the renaissance - yontz stac classes · “renaissance man” as he studied a wide ... religious...
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The Renaissance
Revival of Classical Rome in Italy 1400-1600s
LASTWEEKLastclassItalkedaboutthebeginningoftheChris<anEra.ItbeganinthelateRomanEmpire(330CE)whenConstan<nemadeChris<anitythe‘official’religionoftheRomanEmpire.Duringthe1000+yearsbetweenthefallofRomeandtheEarlyRenaissanceEuropewasrebuilding.Welookedatsomeofthatartworklastweek.Nolongeraretheremanygodsandgoddesses,thereisonegod.ManysaytheVirginMaryemergedbecausethepeoples<llneededafemaledeity.Regardless,shebecameamajorfigureofworship.ThemainotherfemaleimagewasEve.
ThefemaleinChris<anArt---SaintsorSinners.WeseemanyimagesofEveandtheVirginMary.Imagesofwomenandrolesforwomenarelimited.
THEMIDDLEAGESDuringtheMiddleAgesTheCatholicChurchhadenormouspower.AlmostallartworkwasChris<anthatwascommissionedbytheChurch.Thereligious,socialandpoli<calstructureswereGodcentered.ItwasbelievedthatGodwasresponsibleforeverythingandthepopewashisinstrumentonearth.ManyoftheadvanceswesawinGreeceandRome(philosophy,mathema<cs,medical,etc.),theknowledgewaskeptaliveintheEasternpartoftheEmpirebutlosttotheWest.ArtworkfocusedonChurchsanc<onedChris<anthemes.ItwasoWenhighlyemo<onal.
VirginwiththeDeadChrist(Rö3genPietà),fromtheRhineland,Germany,ca.1300–1325.Paintedwood,2’101/2”high.RheinischesLandemuseum,Bonn.
THERENAISSANCETheRenaissanceisaperiodinWesternhistorythatfollowstheMiddleAges.WeseearevivalofinterestinclassicallearningandideasofancientGreeceandRome.Inaddi<ontorevivalofthehumani<esfromGreeceandRome,thebeliefin,“thegeniusofman…theuniqueandextraordinaryabilityofthehumanmind”.Ar<stsdevelopedtheuseof‘linearperspec<ve’inpain<ngtoshowdepthandtheillusionof3dimensionalform.Leonardowasconsideredtheul<mate“RenaissanceMan”ashestudiedawiderangeoftopicsincludinganatomy,geology,botany,hydraulics,flightandweapons.
VitruvianMan,LeonardodaVinci,1490.Thisdrawing,basedonthewri<ngofVitruvius,isLeonardo’srepresenta<onofmanatthecenterofthecosmos.Inaddi<on,itshowstheperfec<onofhumanpropor<onsasthemanfitsperfectlyintoacircleandsquare,symbolsofmathema<calperfec<on.
THERENAISSANCETheperiodbetween1450and1650wasa<meofrevolu<onaryculturalchange.Religiouschange,thegrowthofempires,educa<onaldevelopments,socialmobility,theater,art,theprin<ngpressandmedicaladvancesreshapedthehistoryoftheWest.Inthislecturewelookatartworksthathighlightchangesinthoughtaboutreligion,sexualityandrace.LeonardodaVincididtwoversionsofthispain<ng,TheMadonnaoftheRocks.Inthisone,from1483-6,MaryisshownwithherarmaroundSt.JohntheBap<st.TheChristchildisblessinghimwhileanangelpointstowardthechild.Gonearethehaloesandthrone,Leonardostrivedtoshowdivinitythroughidealgraceandbeauty.
LeonardodaVinciisoneofthemostfamousar<stsinWesternhistory.Wealsoknowthathelovedtosurroundhimselfwithbeau<fulyoungmen.
IMPORTANTHISTORICALEVENTSThingsthathappeninhistoryarealwayscomplicated.Thewaywetellwhathappenedmustbesimplifiedinordertogettothepoint.JustknowthisasIspeakaboutthingsthatareinfluencingchange.EventsthatcreatedsignificantchangeinEuropeandespeciallyItalyinthe1400s:1.TheOkomanTurksofficiallyendedtheByzan<neEmpire(lateRoman)in1453withtheconquestofConstan<nople.Byzan<nescholars,whohadkeptGreekandRomanknowledgealive,migratedWest.TheybroughttoWesternEuropeknowledgeofGreekciviliza<onwhichledtotheRenaissancedevelopmentofhumanismandscience.
MosaicoftheByzan<neEmperorKomnenos,11thCentury.
Moreevents:2.WiththerebuildingofRomepeoplediscoveredandbecameentrancedbytheartandarchitectureoftheClassicalGreekandRomanciviliza<ons.3.AnewclasswasemergingoutoftheFeudalMiddleAges,amerchantclass,providingpeoplewithwealthandpowerwhocouldrivaltheChurchinthecommissioningofart.
WeseethedevelopmentofothersubjectsinartbesidesjustChris<anones.NowweseeportraitsofwealthypeopleandartworkaboutGreekandRomangods,goddessesandmyth.
TheDuchessBanstaSforza(DuchessofUrbino),PieroDellaFrancesca,1465-1472ThereisalsoafacingportraitoftheDuke.
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ITALYAROUND1400It’simportanttorememberthatItalywasn’taunifiedcountryasitisnow.Itwasacollec<onofcitystates,oWenatwar.Florence,Rome,MilanandVenicewerethemostpowerful.SomeoftheearliestachievementsoftheRenaissancehappenedinFlorenceasaresultofthepatronageofthepowerfulMedicifamily.
CosimodeMedicisupportedtheartsandhumani<esinFlorence.TherewerealsofourMedicipopes.
ReturntoClassicalStyleDonatello’sbronzestatueofDavid,wasthefirstnudesculptureintheroundsinceClassicalRome.Revolu<onaryforit’sday,thestatuereflectedde’MedicitasteforGreekandRomanartaswellasDonatello’sownsensibili<es.WhilewehavenorecordofDonatello’ssexualpreference,muchaken<onisgivetothesensualityoftheyoungDavid.InthisbiblicalstoryofDavidandGoliath,Davidisnolongerrepresentedasakingbutasaninnocent,youngman.No<cethesimilari<esanddifferenceswiththeGreekstatue.
DONATELLO,David,late1420s–late1450s.
Bronze,5’2¼“.Florence.
POLYKLEITOS,(SpearBearer).RomanmarblecopyfromPompeii,Italy,aWerabronzeoriginalofca.450–440BCE
SANDROBOTTICELLI,BirthofVenus,ca.1482.Temperaoncanvas,approx.5’8”x9’1”.GalleriadegliUffizi,Florence.
AlsocommissionedbytheMedici,thethemeforthispain<ngcomesfromtheRomanpoet,Ovid’sMetamorphoses.Thebookcontainsover250mythsandchroniclesthehistoryoftheworldfromcrea<ontotheendofJuliusCaesar’sreign.InthisstoryVenusisbeingbirthedfromthesea.Standingonaseashell,ontheleWthepersonifica<onofwindblowsherdryasamaidenwaitstocoverherbody.
MythologyinRenaissanceArt
GreekMythologyinRenaissanceArt
SANDROBOTTICELLI,BirthofVenus,ca.1482.Temperaoncanvas,approx.5’8”x9’1”.GalleriadegliUffizi,Florence.
AndRomancopyofGreekstatueofVenus.OneverysimilarwasownedbytheMedicifamily.
Ihopeyoucouldalreadymaketheconnec<onbetweentheposeoftheVenusinBoncelli’spain<ngandtheearlierGreekone.
Thepain<ngcanalsobeenseenasanodetothewealthyMedicifamily.
As we have already studied, these Roman copies of Greek originals of Venus, the goddess of beauty were some of the first nude representations of women in Greek art since the Greeks
did not consider the female body either beautiful or perfect in the way they viewed the male. These images however, became the model for representations of the female body in art.
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MASACCIO,ExpulsionofAdamandEvefromEden,BrancacciChapel,SantaMariadel
Carmine,Florence,Italy,ca.1425.
Fresco,7’x2’11”
ReligioninRenaissanceArtTheChurchwasalsocommissioningartintheRenaissance.EventhoughGreekthemeswerepagan,theleadersappreciatedthestyle.SoweseesimilarnudebodiesinChris<anart.ThestoryofAdamandEvecon<nuedtobehighlyrepresentedasareminderthatawomanwasresponsiblefor‘originalsin.’storiesfromthebible.
Durer,,AdamandEve,1504,engraving.
TITIAN,VenusofUrbino,1538.Oiloncanvas,approx.4’x5’6”.GalleriadegliUffizi,Florence.Thispain<ngispaintedwithoilpaint.Theearlieronesareeitherfresco(paintonplaster)ortempera(pigmentineggbinder).Theydonotallowthismuchnaturalism.
CommissionsandMeaningThispain<ngbyTi<an,wascommissionedbytheDukeofUrbinoforhiswife.The<tletellsusshe’sVenus,agoddess.However,ifweanalyzethepain<ngweseesomethingnewhappening.Ti<anwasaveryfamousVene<anpainterknownforsmoothbrushworkandabilitytocreatetheillusionoflife.OneofthewaysRenaissancear<stswereabletocreatesuchsensi<veillusionstoreallifewastheinven<onofoilpaint.
TITIAN,basedhisgestureonanearlierpainKngbyhisteacher,Giorgioni,whichdepictedVenussleepinginalandscape.
CommissionsandMeaningTheearlierGreekstatueisnowreclining,witheveryaspectofherbody,includingsymbolsinthepain<ng,aboutero<cism.Fromthispointforwardwewillseemanymanypain<ngswithrecliningnudefemalefigures.The“idealized”femalebodyhasbecomeanobjectofmaledesire,acommodity,ero<cizedandobjec<fied,andnooneeverreallytalkedaboutitinArtHistoryun<lsecondwavefeminisminthe1970s.
RAPHAEL,MadonnaintheMeadow,1505.Oilonpanel,3’81/2”x2’101/4”.KunsthistorischesMuseum,Vienna.
TheChurchandCommissionsTheCatholicChurchwass<llcommissioningalotofartwork.Infact,theyfeltitenhancedtheirpowertoworkwithfamousar<sts.Manypain<ngsoftheVirginMarywithChristwerecommissionedastheVirginneverlostpopularity.ButbecauseofHumanism,thehaloesbegintodisappear.TheHolyFamilyappearsmorelikerealpeople.Allpain<ngsoftheMadonnaandChristnowfollowtheleadsetbyLeonardoaswesawearlier.Representedmorelikeafamily,withhumanquali<esandposes.
I’mmen<oningthisbecausethisideaofthear<stasgenius-creator,inven<ngthingsoutofnothing,followesusthroughhistory.Importantly,un<lrecentlytherewasnoroomforwomeninthisviewof‘crea<on.’Menweretheac<veones.Womenwerepassive.Someofthisissimplycon<nuingAristotle’sideasyoulookedatlastweek.
TheBirthoftheAr<stAr<stssuchasLeonardodaVincibegantoseekhighersocialandculturalsocialstatusfortheirprofession.
Leonardoarguedthatpain<ng,sculptureandarchitecturerequirednotjustcraWbutintellectualknowledge--Knowledgeofanatomy,op<cs,mathema<cs.
Healsoequatedartwithagod-likeact…likeGodcrea<ngtheuniversefromthevoid,thear<stinventsapersonorlandscapeoutofnothing.
Atrulyblessedar<stisapar<cipantinthedivineprocessofcrea<on.
Caravaggio,TheCrownofThorns,1602In1517Mar<nLutherakackedtheCatholicChurchforit’scorrup<on,greedandabuseofpower,andini<atedamovementthattransformedreligious,poli<calandartofEurope.Protestantscri<cizedChris<anartforwhattheythoughtwerecultimages.
RenaissancetoBaroqueRenaissanceartwasaboutrevivingclassicalideasandform.Ra<onality,order,logicwerefollowedinallthings.AswemoveintoLateRenaissancetoBaroqueArtstylesbecomemoreemo<onalandmorediversesubjectsaredepicted.Baroqueartisdefinedbyit’suseoflight.BecauseofthegrowthofMar<nLutherandtheProtestantReforma<on,theCatholicChurchencouragedvisualartthatwouldguidethefaithful.Inordertomoredirectlyengagetheviewer,powerfulanddrama<crealism,accentua<ngcontrastoflightanddarkand<ghtlycroppingcomposi<onsenhancedemo<onalimpact.Artworkshouldinstruc<onandinspire.
Oneofthesefemalear<stswas,ArtemisiaGen<leschi.Self-portraitastheAllegoryofPainKng,1638-9.
WomeninRenaissanceandBaroqueArtBeforethe1970stherewerenowomenar<stsmen<onedinanyWesternArtHistorybooks.Therewerenopeopleofcoloreitherbutwe’llgettothatabitlaterinthesemester.EmpoweredbytheideasoftheFeministMovement,femaleArtHistoriansbegantochallengewhatwascalled“thecanon.”Thecanonwasatone<meconsideredfixed.Itwasthebodyofartworksconsideredtobethebestexamplesofastyleorgenre.Theartworksinthecanonwereconsideredthe‘masterpieces’andthisiswhatwasstudiedinart.Ques<onsaboutthecanonledtodiscoveriesofwomenar<stsinhistorywhohadneverbeforebeenconsidered.
JudithBeheadingHolophernes,ArtemisiaGen<leschi,1614-20.
WomeninRenaissanceandBaroqueArtArtemisiaGen<leschiwasapainterwhofollowedCaravaggio,afamousBaroquepainter.Mostofherpain<ngsfocusonheroinesfromtheBible.Inthispain<ng,Judith,atradi<onalexampleofvirtueandchas<ty,isshowndecapita<ngHolophernes,whohadplannedtodestroyhervillage.Shehasseducedhimandisnowshownviolentlybeheadinghimbecomingthesaviorofherpeople.Thispain<ngwasprobablycommissionedbyCosimoIIde’MedicibutduetotheviolenceitwasplacedinadarkcornerofhisPalaceandGen<leschiwasnotpaidun<laWerhisdeath.
JudithandherMaidservant
WomeninRenaissanceandBaroqueArtGen<leschididdifferentversionsofthestory.
WomeninRenaissanceandBaroqueArtThestoryofJudithwasverypopularinart.AlotofdiscussionhasbeengiventotheviolenceinGen<leschi’spain<ng.Herearlytrainingwasfromherfather,afamouspainter.WhenshewasrejectedfromartacademiesshestudiedwithAgos<noTassi,herfather’sfriend.In1612,herfatherbroughtchargesagainstTassiforrapinghisdaughter.Ahighlypublicizedtrialendedwithnoconvic<on.However,thistrauma<ceventisthoughttohaveaffectedthetoneofthepain<ng.
Thesearetwomorepain<ngsofthesamethemebymalear<stsCaravaggioand
PhilipvanDijk.NeitherhastheviolenceofGen<leschi.
WomeninRenaissanceandBaroqueArtJudithLeysterwasinfluencedbytheDutchar<stFransHalsandmuchofherworkhadbeenakributedtohim.Mostofherworkwascreatedbeforehermarriage.Inaddi<ontoraisingherchildrenshemanagedthefamilybusinessandassistedwithherhusband’sart.Awell-knownar<stinherlife<me,shewaslargelyforgokenun<l1893whenherini<alswerefoundunderafalsesignatureof“FransHals.”Thisledtorenewedresearchonherasanar<st.Atone<meitwasthoughttherewerenowomenintheArtHistoryCanonbecausethereweren’tanygoodones.Wehavelearnedthiswasnotthereason.
SelfPortrait,JudithLeyster,1630
HowWomenRepresentThemesAnotherissuesthatisdiscussedwithregardstothegenderofthear<stishowmaleandfemalear<stsapproachsimilarsubjects.WesawthatwithGen<leschiandlet’slookatitagain.Thispain<ngisonebyamalear<stvanBaburenthatrepresentsanotherpopularthemeinBaroqueart—brothelscenes.Itshowsthreefigures,apros<tuteontheleW,theclientinthemiddleandtheprocuresspoin<ngtoherpalmtoindicateexpectedpayment.Theclientisholdingacoin.Inthisversion,vanBaburendepictsthepros<tuteasatemptress,herbreastsprominent.She’sintheprocessofseducinghim.
DirckvanBaburen,TheProcuress,1622SincereligiousartwasnotbeingproducedinthisDutchcountryitisthoughtthatgenrescenes(scenesofeverydaylife),likethisoneservedtoins<llmorality.
HowWomenRepresentThemesThisisapain<ngbyJudithLeysterofasimilartheme.Herewehavearichlydressedmanofferingcoinstoawomenwhoisquietlyengagedinmending.Insteadofshowingthewomanasunrestrainedandsinful,heresheishardatwork,themodelofvirtue.
JudithLeyster,ManOfferingMoneytoaWoman,orTheProposiKon,1634
RaceinEuropeanRenaissanceTheMediterraneanwasacross-culturalandinter-ethnicareafromthemid-15thcenturyon.ClassicalculturewaspartlyrevivedbytheideasbroughtbyArabsandblackAfricansregularly,andinsignificantnumbersenteredEurope.Intercon<nentalnaviga<onhelpedreshapeEurope’spopula<on.
TheSupperatEmmaus,Veni<anAr<st,1530-40.InthisoWenrepresentedeventinthelifeofChristweseetheinclusionofaBlacksoldier,iden<fiedasEgyp<anbyhisredhat.MostlikelyincludedtosignifyChrist’suniversalpromiseofsalva<on.HeisalsoshownseatedontherightsideofChrist.Awelcomeguest.
PortraitofaWealthyAfrican,1540
RaceinEuropeanRenaissanceSt.MauricewasthoughttohavebeenaleaderoftheRomanarmyinthe3rdcentury.HewasmartyredforrefusingtoslaughterChris<ans.Manypain<ngsweredoneofhimduringtheRenaissance.
Scholarsarejust
beginningtoresearchracerela<onsinRenaissance<mes.ItseemsIdeasabout
racewerenotasclearlydefinedatthat<me.
St.Maurice,MakhiasGrunewald,c.1510
St.Maurice,LucaCranachtheElder,1520-25s
RaceinEuropeanRenaissanceWeseeimagesofdarkskinnedpeopleshowingupinReligiouspain<ngsofthis<mewiththesamenobilityaswhites.Beforethemid-fiWeenthcenturyonlyasmallpercentageofslaveswereAfrican.FreedslavesandfreeAfricansweresociallymobileandappearedinprofessionalandcrea<veposi<onsinEurope.
AdoraKonoftheMaji,FlemishAr<st,1599Bythe15thad16thcenturies,thousandsofimagesdepic<ngBlack(Moorish)kingswhofollowedastartowitnessthena<vity(theBirthofChrist)werepainted.Theyoungestofthethreewisemeninthena<vitystory.
RaceinEuropeanRenaissanceThroughtheimageswecanseethatpeopleofcolorweredepictedinsimilarwaystoEuropeans.AndwhiletheywereassimilatedintoEuropeanculture,werealsothoughttobe‘behind’Europeanciviliza<on.
AdoraKonoftheMaji,FlemishAr<st,1460-1523PortraitofanAfricanSlaveWoman,AnnibaleCarracci,1580
NEXTWEEKInthe15thCenturyweseetheriseofintercon<nentalnaviga<onbysea.Europeancountriesbeginsendingshipsaroundtheworldtoexploreandconquer.Portugueseexpedi<onsbringEuropeanshipsinregularcontactwithSaharanAfrica.TheyinauguratedtheAtlan<csalvetrade,soonjoinedbySpainandBritain.ChristopherColumbus’conquestoftheCaribbeanvirtuallywipedouttheindigenousculturesthere.Slaveryhasbeenaroundeversinceciviliza<onsbegan.However,aWerthe15thcenturyAfricansbecomethelargestpopula<onofslaves.
Moreaboutthisnextweek.
MAINPOINTSFORTHISWEEK• The Renaissance from about 1400-1600 is the
revival of ideas and styles of Greece and Rome.
• The Catholic Church is still very powerful and there is much Christian art created.
• In addition, a rising merchant class with Classical taste, commission artwork with different themes, like mythology and portraits.
• Invention of oil paint allows more naturalism. In addition the development of linear perspective makes painting a strong illusion of the natural world.
• Paintings of the idealized female figure become undeniably eroticized.
• Women artists emerge.
• Racial diversity is represented in art.
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