Ognissanti Madonna

by Giotto

1310

• Tempera painting

• One of the first to break away from the traditional representation of the Virgin and Child and go to the Monumental Style - subjects interact with the space around them

• Aspects of highlight, shadow and overlapping

• Chiaroscuro - use of highlight and shadow

• Throne shows perspective, depth, foreshortening

• Body shows more substance under clothing

• Mary is larger, more plump

• proportions bulky and dimensional

• observational, inspiration gathered from actual physical things rather than other works of art

Annunciation,

by Martini

1333

• International Gothic Style 

• Gabriel coming to visit Mary

• “Hail Mary, full of Grace” written coming out of Gabriel’s mouth

• Gabriel’s clothing appears to “flutter” as he arrives with olive branch

• Everything is light and flowy rather than Giotto’s heaviness

• Decor is very elaborate and curvilinear, taste of the elevated elite

• Mary wears blue for royalty and red for her charity

• Mary sits on throne with finger in the scriptures, her body in an “s” curve flowing from head to toe

• Wooden Gothic-style frame was made by another artist

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Four Crowned Saints,  

by Nanni di Banco

1410

• “Quattro Santi Coronati”

• Life size figures in a smaller space meant for two figures - “tabernacle” built 30 years prior to sculpture

• Semi circle arrangement of figures in perfect proportion

• Sculptures in tabernacles clearly influenced by ancient Roman sculpture

• Florence economy is booming, and so are the arts, they are the first since ancient Rome to have such grand, public sculptures

• Piece becomes very influential because it is seen in public by all classes of people

• Predella- scene across the bottom, guild of bricklayers and stone masons

• The figures are very individualized and were sculptors themselves. They were commanded to sculpt very pagan pieces, refused, and were put to death

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"Jacob and Esau" (Gates of Paradise - East Doors),  

by Ghiberti

1440

• Won a contest and the prize was to sculpt the east doors of the baptistry, made ten square panels depicting Old Testament scenes

• Sculpted using the “lost wax” technique

• Mastered the idea of one point perspective

• Nothing Gothic or Medieval about it, a classical, quiet, calm composition

• Jacob is wearing modern clothes in the center of the image, while everyone else is dressed as in the New Testament

• Depicts Isaac giving blessing to Jacob while blind

• Contrapposto- natural, relaxed standing pose

• Several different events portrayed in one image

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St Mark,  

by Donatello

1412

• The rest of the tabernacle was not done by Donatello

• Sense of real figure with expression and contrapposto

• Done in marble, 6 feet 6 inches talls

• Beautiful detail of cloth and hair

• First of it’s kind - style and skill level kind of came out of nowhere, no link to the past  - You go Donatello

• Contrapposto pose, very “real”, psychological feeling, even shows evidence of weight on pillow at his feet

• The intense, staring face may have inspired Michelangelo in his work

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Holy Trinity,

by Masaccio

1425

• Masaccio was to painting what Donatello was to sculpture

• Fresco in Monumental Style

• Bottom part was covered with stucco and only discovered 80 - 90 years ago

• Roman Triumphal Arch - Christ’s triumph over death

• One point perspective to represent depth, very low vanishing point

• God the Father stands over Christ, Holy Ghost as a dove

• Mary and John depicted at the foot of Christ

• Classical composition, everything is perfectly centered

• The Lenzi patrons had themselves placed in the corners, representation of the individual - new concept

• Warning of mortality above the skeleton “I once was as you are, and you will be as I am” written in classic Florentine, which later becomes official italian language

• The whole thing is very mathematically based

• Painting covers floor to ceiling in apse

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Strozzi Altarpiece,

by Gentile da Fabriano

1423

• 180° difference from Trinity fresco but made at the same time but both are considered Renaissance

• Tempera on wood

• Influenced by Martini’s Gothic style “Annunciation”

• Mr Strozzi kneels in front of Christ and is touched by him - meant to show the divinity of the family represented

• Family is portrayed as the three Magi, wearing clothes they could never (legally) wear in public - showing pride and vanity (Strozzi palace dwarfs all other Florence buildings)

• A very busy scene, with various animals - monkeys, cheetahs, falcons

• Not a focus on the Holy Family - pushing boundaries

• Placed in a private chapel in a public church, meant to be seen and shown off

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St. Lucy Altarpiece,  

by Veneziano

1445

• Very Renaissance composition - symmetrical and Mary and Child are centered

• “Half-shell” behind Mary - symbol of Venus, eternity

• 3 arches over composition

• Contour lines are very crisp and clean around hands, faces, etc- very Florentine

• On the left is St. Francis, reading scriptures, John the Baptist next to him, pointing to Mary, great detail in John’s legs, muscles

• On the right is St. Lucy, (local Florentine saint)

• Holy Conversation- Saints surrounding Mary while all kind of doing their own, quiet thing

• Pomegranate trees are shown in the background-become a symbol of Christ’s sacrifice (stain like blood)

• Solid, sturdy figures with skin very white like sculpture are very Florentine

• Vibrant colors and color combos are very Venetian

• Baby Jesus finally looks like a normal human baby

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Birth of Venus,

by Botticelli

1480

• This dude trained with da Vinci and becomes a private artist for the Medici Family (big shots)

• Not in step with what everyone else was doing-very pagan works

• Based on “Venus Pudica” from Ancient Rome

• Female figure holds out flowery blanket to cover Venus

• No sense of deep space or natural shoreline-not based on observation

• Early example of female nude, rooted in Lippi’s elegant human figure

• Largest work of purely pagan subject matter since Ancient Rome, subject matter was given to him by the Neo-Platonic Academy- loose gathering of leading intellectuals, writers, scholars, etc

• This work was in a private room in Medici palace, would have been offensive in public

• Visual reminder of the quest for truth and beauty

Last Supper,

by Leonardo da Vinci

1495-98

• Typical subject matter for high renaissance.

• Leonardo experiments by mixing oil and water for this fresco - paint doesn’t age well, begins to become “ghost-like”

• Great example of Renaissance balance, symmetry, beauty

• Apostles depicted in 4 groups of 3

• Christ at the center of an equilateral triangle within the composition

• 3 windows in background possibly symbolic of holy trinity

• Judas holds a pouch of money in one hand, the other hand spills a shaker of salt (bad omen)

• Some believe that Mary Magdalene is depicted in the picture, however characteristically the youthful face is of John the Beloveded, not Mary.

• Was painted in the refectory of Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan.

• Napoleon cut a door into the base of the fresco to store ammunition - Bombings of WWII knocked out most walls in Convent except for this one

• Importance of hand and gesture, diagonals lead and move through composition

• visual representation of mathematically portraying complex spiritual concepts- tight organization, powerful compostion

Mona Lisa,

by Leonardo da Vinci

1503-05

• Some called it an “ordinary portrait” but it was really leagues beyond it’s time

• One of the first uses of oil painting

• Seated, looking straight at viewer was very abnormal (full frontal instead of full side)

• Skin looks so real you feel you could reach out and touch it

• Her likeness shows typical high class tradition of plucked eyebrows and hairline

• Real observance of effects of light and shadow

• People start copying this style almost immediately (cuz he’s da Man)

• Background is an issue-horizon lines don’t match up- symbolic?

• Face is made of ovals

• No contour line, but still crisp and clean-soft

• Subject is the wife of wealthy Florentine merchant, yet it was found in Leo’s possession after his death

• “Mona” means m’lady

• Original painting was trimmed, evidence of columns on right and left sides

School of Athens,

by Raphael

1510

• Working right down the hall from Michelangelo and the production of the Sistine Chapel, when the chapel is unveiled at its halfway point, Raphael painted in Michelangelo down front in the purple as a respectful tribute

• All the subjects are identifiable scientists, philosophers, artists, mathematicians, etc

• Linear, one point perspective, with Plato and Aristotle at center

• Last chapter of the Classical Revival

• Wall referred to as “Wall of Science / Philosophy”

• Dome in background based on design of new (unfinished) St. Peter’s Basilica

David,

by Michelangelo

1502-04

• 17 feet tall - was meant to be placed on the top of the Florence cathedral buttress - exaggerated features made to be seen from far below

• Torso is long, hands and head are large

• Ended up in front of a city hall until 1870

• Inspired by the “Spear bearer” by Polykleitos made in 450 BC

• David was popular subject matter at the time, but usually shown post battle, victorious. This is pre battle David - meant as political symbol (good over evil)

• Perfection on the outside = perfection on the inside, represents harmony, ideal, spiritual and emotional perfection

• This piece of marble was discarded by another artist and left alone for 40 years because of a vein found, Michelangelo picked it up and worked around the vein

• Known at the time as “The Giant”, no sculpture even in ancient Rome was this big

• Michelangelo’s last classical Renaissance style

Moses,

by Michelangelo

1515

• Tomb of Julius 2nd - commissions Michelangelo to build the greatest tomb ever, with 40 statues

• Moses sculpted from single block of stone, and is the only sculpture finished before Julius dies

• “Tragedy of the Tomb” took 30 years to complete because popes kept dying and telling Mikey to work on other projects

• Michelangelo personally chose stone for the project - after the stone is shipped, the Pope changes his mind

• Nonsensical architecture, everything is crowded and busy

• Female represents the night, Male represents day

• Face of moses is the same face as God in the Sistine Chapel, he looks down intensely, possibly towards Israelites?

• Italy was in a period of confusion and upheaval

• Some figures are unfinished

Descent from the Cross,

by Pontormo

1525-28

• Altarpiece - title is a bit iffy

• Done in oil

• Strange color combinations, strange colors used for shadows

• Figures are long, resting on balls of feet - appear weightless and floating

• No background or sense of horizon line, just a single cloud

• Not the stable, triangular composition of the Renaissance

• Eye moves in a circular or jagged movement, a visual busyness, confusion and nervousness - perhaps symbol of times (German emperor had sacked Rome during this time)

• Pontormo added himself to the piece at the far right

• Visual and sensual approach, rather than intellectual

Beginning of Mannerismstyle

Rape of the Sabine Women,

by G. Bologna

1583

• More of stealing and marrying the women rather than raping them

• Three figures carved from one block of stone - largest since Ancient Rome

• Inspired by the Greek Hellenistic period, fantastic detail in skin

• Becomes the most important sculptor since Michelangelo

• Meant to be viewed from all sides - new concept - has more than single fixed viewpoint

• Composition has corkscrew-like movement

Pastoral Concert,

by Giorgione

1515

• Huge impact on 19th cent art

• One man is a shepherd holding a flute, other man is holding a lute (could be autobiographical of Giorgione, he was a musician)

• “Ruben” women are almost invisible to the men - muses of arts?

• Dense atmospheric setting

• Many textures shown - glass, flesh, fabric wood, glass, stone, etc

• Suggestion of idyllic harmony

Pesaro Madonna,

by Titian

1525

• Paid for by Pesaro family, right-hand side dominated by members of the Pesaro family

• Priest is looking at St Peter, who is the mediator between Christ

• Christ child playing with St. Francis (to whom the church was dedicated to)

• Left-hand side depicts Pesaro military commander who defeated the turks

• Boy at bottom right looks right at us

• Non symmetrical, but still triangular composition - very pre-Baroque

• Expansion of space, dimensions coming up and out

• Layered glazes of pure color add depth to fabric and flesh

The Merode Altarpiece, 1427

by Robert Campin

• Triptych: a three panelled altarpiece

• oil paint

• the left panel shows the commissioners of the altarpiece

• central panel shows the common scene of the annunciation of Mary

• what is different about the central image is that it’s not like the typical Italian versions as it takes place in a home, a Northern European setting with religious subject matter.

• a genre way of taking a Holy act and placing it in a familiar setting

• shows Disguised or Secondary Symbolism

• not a heavenly realm but a contemporary one

• right panel shows St. Joseph doing carpentry

• making mouse traps and some believe also making a wine press.

• the mouse traps are symbolic of catching the devil

• the winepress is representative of Christ and an allusion to the reference in the Bible

• the use of oil paint allows for small tiny details that wouldn’t be accomplished with tempera or fresco

Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride , 1434

by Jan van Eyck

• Subject matter is debateable, as to whether they are getting married or are already married, some say Arnolfini is giving his wife legal charge over business affairs while he is away. Regardless some type of ceremony is taking place.

• The reflection in the mirror shows the backs of the Arnolfini’s and two “witnesses” one being van Eyck.

• The mirror also shows the outside view from the window showing a street, buildings and even birds flying in the sky.

• the detail in the glass pearls and reflection and candelabra

• a lot of secondary and disguised symbolism

• the dog ->fido->representative of fidelity

• single lit candle, representative of Christ

• slippers are off, depicting something sacred

• Very genre way of depicting the couple, and the artist, this northern humanism is worlds different from classical roman humanism.