Chapter 20: 16th Century Art in Italy

AP Art History

Magister Ricard

The High Renaissance

Renaissance in Italy

High Renaissan

ce

Venice 16th

Century

Rome 16th Century

Early Renaissan

ce

Florence 15th

Century

The High Renaissance Venice and Florence remain important centers

but Rome dominates the 16th Century One of the major building projects of the era

was the construction of the new St. Peter’s Cathedral

Most influential artists of the period are Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, Raphael, Bramante, and Titian

They elevated the prestige of artists from mere artisans to creative, unique, geniuses (Durer’s dream realized)

The High Renaissance

Art in Italy in the Early 16th Century

Leonardo da Vinci Born in 1452 in Vinci, a small village near Florence Apprentice to Verocchio Left Florence in 1482 to work for Duke of Milan 1495 painted Last Supper in refectory of Santa Maria

delle Grazie Painting was meant to be extension of dining room Linear perspective converges on Jesus Three windows extend space, symbolize Holy Trinity Depicts moment Jesus reveals “One of you shall betray

me” Judas is cloaked in the shadows Used an experimental medium of oil; preferred to work

using a slower method than normal fresco painting; medium was a failure with much deteriation

Leonardo da Vinci When the French claim Milan, Leonardo

returns to Florence (1500) Produces a large drawing (cartoon) which was

never painted Features Mary sitting on knee of her mother,

Anne, while Christ child reaches out toward cousin John the Baptist

Uses strong contrast of light and dark (chiaroscuro)

Leonardo da Vinci The Mona Lisa’s identity is much debated May have been Lisa Gherardini, La Gioconda Pyramidal form does not stop at upper torso but

extends to half figure No jewelry, plain, silhouetted against desolate,

mysterious landscape Applied a smoky haze using a thin varnish creating

sfumato (“smokiness”) Utilized the medium of oil to its full potential, build on

chiaroscuro for voluminous modeling One of first works intended to be framed and hung Used entertainment to amuse subject and create the

enigmatic smile and gaze captured in image

Leonardo da Vinci Inspired by the writings and theories of Roman

architect Vitruvius Was an applied theory of man represented by

way of geometry Vitruvius – man is proportional, harmonious, 8

heads high Adapted these ideas into a diagram for the

ideal male figure Man is as wide as he is tall (square) The circumference measuring from his navel

outward will be the extent of his arms and legs (circle)

Raphael Arrived in Florence from Urbino in 1505 Studied in Perugia under Perugino Early work has tilt of heads in paintings, even-

keeled mood found in his subjects Uses clear even light in his work to imitate

outside light In background is a church from Urbino which

may have been designed by Bramante

Raphael Commissioned by Pope Julius II to paint

several rooms (stanze) In Stanza della Segnatura painted 4 branches

of knowledge – Religion, Philosophy, Poetry, and Law

Uses a trompe l’oeil – a trick of the eye – to create the two dimensional illusion

Linear perspective converges on Plato (Ideals) and Aristotle (Empiricism/Materialism)

Included are other artists as the models for the subjects: Leonardo (Plato), Michelangelo (Heraclitus), Raphael stares out at the viewer

Michelangelo Buonarroti Favored sculpture as the best medium for expression of

the natural world (Leonardo favored painting); considered himself always a sculptor first

Art was an inner calling, not a profession Worked in the workshop of Ghirlandaio Studied Massacio’s Brancacci Chapel Studied the Medici’s private sculpture collection In 1497 was commissioned to sculpt a marble pieta which

was hailed as the first great sculpture of the High Renaissance

Selected the marble from the famous quarry in Carrara; form needed to be set free from the marble medium

When returned to Florence in 1501, would receive the commission to sculpt “il mostro” into David

Michelangelo Buonarroti “I’m not a painter” Although contracts in Florence remained, was

brought to Rome by Pope Julius II to create his tomb

Tomb was stopped in 1508 so that work on Sistine Chapel could begin

Considered himself a sculptor, but was commanded by pope to paint the ceiling

Used trompe l’oeil for ceiling, short pilasters supported by putti

Within the frame are figures from the Old Testament - featuring heroes of nude men (ignudi) – and sibyls

Michelangelo Buonarroti As the building project for St. Peter’s went on,

Pope Julius II diverted funds from not only the Sistine Chapel, but also the original commission for his tomb

Planned by Michelangelo was a massive freestanding structure with more than 40 statues

Reductions lead to a scaled down “tomb” which never saw the pope buried and plagued Michelangelo for over 40 years

Moses is one of the original designs for the tomb and features many characteristics typical of Michelangelo’s sculpture

Michelangelo Buonarroti Leo X (Giovanni di Medici, son of Lorenzo the

Magnificent) succeeded as pope in 1513 Selected Michelangelo to design many

projects including New Sacristry in San Lorenzo, Florence

(Left) tomb of Giuliano de’Medici seated on sarcophagus with personifications of Night and Day – Active Life

(Right) tomb of Lorenzo with personifications of Dawn and Dusk – Contemplative Life

Bramante Like Brunelleschi and Alberti, carefully studied

ancient Roman architecture Left Milan in 1499 (like Leonardo) and headed

for Rome The Tempietto (little temple) constructed in

concentric circles (compare to a tholos temple or central-plan)

Math was used to create harmony, distance between columns is four times their diameter

A drum supports a hemispheric dome, inspiring the New St. Peter’s construction (compare to Washington, DC Capitol Building)

Antonio da Sangallo and Michelangelo Started by da Sangallo, the Palazzo Farnese

(Rome) was constructed using Renaissance architectural principals

Heavy rustication of blocks on first floor around central entrance

Piano nobile (2nd floor) featured a balcony where the public could be addressed; had cartouche above the balcony; contains alternates of arched and triangular pediments with Corinthian columns

3rd floor completed by Michelangelo; features triangular pediments and a cornice was added

St. Peter’s Cathedral, Rome Old St. Peter’s constructed by Constantine to honor the

apostle St. Peter – the first bishop of Rome (and first pope)

Pope Julius II (1506) decided to renovate the cathedral due to disrepair

Originally, Bramante was commissioned, who sought to use a central-plan to replace the basilica-plan with a dome

Pope Julius II dies in 1513, Bramante in 1514 Raphael, Antonio da Sangallo move towards a Latin

cross design Michelangelo (1546) returns design to Greek cross,

central plan, which was completed after his death in 1590 by Giocomo della Porta (see soon)

Giulio Romano In Mantua, architecture was not quite as

“serious” Used the classical architectural elements

playfully, to create kind of a visual humor with dropping triglyphs

Used trompe l’oeil to create a “falling room” where the subject matter is the gods defeating the giants (compare to Camera Picta of Andrea Mantegna)

Precursor to Mannerism

Titian The deaths of Giorgione (1510) and Raphael (1520 –

only 37!) left a vacuum Worked mostly in and around Venice Painted religious altar pieces, voluptuous female nudes,

and portraits of important leaders of the 16th century Defeat of Turks in 1502 lead to a commission for a

votive piece dedicated to the victory Masterful use of light and shadow Asymmetrical setting with huge columns St. Peter is central figure (blue and yellow) while Virgin

and Child are on a high throne with surrounding saints Composition is built on diagonals, not on vertical and

horizontal grid

Art in the Counter Reformation

16th Century Art in Italy

Counter Reformation Shaken by the reforms of Martin Luther

(Lutheran) and John Calvin (Calvinism), the Protestant reforms challenged the authority of the pope

Counter-Reformation was launched by Catholic Church

Michelangelo was brought back to Rome to paint the Last Judgment by Pope Paul III in 1534

Michelangelo created a pessimistic view of the Last Judgment; Christ was stern shown condemning souls

Demons torture the damned; survivors narrowly escape

Salvation must be earned – defiant of Martin Luther’s teaching that salvation can be given by faith alone

Mannerism

16th Century Art in Italy

Art in Venice and the Veneto

16th Century Art in Italy