Renaissance and Baroque Period
Bernini (1598-1680)
- Born in Naples - Sculptor, architect, painter, playwright - Worked for several Popes (Urban VIII, Innocent X, Alexander VII) - Best known for his skill with marble -Most well known sculptor of his time, works include David, Ecstasy of St. Teresa
The Northern Renaissance (early 1400s-early 1500s)-Characteristics
-Beginning of oil painting -Goal of showing things as real and detailed as possible -Realism as opposed to naturalism (tweaking toward the ideal) -Vibrant, full bodied images
Ghent Altarpiece (1432)
-Begun by Hubert Van Eyck and finished by his brother Jan -Monumental freestanding altarpiece for a Ghent church dedicated to John the Baptist -Multipaneled and foldable with both the interior and exterior being decorated so that the clergy could open it on certain occasions (exterior panels are more subdued) -Donors are depicted in prayer gazing at Ghent's patron saints; places biblical figures in a Netherlandish setting -Interior reveals a sumptuous, superbly colored painting of humanity's redemption through Christ, incorporating God the Father, the Virgin, John the Baptist, and Adam and Eve-entire altarpiece amplifies the central theme of salvation -Unlike the visible imperfections of everyday individuals, divine figures are made more naturalistic, and are surrounded by halos -Van Eyck used oil paints to capture every small detail-evident in soft texture of hair, luster of pearls, and books with readable text
David (1623), made for the Palazzo Borghese, commissioned by Scipioni Borghese
-Bernini was discovered young (only in his 20s when this was made) -Active, dynamic figures -Emotional appeal, engages/grabs attention of viewers -Face is expressive, not calm or subdued (as opposed to Donatello, Michelangelo) -Theatrical, selected the most dramatic/dynamic moment
Ecstasy of St. Teresa (1645-1652), Cornaro Chapel, Sta. Maria della Vittoria
-Bernini's later work -Envelopes figures in enormous robes, the form of the body is lost -Focal point, above main altar of the chapel, surrounded by ornate stage -Depicts union of her soul with the divine, she levitates as she is being pierced by god's love -Considers play oof light and shadow, including the light source in the chapel
Last Judgement, altar wall of the Sistine Chapel (1536-1541)
-Christ depicted as a stern judge of the world, raising his arm in a gesture of damnation -Terrifying vision of the fate awaiting sinners -Figures are huge and violently twisted with small heads and contorted features
Mannerism (1520-1600)
-Connected to a time when there were challenges to the catholic church (i.e. the protestant reformation) -Move to pastel colors, a greater sense of chaos-not perfectly symmetrical, greater emotional appeal -Associated with style, artifice-artisits were less inclined to disguise the contrived nature of art production -Reaction to high renaissance style
Perspective
-Constructing a convincing illusion of space in two-dimensional imagery while unifying all objects within a single spatial system -Linear perspective (one point) as well as atmospheric perspective were utitlized -Important to create an illusion of moving back into space and a sense of depth
Donatello (1386-1466)
-Donatello is most famous for his sculpture of David in contrapposto, which was the first instance of the use of a nude in Renaissance sculpture. -Interested in Greek/Roman sculptures; strove for perfect, naturalistic image of human body (balanced weight shift rather than rigid and stiff)
Abduction of the Sabine Women (1579-1583)
-Dynamic spiral figural composition with prominent open spaces passing through the masses -Facial expressions show extreme distress
One-point perspective
-Enables artists to mathematically determine the relative size of rendered objects to correlate them with the visual recession into space -Identify a horizontal line that marks the distant horizon, select a vanishing point on that line, and draw diagonal lines from the edges of the picture to the vanishing point to create a structural grid that organizes the image and determines size
Well of Moses (1395 -1406)
-Features Moses and five other old testament prophets surrounding a base that once supported a crucified christ -Similar to Gothic statues, but are much more realistically rendered. Sluter's intense observation of natural appearance enabled him to sculpt the figures with portraitlike features and to differentiate textures from coarse drapery to smooth flesh and silky hair. -The figures are full, life-size, naturalistic, and given individuality with the inclusion of minute details.
Sofonisba Anguissola (1532-1625): most famous work was Self Portrait at the Easel (1556)
-Female artist of the Renaissance-first woman artist to gain an international fame -Far more difficult for women to receive training in painting -Skilled at the 4 innovations and inspired by Da Vinci
Last Supper (1594)
-Figures (many with halos) appear in dark interior illuminated by a single light -Christ is above and beyond converging perspective lines racing diagonally away from the picture surface (disturbing effects of limitless depth and motion)
Jan Van Eyck (1390-1441)
-Flemish painter who perfected the newly developed technique of oil painting. -Philip the Good's court painter and the first Netherlandish painter to achieve international fame -He was largely responsible for establishing portraiture as an important art form in 15th century Flanders. -He used realistic textures, technical detail and 3D effect. -Works include the Ghent Altarpiece, Man in a Red Turban, and Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife
Masaccio (1401-1428)
-Florentine Painter -Called the father of modern painting -Inspired a new style of painting characterized by great realism, narrative power and the use of light and dark
Madonna and Child with Saint Anne and the Infant Saint John (1500-1501)
-Had thousands of drawings in journals, often corresponding to his scientfific musings (studied nature and anatomy in depth) -Drawings still make use of chiaroscuro, modeling, perspective
Oil on canvas
-Innovation of the renaissance that allowed for rich, vibrant colors with variation -With the ability to lay the oils down in transparent glazes over opaque or semiopaque underlayers, painters could build up deep tones through repeated glazing -Oils dry more slowly, giving the artist time to rework areas and blend pigments
Judith Beheads Holofernes (1613)
-Intense emotional impact and engagement -Light source is from one side, extreme chiaroscuro (il tenebroso) -Realistically shows gore of the scene
The Italian High Renaissance (late 1400s-1520)
-Interest in classical culture, perspective, proportion, and human antomy -Artists really became their own individuals and international celebirties -Still had naturalisitc softness rather than the strict realism of the North
Michelangelo (1475-1564)
-Italian Renaissance artist, he designed buildings, wrote poetry, and created sculptures and paintings. -Saw sculptors as the most god-like of the artists -Sculpted from a single block of stone, believed in craftsmanship and skill with chisels -Believed in artistic license and right to self-expression; style was of vast, expressive strength conveyed through complex, eccentric, and often titanic forms
Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519)
-Italian painter, engineer, musician, and scientist (quintessential "Renaissance Man") -Believed that the heart of painting was modeling 3D forms with light and shadow and expressing emotional states
Italian Baroque (1600-1750)
-Light coming from one side-il tenebroso (extreme chiaroscuro) -Composition is asymmetrical, incorporates diagonal lines, action/subjects are shifted to one side -Intense, expressive faces that convey emotion and engage viewer -Darkened backdrop forcing you to focus on action of the scene -Embraced dynamism, theatricality, and elaborate ornamentation, often on a grandiose scale -Pull together innovations of renaissance and emotional impact of mannerism
Mona Lisa (1503-1506)
-Likely the wife of a merchant that sat for Da Vinci -Realistic, doesn't show trappings of power and engages audiences psychologically -Background is mysterious uninhabited landscape that is an example of chiaroscuro, atmospheric perspective, and sfumato -3/4 view with subject looking out at us
Pieta (1500)
-Mary cradling dead body of Christ; moment of tender sadness -Transformed marble into flesh, hair, and fabric with a sensitivity for texture almost without parallel -Larger than life size -Mary is idealized (as well as Jesus) to convey divineness -Shows understanding of human body brought into play by Greeks/Romans -Triangular configuration created sense of calm and balance
Artemisia Gentileschi (active 1610-1651)
-Most renowned woman painter in Europe during the first half of the 17th century -Master of the innovations, il tenebroso, often used herself as a model -Believed that patrons treated her differently because of her gender -Works include self portrait as lute player, judith beheads holofernes
Caravaggio (active 1592-1610)
-Northern Italian painter during the baroque period -Injected naturalism into both religion and the classics, reducing them to human dramas played out in the harsh and dingy settings of his time and place by unidealized figures he selected from the fields and the streets -Works include Calling of St. Matthew, Conversion of St. Paul, and Crucifixion of St. Peter
Conversion of St. Paul (1590-1606), Cerasi Chapel, Sta. Maria del Popolo, Rome
-Not as naturalistic, push towards realism -Diagonal lines, not balanced, subject matter shifted from center to one side -Il tenebroso
Crucifixion of St. Peter (1590-1606), Comtarelli Chapel, National Church Rome
-Not as naturalistic, push towards realism -Diagonal lines, not balanced, subject matter shifted from center to one side -Il tenebroso
Entombment of Christ (1525-1528)
-Pastel colors, void left in the middle of the painting -Figures with anxious glances -Dynamic and complex rather than balanced and harmonius
Chartreuse de Champmol
-Philip the Bold's largest artistic enterprise -A Carthusian monastery consisting of monks who devoted their lives to solitary living and prayer -Intended the Dijon chartreuse to become a ducal mausoleum and serve as both a means of securing salvation in perpetuity for Burgundian dukes and as a dynastic symbol of Burgundian power -Included a large sculptural fountain called the Well of Moses created by Claus Sluter
David (1501-1504)
-Possibly just before he is about to face Goliath (moment of contemplation evident in knit brows) -Contrapposto (weight shift), detailed musculature -Puts thought into the perspective of the viewer
Man in the Red Turban (1433)
-Probable self-portrait of Van Eyck -Oil paint allows for the play of color and chiaroscuro -Eyes are looking out into the distance, and the rendition of the face is detailed and accurate (for example showing wrinkles and other imperfections) -The work is centered and symmetrical with a triangular configuration -There is not a great deal of perspective or depth
Lamentation with Saints (1500s)
-Rich, vibrant colors and figures arranged in triangular configuration -Women have halos around their heads and solemn looks on their faces -Great detail in the body of Christ and the fabrics
Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife (1434)
-Secular portrait of a financier of the time and his wife in their home-reveals Netherlandish life at this time -Amazingly clear and precise-chandelier is sharp and detailed, convex mirror accurately reflects the room, attention to light and texture -Giovanni is very realistic, whereas his wife is more idealized and similar to images of Mary -Many objects have religious/marital undertones (dog, mirror, curtains)
The Calling of St. Matthew (1590-1606), Comtarelli Chapel, National Church Rome
-Setting is modest tavern cloaked in mysterious shadow -Jesus is shifted to the right and identifiable only through halo, and calls Matthew (shifted left) to be his disciple
Self Portrait as Lute Player (1615 - 1617)
-Shifted to the right side, backdrop cannot be seen, light source on the right -Il tenebroso, Gentileschi used herself as a model
Tribute Money (1427)
-Story divided into three parts within the fresco, figures convey a great psychological and physical credibility -Light coming from a specific source from the right and striking figures at an angle -Elements of perspective in vanishing point on Jesus' head and diminishing colors and haziness with distance -Doesn't use oil (lighter tempura with more pastel colors) but still works with other innovations -Clear individuality of different figures (full-bodied, naturalistic)
The Early Italian Renaissance (roughly 1400-1500)
-Taking place in the early 1400s, the early Italian renaissance was a revival of many Greek/Roman traditons, beginning in Florence and transitioning from there -Association of humanism with education and culture appealed to the elite, who commissioned art -Concerned with developing perspective systems and depicting anatomy accurately; revival of portraiture
The Northern Renaissance (early 1400s-early 1500s)-Historical background
-The most powerful rulers north of the Alps during the first three quarters of the 15th century were the dukes of Burgundy, who controlled Flanders and were great art patrons -Flemish painters popularized the use of oil paints on wood panels. by superimposing translucent glazes, they created richer colors than possible using tempera or fresco. -Jan van Eyck was largely responsible for establishing portraiture as an important art form in 15th century Flanders
Giovanni Bologna (1529-1608)
-Young Flemish scultptor who moved to Italy -Most famous work is Abduction of the Sabine Women, which exemplifies mannerist principles
David (1428)
-Youthful, supple, soft (naturalistic/idealized) whereas Goliath is more realistic -The hat was common in Donatello's time, so he brought David into his modern time
What were the four innovations of the Renaissance?
1. Oil on canvas 2. Perspective 3. Triangular composition 4. Chiaroscuro
humanism
A Renaissance intellectual movement in which thinkers studied classical texts and focused on human potential and achievements
Atmospheric perspective
Creating the illusion of depth of space by fading colors and eliminating detail in objects that are further away -exploits the principle that the farther back an object is in space, the blurrier and less detailed it appears
Tintoretto (1518-1594)
Italian painter of the Venetian school., "The Last Supper" 1592-94, Characterization was muscular figures, dramatic gesture, and use of perspective.
Pontormo (1494-1557)
Mannerist Florentine painter whose work includes the Entombment of Christ
Sister Plautilla Nelli (1524-1588)
Nun and artist who worked in Florence in the 1500's and was well-known for her large-scale devotional paintings
Protestant Reformation
Religious reform movement within the Latin Christian Church beginning in 1519. It spit the Roman Catholic Church and resulted in the 'protesters' forming several new Christian denominations, including the Lutheran, Calvinist, and Anglican Churches, among many others. -Belief in personal faith rather than adherence to decreed Chruch practices and doctrines
Claus Sluter (active 1380-1406)
The head sculptor of Philip the Bold (ruler of Burgundy in early 15th century) who designed a large fountain for the Carthusian monastery the Chartreuse de Champol known as the Well of Moses
Triangular composition
a compositional arrangement in an art piece that draws the viewers' eyes to important parts of the work -composition in which the highlighted objects form a triangle
Naturalism
a personal and subjective approximation of reality
Contrapposto
an asymmetrical arrangement of the human figure in which the line of the arms and shoulders contrasts with while balancing those of the hips and legs -classical principle of weight shift
Chiaroscuro
an effect of contrasted light and shadow created by light falling unevenly or from a particular direction on something (play of light and shadow)
Realism
artistic representation that aims for visual accuracy
il tenebroso
intense light and shadow play (extreme chiaroscuro)
Counter Reformation
the reaction of the Roman Catholic Church to the Reformation reaffirming the veneration of saints and the authority of the Pope (to which Protestants objected)
Sfumato
the technique of allowing tones and colors to shade gradually into one another, producing softened outlines or hazy forms -Misty haziness produced by subtle adjustements of light and the blurring of precise planes
