. One of those improvements was the building at the Vatican of a new chapel for the pope, called the Sistine Chapel. -Around 1481-82, he commissioned a cycle of frescoes for the walls of the chapel depicting events from the life of Moses (on the left wall) and Christ (on the right wall), representing the Old and the New Testaments. -To execute them, he hired many of the important painters of central Italy.
Michelangelo
-one of the most influential & imitated artists in history -became the archetype of the genius, whose intellect & talents enabled him to work in sculpture, architecture, painting, and poetry -Pope Julius II provided opportunities to him that aided his ambition to outdo the artists of antiquity & create some of his most inspiring work. -he believed that the human image is the supreme vehicle of expression, giving him a sense of kinship with ancient sculpture, more than most -his family came from the nobility & initially opposed his desire to become an artist
Artists of the 1520s & later developed a style that emphasized...
-technical virtuosity -educated subject matter -beautiful figures -deliberately complex compositions that would appeal to sophisticated tastes
High Renaissance
-the 25 year period between 1495-1520 -a benchmark against which artists measure their own achievements -this brief period saw the creation of some of the most revered works of European art, created by the most acclaimed names in the history of art. -this period saw the coming together of demanding patrons—rulers, popes, princes—and innovative artists.
What does Da Vinci's, The Last Supper, depict?
-the meal Jesus shared with this disciples on the eve of his Passion and death -We can presume Jesus just announced that, "One of you shall betray me." -the disciples react to Jesus -to Jesus' right, Peter impulsively grabs a knife; next to him John seems lost in thought; & Judas (the figure leaning on the table) recoils from him into shadow.
What are 3 characteristics of Hellenistic sculpture did Michelangelo bring to Renaissance art?
1. Their heroic scale 2. Their superhuman beauty 3. The swelling volume of their forms
In the "Room of Signature," Raphael painted a cycle of frescoes on the walls and ceiling that refer to what four domains of learning?
1. Theology 2. Philosophy 3. Law 4. The arts
The Neo-Platonists believed that Venus exists in what two forms?
1. a celestial Venus, the source of divine love 2. a worldly Venus, the source of physical love.
What does Michelangelo's Last Judgement scene for the Sistine Chapel depict?
Angelic trumpeters signal the end of time, while the figure of Christ sits at fulcrum of a wheel in action: As he raises his arm, the dead rise from the earth at the lower left & move toward Heaven where the assembly of saints crowds about him. On the right, the damned sink away from Heaven toward Charon, who ferries them to the underworld (The presence of the pagan ferryman in a Christian image derives from Dante.) Throughout the fresco, naked human figures bend, twist, climb, fall, or gaze at Christ, their forms almost superhuman in their muscular power.
What are sibyls?
Ancient Greek prophetesses
Who first explained Linear Perspective in writing?
Leon Battista Alberti
Who's buildings reflect his study of Gothic, Roman, Byzantine, and maybe even Persian buildings?
Brunelleschi's
During the 16th century in Italy, where did commissions mostly come from & how did this effect artists' work?
Commissions came mostly from the princely courts, so artists' works reflected the taste and concerns of this powerful elite.
Which pope paid for numerous architectural & artistic projects to beautify Rome including improvements to the building at the Vatican of a new chapel for the pope, called the Sistine Chapel?
Pope Sixuts IV
Who's David may have been the first freestanding, life size nude statue since antiquity?
Donatello's
Who sculptured what sculpture that may have been the first freestanding, life size nude statue created since antiquity?
Donatello; David
Who assembled a team of artists from all over Europe for his court at Urbino?
Duke Federico da Montefeltro
In the beginning, why was Michelangelo a carver rather than a modeler?
Except for sketches, he rarely worked in clay; he preferred harder materials, especially marble, which he shaped with his chisel. He was a sculptor to the core.
Who is accredited with inventing Linear Perspective?
Filippo Brunelleschi
Why did Leonardo take on a broad scientific study of natural phenomena and how did he go about this?
He believed that the eye was the perfect instrument for studying the world and he was fascinated by all elements of nature; Through careful observation he made drawings, and inventions that can be seen in his notebooks where he preserved hundreds of drawings and notes that he hoped to turn into an encyclopedic set of theses
How does the nudity in Michelangelo's Last Judgement scene express his beliefs?
He believes in the sanctity of the human body.
How did Brunelleschi overcome the dome's size issues during construction?
He lifted the dome on a drum above the level of the nave in order to reduce the weight on the walls and proposed to build the dome in two separate shells
Why is Da Vinci's painting of, The Last Supper," damaged and merely a ghost of itself today?
He was unsatisfied with the traditional fresco technique, so he experimented with an oil-tempera medium on dry plaster which that did not adhere well to the wall
What challenge did Michelangelo have to overcome when carving his, "David," figure for the facade of the Florence Cathedral?
The 18 ft high block of marble he was using for this project had been partly carved by an earlier sculptor.
Where did a committee of civic leaders and artists decide to install Michelangelo's David?
In front of the Palazzo della Signoria, the seat of the Florentine government
What was the inscription that once appeared on the pedestal of Donatello's David and may help clarify the meaning?
It identified David as the defender of the fatherland
What was so difficult about building the dome for the Florence Cathedral?
It was so big & had to cover a large area that rests on the smaller half-domes which were already in place
What book was the subject for the Baptistery Doors competition from and what was it about?
The Book of Genesis; when God ordered Abraham to sacrifice his only son: obediently, Abraham led Isaac to an altar on a mountain an lifted his knife to slaughter him when an angel halted the sacrifice
Who oversaw the Baptistery, and opened a competition in 1401 for a second set of bronze for its structure and what two artists were chosen to execute the second set of doors?
The Guild of Wool Merchants; Filippo Brunelleschi & Lorenzo Ghiberti
What also happened what Michelangelo was summoned back to Rome 1506 by Julius II?
Michelangelo was asked by the pope to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel.
Who are the two of the key figures of the High Renaissance who lived to transform their styles?
Michelangelo who worked until his death in 1564 & Titian who worked until 1576.
Which high renaissance artist came to the attention of Lorenzo de' Medici, and was invited him to study the what in the garden of one of the Medici houses?
Michelangelo; antique statues
The ceiling of the what Chapel is a shallow barrel vault interrupted over the windows by the triangular elements that support it?
The Sistine Chapel
Why has Donatello's David has offered challenges to interpreters?
Much in the figure is difficult to square with the biblical story.
At the vanishing point of the perspectival scheme in, "School of Athens," Raphael carefully arranged his philosophers into groups composed around who? -These 2 figures seem to be framed by the architecture. -These two are the most important Greek philosophers, according to Renaissance Humanists.
Plato & Aristotle
The "Room of Signature," derives from where papal bills were signed, but originally house what?
Pope Julius's personal library
Who dominated painting in Venice throughout the 16th century? His fame was such that by the 1530's the most elite patrons of Europe sought his work.
Titan
What does, The Birth of Venus depict?
The central figure in the painting is the Goddess of Love, Venus. Born in the sea, Venus floats slowly toward the shore, where a flower clad woman waits to enfold her in a flowered robe. The wind god, Zephyr accompanied by Chloris (Flora) aids her movement.
What helped to spread a new style, labelled Mannerist, which lasted through much of the century?
The connections among the courts helped to spread Mannerism
How does linear perspective works?
The viewer of a work has a single, fixed viewpoint, and as the viewer's eye looks towards the distance, it can no longer make out forms come the vanishing point, a spot on the horizon where details begin to vanish. Starting from the edge of the picture artists project orthogonals that help scale designs realistically to appear 3D in a 2D space
Where did the word "mannerism" come from and what does it mean?
The word was derived from the word maniera, meaning manner or style.
What does Donatello's David depict?
The young David standing with his foot atop the severed head of the giant Goliath, whom he has miraculously defeated. Yet even though David has already defeated his enemy, he holds the stone that will bring the giant down
Why did the popes call many artists from Florence and surrounding areas to Rome at the end of the 15th century?
These popes believed that the monuments of Christian Rome had to outshine the Pagan past.
Why were artists like Michelangelo and Titian so internationally celebrated during their lifetimes?
This fame was part of a wholesale change in the status of the artist that had been occurring gradually during the course of the fifteenth century, and which gained propulsion with these figures
Why was Raphael called to Rome in 1509?
To paint a series of rooms in the papal apartments
In the 15th century, what did the citizens of Florence often award for projects after inviting artists to compete?
commissions
What was Michelangelo commissioned to carve for the directors of the works for Florence Cathedral in 1501?
a figure for the facade
What does the opening in the wall behind Jesus serve as in Da Vinci's The Last Supper?
an architectural equivalent to a halo
Where is the vanishing point located in Da Vinci's The Last Supper located?
behind the head of Jesus in the exact middle of the fresco
A French cardinal commissioned Michelangelo to carve a pieta for his what, where?
his tomb chapel in St. Peter's
What are orthogonal?
lines that artists project converging towards a vanishing point
In 1506, Michelangelo was summoned back to Rome to serve Julius II doing what?
sculpting Julius's funeral monument
What century did Titian dominated painting in Venice?
the 16th century
Beginning in 1534, Michelangelo was summoned to Rome to paint a powerful vision of the Last Judgement on the altar wall for Paul III. The fresco depicts a view of the end of the world, based on what?
the Gospel texts from Matthew
What Italian dominating family's courtyard once displayed one of the most innovative works of the Renaissance: Donatello's David?
the Medici family
Where Raphael buried when he died, in 1520, after a brief illness?
the Pantheon
Which room in the papa apartments did Raphael complete first?
the Stanza della Segnatura
In attempting to represent the unity of knowledge in one grand scheme, the frescoes in the papal apartments reflect what ambitions?
the ambitions of High Renaissance Humanism
Where does the scene from Leonardo Da Vinci's, The Last Supper take place?
the dining hall of a Dominican monastery in Milan
In 1419, Brunelleschi won the job of building the dome for what ?
the dome of Florence Cathedral
Medici circle
the group of nobles, scholars, and poets surrounding Lorenzo Medici, the head of the Medici family and, for all practical purposes, the real ruler of Florence from 1469 - 1492
What did Da Vinci paint when he returned to Florence?
the portrait of a woman called Mona-Lisa
What is sfumato?
the technique of allowing tones & colors to shade gradually into one another, producing softened outlines or fine haze (smokiness)
What is the objective of linear perspective (aka scientific perspective or one point perspective)?
to produce a very realistic illusion of 3D space on a 2D surface
Why did Florentine artists like Michelangelo & Leonardo look for work elsewhere in Italy during the High Renaissance?
turmoil in Florence
