idealisation and antiquity

IDEALISATION AND IDEALISATION AND THE INFLUENCE OF THE INFLUENCE OF

ANTIQUITYANTIQUITY

Leonardo’s Vitruian Man was based on writings by Roman architect Vitruvius (written between 23-26 bce). This drawing is sometimes referred to as Canon of Proportions or, less often, Proportions of Man. Why do you think that this drawing has been given these titles? What do you notice about this drawing?

Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man (1492). Pen and ink with wash over metalpoint on paper, 344 x 245 mm.

The navel is naturally placed in the centre of the human body, and, if in a man lying with his face upward, and his hands and feet extended, from his navel as the centre, a

circle be described, it will touch his fingers and toes. It is not alone by a circle, that the human body is thus

circumscribed, as may be seen by placing it within a square. For measuring from the feet to the crown of the head, and

then across the arms fully extended, we find the latter measure equal to the former; so that lines at right angles to

each other, enclosing the figure, will form a square.

-Vitruvius’ De Architectura

Laocoön and His Sons

Between 160 BC and 20 BCWhite marble

Laocoön and His Sons

• Found in 1506, it was a major discovery from Antiquity during the Renaissance.• The life-sized statue imbues all that was the classical idealised canon: heroic scale, drama, muscular forms, restraint and exertion and the contrapasto body positions.• The story of Laocoön had been the subject of a now lost play by Sophocles, and was mentioned by other Greek writers. Laocoön was killed after attempting to expose the ruse of the Trojan Horse by striking it with a spear.• The sculpture also displays the pyramidal structure that was used diffusely as a model for many portraits and groupings in High Renaissance art (the main subject, Laocoon, being the emphasis).

Ignudo from Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel (1508-1512).

What similarities can you see between this ignudo and the Laocoon statue? What are the differences?

The Belvedere Torso Hellenistic sculpture dating to approx. 1st or 2nd century bce

The Belvedere Torso

• Named after the Cortile de Belvedere, a courtyard of the Italian papacy.

• This sculpture fragment displays strong muscular form and a detailed knowledge of anatomy.

• The slightly twisting torso creates space as well as a sense of imminent movement, which were important qualities to high Renaissance artists who were looking toward the natural and ideal.

• The Belvedere Torso also shows a strong contrappasto position, a position that greatly influenced and was admired by Renaissance artists.

St. Bartholomew from Michelangelo's Last Jugdement in the Sistine Chapel (1534-1541)

Again, notice the contrapposto positioning, the creation of space, the idealised form based on a classical canon. Michelangelo has obviously taken on the ancient form in his monumental work. If this work was not idealised, how would St. Bart’s body possibly looked?

Apollo Belvedere between 350-325 bce,

white marble

Apollo Belvedere

• Discovered in 1489, it was under the ownership of Pope Julius II and was in relative obscurity after it’s discovery…that is, at first Renaissance artists paid little attention to it.

• In 1511 it was installed in the Cortile de Belvedere and soon became a hot commodity with a demand for copies surfacing.

• As with the Belvedere Torso and Laocoon statues, the Apollo Belvedere displays a relaxed, contrapposto pose, Grecian hair, nose and classical/timeless drapery, and riposte.

What other idealised features can you find within this sculpture?

Image of Apollo from

Raphael’s School of

Athens (1509-1511)

What similarities and differences can you see between these works?

The Porch of Maidens from of the Erechtheion, Athens,

421–407 bce

These caryatids, or female sculpted columns were discussed by Vitruvius in De Architectura and employed by Raphael in his School of Athens.

Raphael (Raphael Sanzio) School of Athens 1509-1510, Vatican

School of Athens• Located in the Room of the Segnatura the room was originally used by Julius II as a private office and library and the frescos in the room fit that purpose, the School of Athens was meant to represent the Rational Truth, on other walls include Theology (Disputa), Law (Justice), and Poetry (Parnassus).

• The interior of the scene was inspired by Bramante’s renewal of St. Peter’s basilica.

• Plato (thought to be modeled after Leonardo) is seen holding his book Timaeus --> his speculation on the the nature of the physical world; the purpose of the universe; the properties of the universe; the creation of the soul of the world; and the elements (earth, air, water and fire).

• Aristotle is seen holding his book Nicomachean Ethics --> the focus on behaving virtuously and developing a virtuous character and this could be attained through personal well being.

Bramante’s plan (left) was based on a classic Greek cross floor plan; Michelangelo’s plan (right) was how St. Peter’s was eventually constructed as it was more structurally feasible.

School of Athens con’t• Pythagoras is show explaining his diatessaron --> a philosophy of music that lead to the discovery of the diatonic scale which set the foundation of modern major and minor scales.

• Diogenes is lying on the stairs with a dish --> his philosophy was based on a virtue of extreme poverty. He taught contempt for human achievements and campaigned to debunk social values and institution such that he believed that happiness came to one who was freed from society.

• Heracleitus (thought to be Michelangelo), is leaning against the block of marble, writing on a sheet of paper --> known for his doctrine of change being central to the universe, and that the Logos is the fundamental order of all.

• Euclid is teaching geometry his pupils, Zoroaster holding the heavenly sphere and Ptolemy holding the earthly sphere.

School of Athens con’t• Euclid (possibly a portrait of Bramante)--> who is largely responsible for our understanding of modern geometry, arithmetic and discovering a proof for the Pythagorean Theorem.

• Zoroaster --> in his revelation, the poet sees the universe as the cosmic struggle between “truth” and “lie”, creation, existence and Free Will.

• Ptolemy --> known for his text Geographia which was a detailed account for the known Greek world.

School of Athens• Raphael painted this in the room next to the Sistine Chapel at the same time that Michelangelo was working on the various frescos of the chapel.

• The painting is considered to be Raphael’s masterpiece and has been called the embodiment of the classical influence of the High Ren.

• Is an imaginary moment capturing the convocation of some of Greece’s most famous philosophers (Plato, Aristotle, Copernicus, Alexander the Great, Socrates, Heraclitus, Euclid, Ptolemy, at el.)

• The painting also employs the same architectural perspective that is seen in Leonardo’s Vitruvian Man.

Other Greek and Roman sculptures that were influential to the High Renaissance

Sleeping Ariadne, classic Greek

Capitoline Venus, Hellenistic Greek

Putti, ignudi, sybils• These mythological figures were often combined with Christian themes and scenes during the High Renaissance as they placed an emphasis on the ancient Greek and Roman world.

• It is also due to the fact that the Chruch was no longer the sole source of funding for painting and sculpture, this allowed the artists more freedom to choose diverse subject matter.

• Putti - nude, pudgy male babies

• Ignudi - nude men

• Sybils - prophetess

• These figures are usually not seen as central figures, rather they are used as accents to show ties between contemporary Renaissance Italy and the age of antiquity.

Raphael, Sistine Madonna, 1514-1515

Detail of putti

Sistine Madonna• Shown are the Virgin, Child and Saints Sixtus (Pope from about 116 to 128) and Barbara (patron saint of artillerymen)

• The Virgin appears to descend from a heavenly space, through the picture plane, out into the real space.

• The saint’s seem to point out towards us, the faithful and are there as symbols of the Pope’s funeral.

• The painting is thought to have commissioned for Pope Julius II’s tomb, who died in 1514.

• What is interesting is how the idealised Virgin and child stare directly out from the canvas towards us, the viewers.

Notice the various faces within the clouds?

The Triumph of GalateaRaphael, 1512

9’8” x 7’ 5”

The Triumph of Galatea

• A fresco masterpiece completed for the Villa Farnesina in Rome, home of the wealthy Sienese banker Agostino Chigi, one of the richest men of that age.

• Taken from Ovid’s Metamorphoses the painting depicts the Roman myth of the beautiful Nereid Galatea who had fallen in love with the peasant shepherd Acis. Her consort, the one-eyed giant Polyphemus, after chancing upon the two lovers together, lobbed an enormous pillar and killed Acis.

• This image shows Galatea fleeing Polyphemus on a shell drawn by dolphins and putti (cupids) surround and almost protect her.

• There is a sense of joy and exuberance within the work this pagan myth that displays the praise of human beauty and love.

• Galatea monumentally resurrects the spirit of idealised art and poetry of the classic world.

Detail of Libyan Sybil on the Sistine

Chapel ceiling.

Detail of Persian Sybil on the Sistine

Chapel ceiling.

Detail of Cumaean Sybil on the Sistine

Chapel ceiling.

Detail of Delphic Sybil on the Sistine

Chapel ceiling.

Erythraean Sibyl, Sistine Chapel

The Five Sybils from the Ancient world• They were prophetic women who were resident at shrines or temples throughout the Classical World.

• The five depicted here are each said to have prophesied the birth of Christ.

• The Cumaean Sibyl, for example, is quoted by Virgil as declaring that "a new progeny of Heaven" would bring about a return of the "Golden Age".

• It is suggested that the choice was made for a wide geographic coverage, with the sibyls coming from Africa, Asia, Greece and Ionia.