memorial art gallery docent meeting the dorothy...

Memorial Art Gallery Docent Meeting

The Dorothy McBride Gill Discovery Center September 11, 2012

Renaissance Remix: Art & Imagination in 16th

-century Europe

Portraits & Identity

Portrait of a Boy of the Bracciforte Family of Piacenza, ca. 1560

Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli, Italian, ca. 1505-ca. 1569/70

Oil on canvas

MAG: Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 76.13

Portrait of Anna Eleonora Sanvitale (1558/9 – 1582), 1562

[reproduction]

Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli, Italian, ca. 1505-ca. 1569/70

Galleria Nazionale, Parma, Italy

The Power of the Print

Arms of Holzhausen, 1599

After a 1579 design by Jost Amman, Swiss, active in Germany 1538 –1591

Glass, silver stain, enamel, and lead

MAG: Bertha Buswell Bequest, 42.28.2

Spanish Colonial Silver Real, 1542—1572

Spanish, minted in Mexico City

Silver

MAG: Bequest of Isabel C. Herdle, 2005.186

Double-Hemisphere World Map from the Polygot Bible

(Sacrae Geographiae Tabulam ex Antiquissamorum Cultor), 1571—1572

Benito Arias Montano, Spanish, 1527—1598, with

Christophe Plantin (publisher), French/Flemish, ca. 1520—1589

Engraving with later hand-coloring

Loan from Seymour Schwartz, 20.2012L

Ptolemy's "Geographia," 1482

[facsimile edition, 1966]

Francesco Berlinghieri, Italian, 1440—1501

Gallery purchase, 6505



Rotating prints, to include:

Two Genii, 1544

Hans Sebald Beham, German, 1500—1550

Copper engraving

Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 67.62

Coat of Arms with an Eagle, 1543


Engraving

Gift of the estate of Ralph Avery, 91.19

The Boar Hunt, 1540

Virgil Solis, German, 1514—1562

Engraving

MAG: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James H. Lockhart, Jr., 94.17

The Third Tournament, 1509

Lucas Cranach the Elder, German, 1472—1553

Woodcut

MAG: Martin Brewer Anderson Collection, 24.32

The Tournament, 1500

Master MZ, German, active about 1500—1503

Engraving on laid paper


The Standard Bearer of Underwalden, 1521

Urs Graf, Swiss, ca. 1485—1527

White-line woodcut




Worldy Goods

Arms of Hans Eschmann, ca. 1532

Swiss

Silver-stain on clear glass, pot-metal

MAG: Gift of Natalie and J. Richard Ciccone, 2011.110

Portrait of a Boy

Pietro Tacca, Italian, 1577—1640

Bronze

MAG: R. T. Miller Fund, 49.68

Lock, mid-1500s

Italian or French

Gilded bronze

MAG: R.T. Miller Fund, 57.20

Reverse Painted Medallion with Coat of Arms of Augustus,

the Elector of Saxony (1526—1586), ca. 1585

German (Nuremberg, Augsburg, or Dresden)

Glass, pigments, gold foil

Loan from the Corning Museum of Glass, 81.3.133 (7.2012L)

Covered Tazza with Scenes from Genesis, ca. 1560

Workshop of Jean de Court, French, active 1555—1585

Enamel on copper

MAG: Buswell-Hochstetter Bequest, 55.136

Plate with Diana and the Nymphs, 1546

Attributed to Francesco Durantino, Italian, active ca. 1543--54

Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)


Bowl with Mary Magdalene, ca.1535

Italian (probably Gubbio)

Maiolica ware (tin-glazed earthenware)




The Forge of the Heart, 1529

Master I.B., German, 1500s

Engraving

MAG: Marion Stratton Gould Fund, in honor of Dr. James Lockhart, Jr., 88.14

To be rotated…

Allegory of Vanity, late 1500s

Flemish

Oil on panel

MAG: Bertha Buswell Bequest, 55.132

Casket, late 1500s

French (probably Limoges)

Brass, enamel


Pair of Candlesticks, probably 1500s

Italian

Bronze

MAG: Buswell-Hochstetter Bequest, 55.122.1-2

Wedding Cutlery with Case in the Form of a Fish, ca. 1550

French

Ivory, bone, steel, gilt, leather, paper and wood

MAG: The Marie Adelaide Devine Fund and the Dr. Robert L. and

Florence Foster Berg Fund, 2010.9

Tigerware Jug, 1574

British

Salt-glazed stoneware with silver mountings

MAG: Gift of Alastair Bradley Martin, 50.39

Nuppenbecher, 1500

German

Glass




Goblet, 1500

Italian

Glass

Loan from the Corning Museum of Glass, Gift of the 79.3.369 (9.2012L)

Magdeburg Humpen, 1594

German or Bohemian

Glass, enamel, gilding

Loan from the Corning Museum of Glass, Gift of Edwin J. Beinecke,

57.3.84 (5.2012L)

Ages of Man Humpen, 1578 or 1594

German or Bohemian



Reichsadler Humpen, 1574

Bohemian



The Art of Music

An Allegory of Hearing, after 1581

Italian; After a design by Marten de Vos (Flemish, 1532—1603)

Oil on cradled panel

MAG: Gift of Lester Slocum, Jr. and his sister, Mrs. Joyce S. DiStasio, 98.21

Lute, early 1970s

Craig N. Stapley, American, 1950-1999

Wood

Loan from Professor Wayne H. Knox and Victoria Ka’iulani Visiko, 19.2012L

Rebec and Bow, 1980

Bernard Lehmann, American, b. 1949

Maple and walnut, mother-of-pearl, rosewood; bow: rosewood, horsetail

Lent by Steven D. Barley, Ed.D, 22.2012L



Compositione di messer Vincenzo Capirola , ca. 1517


Vincenzo Capirola, Italian, 1474 –after 1548

Lent by Deborah Fox, 21.2012L

Tapestry

Musical Game Park: A Forest Scene with Peasants, 1500s

Flemish

Wool and silk

Anonymous loan, T238

To be rotated with…

Nativity of the Christ Child, 1500s

Flemish

Wool, silk and cotton

MAG: Gift of William M. Wood III and his sister, Mrs. Allen Perkins

Spaulding, 79.50

Arms & Armor

Partial Armor made for the Dukes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel, 1560s

(breastplate dated 1562)

German; Made in the Brunswick Armory

Etched steel

MAG: The Maurice and Maxine B. Forman Fund, the Clara and Edwin

Strasenburgh Fund, the Marie Adelaide Devine Fund and the June

Alexander Memorial Fund, 2006.57

Shaffron, ca. 1560–70

Italian (probably Brescia)

Steel, brass, and leather

Loan from the Metropolitan Museum of Art, 14.25.1664 (15.2012L)



Burgonet in Oriental Fashion, 1565-1599

German

Steel, gold, bronze, glass


Comb Morion for the Guard of the Dukes of Hesse-Darmstadt, ca. 1600

German

Steel, brass


Burgonet of the Guard of Pope Julius III, ca. 1550-1555

Italian (Brescia)

Steel, gold, brass


Shield, 1560-1569

Italian

Steel


Rapier, 1580

Italian

Steel, gilding


Dress Rapier, ca. 1570

Spanish

Steel, gilding


Wheellock Pistol, 1580-1589

German

Steel, gilt




Breastplate, 1580

German

Steel


A Wild Woman Supporting a Heraldic Shield, 1475-1500

Unknown Netherlandish workshop

Silver stain on clear glass

MAG: Marie Adelaide Devine Fund and Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 2008.1

St. Michael Slaying Lucifer, ca. 1530

Southern Lowlands or Germany

Glass


Renaissance Remix: Art & Imagination in 16th-century Europe 1

A Renaissance Journey

The term Renaissance, which literally means “rebirth,” describes the historical

and cultural period in Western European civilization that lasted from about 1400

to 1600.

Renaissance Remix focuses on the spirit of change that distinguishes European visual

and musical arts from about 1520 to 1580. By this time, the new technology of printing

had transformed European society. Trade and exploration resulted in increased wealth

and knowledge, and population shifts inspired new public, artistic, and educational

standards. Although the social hierarchies and religious restrictions of previous

generations still existed, individuals enjoyed an increased participation in and

knowledge of the world beyond their immediate surroundings.

During the Renaissance, intellectual and artistic energies heralded the transition from

the Middle Ages to the modern world. Artists and patrons increasingly valued

individual expression and creativity. People developed a revitalized interest in classical

antiquity, wealth increased among the merchant class, and trade and exploration

expanded both at home and abroad. In combination, these new developments created a

spirit of change that affected all aspects of European life, including education and the

arts.


A Spirit of Change

Renaissance Remix focuses on the spirit of change that influenced European visual

and musical arts from about 1520 to 1580.

The term Renaissance, which literally means “rebirth,” describes the historical and

cultural period in Western European civilization that lasted from about 1400 to 1600.

It was a period of transition from the medieval world to the modern, when the rapid

growth of the printing and publishing industry disseminated images, scientific

knowledge, and religious ideas throughout and beyond Europe. Social standing and

wealth for many individuals and their families improved through new opportunities in

exploration, travel, trade, and education.

Increased wealth in the noble and middle classes provided a fertile market for an

expanding community of artists, artisans, and musicians. Portraits served as status

symbols, as did the tapestries and other domestic goods made to furnish homes and

private interiors. Arms and armor served not only to protect and defend owners, but also

proclaimed wealth, social position, and political rank. The development of new

instruments for private and public performance, innovative styles, and versatile

compositions transformed the role of music in religion and everyday life.


Portraiture and Identity

During the Renaissance, portraits were as much about family identity and social status as they

were the sitter’s likeness.

Portrait painters of this time frequently portrayed their subjects wearing lavish costumes and

surrounded by objects that proclaimed a high degree of cultural sophistication. The presence of books

might suggest educational achievements, while a flute or lute could refer to a musical interest or talent.

Many portraits include images of coats of arms or other symbols that identify family lineage or

associations.

As the middle and upper classes grew more affluent, more people had the desire and ability to

commission and pay for works of art. Many well-known artists who created religious and

mythological paintings were also in high demand as portraitists to noble and wealthy patrons. Because

of their close ties to powerful families, these painters often achieved prestigious positions in society.

Portrait of a Boy of the Bracciforte Family of Piacenza, ca. 1540

Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli, Italian, ca. 1505—ca. 1569/70

Oil on canvas


Portrait of Anna Eleonora Sanvitale, 1562

[reproduction]

Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli, Italian, ca. 1505—ca. 1569/70

Galleria Nazionale, Parma, Italy

Photo Credit : Scala / Art Resource, NY


The Difference is in the Details (interactive)

Girolamo Mazzola Bedoli painted this portrait of Anna Eleanora Sanvitale, a young girl from a

noble family of Parma, when she was only four years old. The portrait now belongs to Parma’s

National Gallery.

Despite their similarities, does Anna’s portrait tell a different tale from our Boy of the Bracciforte

Family of Piazcenza, also painted by Bedoli? A closer look offers clues to the differences

between the lives and futures of girls and boys during the Renaissance.

Girls were taught to be humble,

obedient, and virtuous women.

The figure of Prudence

represents modesty and purity.

Education

Noble boys and girls both

learned reading and writing,

often in several languages.

Boys were encouraged to become

well-rounded men of leadership and

intelligence.

The figure of Fame represents

future greatness.

Women were generally considered

physically, mentally, and morally

inferior to men.

Girls and women were

expected to be quiet and

respectful, and to obey their

male relatives.

Power and Status

Europe in the 16th century

favored and supported

males.

Men were considered physically,

mentally, and morally superior to

women. Boys were encouraged to

develop their talents to

support and sustain the honor

of the family.

A married woman was valued for her

ability to have children and keep a

household that suited her husband’s

status. This dog may have been

a real pet, but a dog also

often symbolizes family

loyalty.

Marriage

The families of noble boys

and girls often arranged

marriages to unite two

wealthy families or create a

political alliance.

A man had absolute authority over his

wife and children, who were

considered his property.

The money purse symbolizes

the family’s current wealth,

and future prospects.

Mothers taught their daughters to

manage a household and be good wives

and mothers.

Mothers were thought to have

the most influence on the

shaping of a child’s character.

Family

In wealthy families, both

mother and father played

important roles in the raising

of children.

Fathers prepared their sons to improve

the family estates through politics,

business, and warfare.

Fathers taught sons to carry on

the family name, while for

daughters, they arranged

valuable marriages.

Most noblewomen had few legal rights

and lost them when they married.

An unmarried woman

remained under the control of

male relatives throughout her

life.

Authority

Noble boys and girls had to

follow rules set by society as

well as governments.

A nobleman was eligible to participate

in all aspects of law and government.

The firstborn son of a

nobleman often inherited all

the family property and titles.


The Power of the Print

During the Renaissance, the rapidly increasing use of the printing press transformed religious,

intellectual, and artistic life.

Printmaking, which began in Europe around 1400, made it possible for thousands of identical images

and texts to be produced from a single source. Scientific and geographic knowledge previously known

only by an elite group of scholars, nobles, and religious leaders became available to a much wider

public. Classical texts as well as contemporary books and religious treatises were disseminated

throughout and beyond Europe.

The publication of maps and explorers’ accounts particularly expanded popular knowledge of the New

World. The work of musicians and composers reached new audiences through the publication of

printed music. Printed images of popular paintings and subjects made art accessible to people of lesser

means. Scholars and publishers used prints to illustrate their texts. Artists created designs specifically

for production by printmakers. Artisans then used these prints as the basis for decorative images on

ceramics, stained glass, armor, and musical instruments.

Arms of Holzhausen, 1599

After a 1579 design by Jost Amman, Swiss, active in Germany

1538 –1591

Glass, silver stain, enamel, and lead

MAG: Bertha Buswell Bequest, 42.28.2

Double-Hemisphere World Map from the Polygot Bible

(Sacrae Geographiae Tabulam ex Antiquissamorum Cultor),

1571—1572

Benito Arias Montano, Spanish, 1527—1598, with

Christophe Plantin (publisher), French/Flemish, ca. 1520—1589

Engraving with later hand-coloring

Loan from Seymour Schwartz, 20.2012L

Ptolemy's "Geographia," 1482


Francesco Berlinghieri, Italian, 1440—1501

Gallery purchase, 6505

Spanish Colonial Silver Real, 1542—1572

Spanish, minted in Mexico City

Silver

MAG: Bequest of Isabel C. Herdle, 2005.186


Rotating prints, to include:

Two Genii, 1544


Copper engraving

Marion Stratton Gould Fund, 67.62

Coat of Arms with an Eagle, 1543


Engraving

Gift of the estate of Ralph Avery, 91.19

The Boar Hunt, 1540

Virgil Solis, German, 1514—1562

Engraving


The Third Tournament, 1509

Lucas Cranach the Elder, German, 1472—1553

Woodcut

MAG: Martin Brewer Anderson Collection, 24.32

The Tournament, 1500

Master MZ, German, active about 1500—1503

Engraving on laid paper


The Standard Bearer of Underwalden, 1521

Urs Graf, Swiss, ca. 1485—1527

White-line woodcut



Inspiration from Ink (interactive)

How did a printer create and distribute prints? How did prints influence life during the Renaissance?

To find out, match up the correct sides of these cubes.

Spread of Knowledge: Pattern Books

Printers, engravers, and architects all consulted printed pattern books for decorative and

symbolic design ideas.

This print shows a variety of designs inspired by Roman art.

This printed page demonstrates four different options for a carved ceiling.

Spread of Knowledge: News Bulletins

Single-page, illustrated broadsheets spread news quickly and kept the public informed and

excited about important or unusual events.

A news broadsheet printed in Nuremberg describes and illustrates a mass sighting of a

“battle in the sky.”

Printed portraits and writings of Martin Luther, an early leader of the Protestant Reformation,

spread throughout Europe.

Spread of Knowledge: Facts and Fiction

Inexpensive prints featuring detailed images and information (some real, some imaginary) from

newly discovered lands appealed to a wide audience.

Master printer Albrecht Dürer probably did not actually see a real rhinoceros before he

created his print.

European explorers confused the Native Americans they encountered with Picts, an ancient

Celtic people of Scotland.

Creating a Print: Planning and Design

Using movable, reusable metal type and woodcut images, the compositor laid out a page inside a

wooden frame called a forme. Notice that the letters appear backwards!

Creating a Print: Inking It Up

The beater applied ink to the finished forme layout using a pair of stuffed leather pads called

“ink-balls.” The printing press required a new type of ink made with oils and soot.

Creating a Print: Paper and Press

The pressman turned the press like a giant screw, pressing a damp piece of paper onto the inked

forme. The printing press was based on the wine-press, used to squeeze the juice from grapes.

Creating a Print: Drying and Distribution

The freshly printed paper was hung up to dry, clothesline-style.

Finished prints were ready for sale or for binding into books.


Spread of Knowledge: Insider Information

Printed medical and technical texts made scholarly information available to a wide audience,

including interested amateurs.

Renaissance illustrators developed layered images, similar to today’s pop-up books, with paper

flaps that lift to reveal the inner workings of the human body.

Technical manuals on architecture and engineering explained ancient inventions as well as

new ideas.

From Painting to Print: The Painter

A painter produces an original work of art that can be sold only to a single customer.

From Painting to Print: The Engraver

An engraver copies the painting by carving the image onto a wood block or etching it into a

metal plate.

From Painting to Print: The Printer

The engraver works with a printer to publish prints: smaller, black-and-white or hand-colored

versions of the painting.

From Painting to Print: The Customer

The printer sells the prints from the shop or a market stall, giving many people the chance to

own “the painting.”

Trade and Exploration: Early World View

Before the 16th

century, Europeans had limited understanding of the world’s lands and oceans.

In this hand-drawn map, only the areas of Europe and western Asia (top left) are recognizable.

Trade and Exploration: European Expansion

Curiosity about the world, thirst for adventure, and desire for riches from new lands inspired

exploration, conquest, and colonization.

This hand-colored map shows the route taken by Ferdinand Magellan and his crew on the first

documented European voyage around the world from 1519 to 1522.

Trade and Exploration: A New World View

First-hand knowledge of previously unknown lands also brought about great advances in

cartography, the art and science of map-making.

This richly decorated map includes illustrations of people and animals from around the world:

Europe and Asia at the top, the Americas and Africa below.

Trade and Exploration: Safe Harbors

Printed portolans, sea charts with sailing directions for specific coastal areas, helped sailors to

navigate treacherous shallow waters and underwater currents.

This 1586 portolan charts part of Spain’s northern coast, showing harbors and landmarks as

well as whales and sea monsters.

Creating a Print: Planning and Design (1)

Detail from Book Printing, Plate 4 of the New Discoveries series

by Stradanus, ca. 1584

Using movable, reusable metal type and woodcut images, the

compositor laid out a page inside a wooden frame called a forme.

Creating a Print: Inking It Up (2)



The beater applied ink to the finished forme layout using

a pair of stuffed leather pads called “ink-balls.”

Creating a Print: Paper and Press (3)



The pressman turned the press like a giant screw, pressing a

damp piece of paper onto the inked forme.

Creating a Print: Drying and Distribution (4)

Detail from Engraving in

Copper, Plate 19 of the

New Discoveries series


The freshly printed paper was hung up to dry, clothesline-style.

Detail from A Printer’s Shop by Jost Amman, 1568

Finished prints were ready for sale

or for binding into books.

POPULAR BOOKS WERE PRINTED UP BUT NOT BOUND UNTIL THEY WERE PURCHASED.

THE PRINTING PRESS WAS BASED ON THE

WINE PRESS, USED TO SQUEEZE THE JUICE

FROM GRAPES.

NOTICE THAT THE LETTERS APPEAR

BACKWARDS!

THE PRINTING PRESS REQUIRED A NEW TYPE

OF INK MADE WITH OILS AND SOOT.

Trade and Exploration: Early World View (1)

Before the 16th

century, Europeans had limited understanding

of the world’s lands and oceans.

15th-century copy of Claudius Ptolemy’s world map, ca. 150 CE

In this hand-drawn map, only the areas of Europe and western Asia

are recognizable.

Trade and Exploration: European Expansion (2)

Curiosity about the world, thirst for adventure, and desire for

riches from new lands inspired exploration, conquest, and

colonization.

World map by Battista Agnese, published in the Portolan Atlas, 1544

This hand-colored map shows the route taken by Ferdinand Magellan

and his crew on the first documented European voyage around the

world from 1519 to 1522.

Trade and Exploration: A New World View (3)

First-hand knowledge of previously unknown lands brought

about great advances in cartography, the art and science of map-

making.

Double hemisphere map by Petrus Plancius, 1594

This richly decorated map includes illustrations of people and animals

from around the world: Europe and Asia at the top, the Americas and

Africa below.

Trade and Exploration: Safe Harbors (4)

Printed portolans, sea charts with sailing directions for specific

coastal areas, helped sailors to navigate treacherous shallow

waters and underwater currents.

Engraved, hand-colored portolan by Lucas Jansz. Waghenaer, 1586

This 1586 portolan charts part of Spain’s northern coast, showing

harbors and landmarks as well as whales and sea monsters.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_KEOd_sgYszk/SU7iyZ-wCTI/AAAAAAAABvY/Pp60Zl3WJF0/s1600-h/1544_Battista_Agnese_Worldmap2.jpg

From Painting to Print: The Painter (1)

A painter produces an original work of art that can be sold only

to a single customer.

Detail from Oil Painting), Plate 14 of the New Discoveries series


From Painting to Print: The Engraver (2)

An engraver copies the painting by carving the image onto

a wood block or etching it into a metal plate.

Details from Engraving in Copper, Plate 19 of the

New Discoveries series by Stradanus, ca. 1584

From Painting to Print: The Printer (3)

The engraver works with a printer to publish prints: smaller,

black-and-white or colored versions of the painting.

Detail from Engraving in Copper, Plate 19 of the New Discoveries series


From Painting to Print: The Customer (4)

The printer sells the prints from the shop or a market stall,

giving many people the chance to own “the painting.”

Detail of Fair at the Great Hall

at Prague Castle, by Gilles Sadeler,

1607

Spread of Knowledge: Pattern Books (1)

Printers, engravers, and architects all consulted printed pattern

books for decorative and symbolic design ideas.

This printed page demonstrates four different

options for a carved ceiling.

Ceiling Designs, after

Sebastiano Serlio,

published 1562

.

This print shows a variety

of designs inspired by

Roman art.

Grotesque and Roman Ornament,

after Hans Vredeman de Vries, 1500s

Spread of Knowledge: News Bulletins (2)

Single-page, illustrated broadsheets spread news quickly and kept

the public informed and excited about important or unusual events.

A news broadsheet printed in Nuremberg describes and

illustrates a mass sighting of a “battle in the sky.” Heavenly Apparition over Nuremberg on April 14, 1561

by Hanns Glaser, 1566

Printed portraits and writings of Martin Luther,

an early leader of the Protestant Reformation,

spread throughout Europe. Martin Luther by Daniel Hopfer, 1523

Spread of Knowledge: Facts and Fiction (3)

Inexpensive prints featuring detailed images and information (some

real, some imaginary) from newly-discovered lands appealed to a

wide audience.

Master printer Albrecht Dürer probably did not

see a real rhinoceros before he created his print. Rhinoceros by Albrecht Dürer, 1515

European explorers confused the Native Americans

they encountered with Picts, an ancient Celtic people

of Scotland. The Trvve Picture of One Picte by Theodor de Bry,

published in 1588

Spread of Knowledge: Insider Information (4)

Printed medical and technical texts made scholarly information

available to a wide audience, including interested amateurs.

Renaissance illustrators developed layered images,

similar to today’s pop-up books, with paper flaps that

lift to reveal the inner workings of the human body.

Anatomical Fugitive Sheet: Female,

published by Alain de Matonniere, ca. 1560

Technical manuals on architecture and engineering

explained ancient inventions as well as new ideas.

Lifting Tackle Composed of a Post, Lines, Pulleys and Winch,

after Leon Battista Alberti, 1565


Worldly Goods

During the Renaissance, increased wealth among the noble and mercantile classes provided a

fertile market for luxury objects.

The home was the center of a Renaissance family’s domestic and spiritual life. Like today, the

wealthiest members of society furnished their houses with expensive and elaborate objects. Furniture,

tapestries, dining utensils, stained glass, art prints, and musical instruments created an impressive and

luxurious environment that enriched both private life and public entertainment.

Decorative yet functional ceramics, ivories, metalwork, and glass were often produced by highly-

trained artisans employed in sophisticated workshops that often marketed and exported their wares to a

wider public. Seemingly unique decoration was frequently drawn from printed pattern books filled

with a wide range of designs made by well-known artists throughout Europe. Artisans used these

books for reference images of biblical scenes, allegorical figures, and intricate designs inspired by

ancient Greek and Roman art.

Arms of Hans Eschmann, ca. 1532

Swiss

Silver-stain on clear glass, pot-metal

MAG: Gift of Natalie and J. Richard Ciccone, 2011.110

Portrait of a Boy

Pietro Tacca, Italian, 1577—1640

Bronze

MAG: R. T. Miller Fund, 49.68

Lock, mid-1500s

Italian or French

Gilded bronze

MAG: R.T. Miller Fund, 57.20


Reverse Painted Medallion with Coat of Arms of Augustus,

the Elector of Saxony (1526—1586), ca. 1585

German (Nuremberg, Augsburg, or Dresden)

Glass, pigments, gold foil


Covered Tazza with Scenes from Genesis, ca. 1560

Workshop of Jean de Court, French, active 1555—1585

Enamel on copper


Plate with Diana and the Nymphs, 1546

Attributed to Francesco Durantino, Italian, active ca. 1543--54

Maiolica (tin-glazed earthenware)


Bowl with Mary Magdalene, ca.1535

Italian (probably Gubbio)

Maiolica ware (tin-glazed earthenware)


The Forge of the Heart, 1529

Master I.B., German, 1500s

Engraving

MAG: Marion Stratton Gould Fund, in honor of Dr. James Lockhart, Jr.,

88.14

To be rotated…

Allegory of Vanity, late 1500s

Flemish

Oil on panel

MAG: Bertha Buswell Bequest, 55.132

Casket, late 1500s

French (probably Limoges)

Brass, enamel


Pair of Candlesticks, probably 1500s

Italian

Bronze

MAG: Buswell-Hochstetter Bequest, 55.122.1-2


Wedding Cutlery with Case in the Form of a Fish, ca. 1550

French

Ivory, bone, steel, gilt, leather, paper and wood

MAG: The Marie Adelaide Devine Fund and the Dr. Robert L. and

Florence Foster Berg Fund, 2010.9

Tigerware Jug, 1574

British

Salt-glazed stoneware with silver mountings

MAG: Gift of Alastair Bradley Martin, 50.39

Nuppenbecher, 1500

German

Glass


Goblet, 1500

Italian

Glass


Magdeburg Humpen, 1594

German or Bohemian


Loan from the Corning Museum of Glass,

Gift of Edwin J. Beinecke, 57.3.84 (5.2012L)

Ages of Man Humpen, 1578 or 1594

German or Bohemian



Reichsadler Humpen, 1574

Bohemian




Mind Your (16th-century) Manners! (interactive)

A new and more complex system of table manners emerged during the Renaissance.

Test yourself: Which of the rules below was actually followed at that time?

Place your goblet on the right,

and your bread on the left.

Bring your own eating knife.

True!

Most people ate with only a knife and their

fingers. Using a fork for eating did not

become acceptable for another 100 years.

Detail from Banquet of Members of Amsterdam's Crossbow Civic Guard by Cornelis Anthonisz., 1533

Use your fingers to take

salt from the salt dish, or

simply dip your meat directly

into the salt.

False!

Diners used the tip of their eating knife to

take a bit of salt, which was served not in

shakers, but in shallow, sometimes very

fancy, dishes.

Detail from The Marriage at Cana by Gerard David, ca. 1500

Use a knife to cut your meat

and spear it to move it to your

plate. To eat it, pick it up using

the thumb and first two fingers

of your right hand.

True!

Good manners meant never eating food

directly off your knife and using only

certain fingers.

Detail from Judith Dining with Holofernes by Lucas Cranach the Elder, 1531

Do not wipe your greasy

fingers on your coat. Instead,

wipe them on your napkin or

use the tablecloth.

True!

Wiping your fingers on the tablecloth was

perfectly acceptable.

Detail from Portrait of the de Moucheron Family (artist unknown), 1563

When you have finished

your drink, hand the cup to a

servant to be rinsed and used

by someone else.

True!

Diners did not have cups of their own;

drinking cups and plates were often shared

by two people.

Detail from January for the Höchstetter Family of Augsberg by Jörg Breu the Elder, 1520s


The Art of Music

During the Renaissance, music was an essential part of civic, religious, and courtly life.

Many important musical innovations emerged in the 1500s, including new genres, compositions, and

the development of instruments such as the lute, viola de gamba, and small keyboard instruments

called virginals. Composers throughout Europe enhanced their compositions for voice as well as new

stringed and keyboard instruments to make music more complex, personal, and passionate. Ensembles

of musicians, much like a modern orchestra, became popular at court. No occasion, sacred or secular,

public or private, was complete without music.

Instrument makers responded creatively to the growing market for instrumental music. Many cities

supported the manufacture of instruments designed to “please the eye and delight the ear,” inspiring

the elaborate painted decoration of instruments with allegorical or musical imagery. Performers and

collectors flourished; music-loving noble families encouraged instrument makers to compete for

splendor of tone and appearance in their creations.

An Allegory of Hearing, after 1581

Italian; After a design by Marten de Vos (Flemish, 1532—1603)

Oil on cradled panel

MAG: Gift of Lester Slocum, Jr. and his sister,

Mrs. Joyce S. DiStasio, 98.21

Lute, early 1970s

Craig N. Stapley, American, 1950-1999

Wood

Loan from Professor Wayne H. Knox and Victoria Ka’iulani Visiko,

19.2012L

Rebec and Bow, 1980

Bernard Lehmann, American, b. 1949

Maple and walnut, mother-of-pearl, rosewood;

bow: rosewood, horsetail

Lent by Steven D. Barley, Ed.D, 22.2012L

Compositione di messer Vincenzo Capirola , ca. 1517


Vincenzo Capirola, Italian, 1474 –after 1548

Lent by Deborah Fox, 21.2012L


Tunes of the Times (interactive)

What did Renaissance music sound like?

Detail from Annunciation to Shepherds with

Choir of Angels by Johannes Sadeler, 1587

Sacred Music The Catholic Church favored inspirational music sung in Latin by choirs,

with and without instrumental accompaniment. Protestant worshipers sang

simple hymns in the local language.

Introitus, from Missa pro Defunctis a 5, by Cristóbal de Morales (Spanish, ca.

1500–1553), 1544. [Recorded by Hespèrion XX]. On Music of the Middle Ages

& Renaissance, Auvidis ES9904 1997.

Mit Fried und Freud (With Peace and Joy), by Martin Luther (German, 1483–

1546), 1524. [Recorded by Himlische Cantorey]. On Music of the Reformation,

CPO 777275-2

Detail from The Year's End

by Hans Sebald Beham, 1546

Public / Festival Music

Country dances and village festivals included musicians playing common

instruments, who improvised variations on simple tunes and well-known

folksongs.

Chi passa per‘sta strada, by Fillippo Azzaiolo (Italian, 1530/40 –after 1569).

[Recorded by The Musicians of Swanne Alley]. On In the Streets and Theatres of

London, Virgin Classics VC7 90789-2.

Der Tod Reit' auf Einem Kohlschwarzen Rappen. [Recorded by Wolfgang

Roth]. On Early German Ballads, Vol. 1: (1280 –1619). Smithsonian Folkways

Recordings/ Folkways Records, 2004.

Four Musicians by Tobias Stimmer,

mid-1500s.

Private/Domestic Music Newly available printed sheet music gave professional traveling musicians

access to a wider variety of music, and encouraged upper class amateurs to

learn to play and entertain themselves.

La Traditora #3, by Marco dall'Aquila & others (Italian, (ca. 1470 –after 1537).

[Recorded by Paul O’Dette (lute)]. On Lute Music, Volume 2: Early Italian

Renaissance Lute Music. Harmonia Mundi USA, 1994.

Divisions on “Frais et Gaillard” (madrigal by Clemens non Papa), by Giovanni

Bassano (Italian, (ca. 1558 –1617), 1591. [Recorded by Annalisa Pappano & Ronn

McFarlane]. On Renaissance Treble Viola da Gamba Divisions with Lute.

Annalisa Pappano, 2012.

A Procession of Soldiers by Jost Amman,

mid-1500s.

Military / Parade Music

The rhythms of beating drums and high-pitched, simple tunes on flutes

helped to keep a large group of soldiers together, whether marching in

parade or fighting on the battlefield.

Tanz des Leu, traditional. [Recorded on Basel drum]. On Traditional Swiss

Musical Instruments, Claves Records, 1996.

La Rousse, from the Val d’Anniviers. [Recorded on military drum and fife]. On

Traditional Swiss Musical Instruments, Claves Records, 1996.


Tapestry

During the Renaissance, large and elaborate tapestries woven of wool and silk insulated and

decorated the walls of homes, churches, and public buildings.

In use for centuries by the very wealthy, by the 1500s tapestries became more affordable and

accessible to the prosperous mercantile as well as the noble classes. This was due in part to the

rigorous organization of tapestry workshops, which increased their production with more skilled and

trained weavers. Although several major centers of tapestry production developed throughout Europe,

by the late 1400s the large-scale and high-quality tapestry market was dominated by the city of

Brussels. From these production centers, tapestries were exported throughout Europe.

The designs for tapestries come from drawings called cartoons that were often created by well-known

painters. Tapestry weavers used a wide variety of different colored threads to achieve shading and

shape, allowing the creation of complex figures and scenes on a very large scale. Wealthy patrons

could commission specific designs that reflected their interests and individual tastes, whether religious

or secular in nature.

Musical Game Park: A Forest Scene with Peasants, 1500s

Flemish

Wool and silk

Anonymous loan, T238

To be rotated with…

Nativity of the Christ Child, 1500s

Flemish

Wool, silk and cotton

MAG: Gift of William M. Wood III and his sister, Mrs. Allen Perkins

Spaulding, 79.50


Weaving a Story (interactive)

This large woven wall-hanging has a complex design, full of interesting scenes and characters.

Lift a panel below and take a closer look at the Who, What, and Where of a few details.

A fine lady sits in a loaded horse-drawn cart, her

small fluffy dog in her lap. A groom rides one

horse to guide the team, and a group of armed

soldiers escorts the group.

A young woman sits in an archway between two

tall columns. She plays the lira de braccio, a low-

toned string instrument.

A few townspeople dance merrily at

the edge of the village, while others

shop at open-air market stalls or watch

the artists and craftspeople at work.

A pair of long legged herons stands at

the edge of a forest pool. One stays upright

and alert, while the other devours a freshly

caught meal.


Arms and Armor

During the Renaissance, arms and armor were essential components of cultural and military life.

Nobles wore highly decorated suits of armor in ceremonies and tournaments as well as in military

conflicts. Images of armor appeared in all types of art, including portraits and religious paintings, to

emphasize the status, wealth, and power of the wearer. Artisans decorated high-quality arms and armor

with elaborate biblical and mythological scenes, hunting motifs, and coats of arms or symbols that

identified the owner.

Armor workshops, whether attached to a noble family or independently owned, developed new forms

of armor and weaponry that responded to the changing requirements of their patrons. These

developments included structural improvements, elaborate decoration, more durable materials, and

specialized styles for particular types of warfare or tournament fighting.

Partial Armor made for the Dukes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel,

1560s (breastplate dated 1562)

German; Made in the Brunswick Armory

Etched steel

MAG: The Maurice and Maxine B. Forman Fund, the Clara and

Edwin Strasenburgh Fund, the Marie Adelaide Devine Fund and

the June Alexander Memorial Fund, 2006.57

Please Touch This Armor! (interactive)

This is a pair of pauldrons (PAWL-druhns), or shoulder protectors, from a suit of armor.

Feel how the armor is designed and constructed. Leather straps hold the steel plates together and

allow the shoulder joint to move


Shaffron, ca. 1560—1570

Italian (probably Brescia)

Steel, brass, and leather


The Armored Horse

Since ancient times, humans have used animals, especially horses, in an effort to gain advantage

over their enemy during battle.

The medieval knight was inseparable from his horse, which supplied him with both transportation and

speed. War horses were bred for their power and were essential to the heavy cavalry, or mounted and

armored shock troops, that charged the enemy on the frontlines. Armorers created coverings in textile,

leather, mail, and steel plate that protected horse and man alike from combatants on both the battlefield

and in tournaments.

During the 1500s, new developments in military tactics and types of weaponry changed the nature of

warfare. By the end of the century, horses wore the bard, or full horse armor, only for ceremonial

occasions. Armories continued to produce individual pieces of horse armor, such as the shaffron and

saddle steel, for use in parades and tournaments. Armor for the Renaissance horse, frequently ordered

as part of a garniture, or large set of interchangeable pieces, often matched the armor of his master in

quality and elaborate decoration.


Burgonet in Oriental Fashion, 1565—1599

German

Steel, gold, bronze, glass


Comb Morion for the Guard of the Dukes of Hesse-Darmstadt,

ca. 1600

German

Steel, brass


Burgonet of the Guard of Pope Julius III, ca. 1550—1555

Italian (Brescia)

Steel, gold, brass


Shield, 1560—1569

Italian

Steel


Rapier, 1580

Italian

Steel, gilding


Dress Rapier, ca. 1570

Spanish

Steel, gilding



Wheellock Pistol, 1580—1589

German

Steel, gilt


Breastplate, 1580

German

Steel


A Wild Woman Supporting a Heraldic Shield, 1475-1500

Unknown Netherlandish workshop

Silver stain on clear glass

MAG: Marie Adelaide Devine Fund and Marion Stratton

Gould Fund, 2008.1

St. Michael Slaying Lucifer, ca. 1530

Southern Lowlands or Germany

Glass


memorial art gallery docent meeting the dorothy...

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