Filippo Brunelleschi Leonardo Da Vinci Michelangelo Buonarroti Caravaggio – Michelangelo Merisi

FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHIFILIPPO BRUNELLESCHIBorn : Florence, 1377

Died: Florence, April 15,1446.

Short biographyShort biography

Friend of Donatello and Masaccio, together they were the great innovators of the 15th century, each in its own field. He was an architect. He went several times to Rome to study closely the old works of the Romans: floor plans, construction techniques, building systems. Brunelleschi was also the first artist to discover geometric perspective representation rules. In his buildings always uses the same modules (circle, square, rectangle), which order, balance and elegance to everything. He also created elegant relationships between full and empty, vertical and horizontal.

Works of art Works of art First work of art: “Spedale degli Innocenti” (Florence 1419-1444) Most important work of art: “Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore -

Florence Cathedral (1420-1436) . The big innovation lies in having created a self-supporting dome with ribbed vaults, divided into segments. The dome was impressive, big and tall and couldn't be built with old techniques. It is made up of two shells, separated by a wooden skeleton that supports and creates a cavity, which gives lightness and through which workers could move around in order to be able to work.

“Old sacresty - Chiesa di San Lorenzo” (Firenze1422-1428) “Pazzi chapel” ( Florence 1430-1461, partly built posthumously) “Basilica of Santo Spirito” (Florence 1428-1434) Projet of “Pitti Palace” (built posthumously , Florence)

““Spedale degli InnocentiSpedale degli Innocenti” Florence” Florence (1419-1444) (1419-1444)

Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore-Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore- Florence Cathedral Florence Cathedral (1420- (1420-1436)1436)

““Old sOld sacristy – Chiesa di San Lorenzo” acristy – Chiesa di San Lorenzo” (Florence 1422-(Florence 1422-1428)1428)

““Pazzi Chaopel” Pazzi Chaopel” (Florence 1430-1461) (Florence 1430-1461)

““Basilica of Santo Spirito” Basilica of Santo Spirito” (Florence 1428-(Florence 1428-1434)1434)

Project of “Project of “Pitti PalacePitti Palace” ” (built posthumously (built posthumously Florence)Florence)

LEONARDO DA VINCILEONARDO DA VINCIBorn : Anchiano – Vinci (Florence), April 15, 1452

Died: Amboise, May 2, 1519

Short biographyShort biography He was an engineer, inventor, anatomist, painter, architect, writer of

treatises. You can basically say that he turned his interests to each field of study possible, becoming an absolute genius of mankind.Despite his father opposition to his desire to investigate the arts, Leonardo entered the workshop of the Florentine Andrea Verdicchio, who became his mentor and teacher.He immediately showed interest in landscape studies through aerial photographs - his famous bird's-eye-view studies, in which aimed at an authentic description of the natural world. He invented a new rendering of unified atmospheric space, using the technique of sfumato. He applied the same technique to draw the human body, which he analyzed through the surgical practice.His treatises and writings show the importance of direct observation in order to fully understand the movements of the human body and the natural phenomena ( knowing how to see).An almost obsessive curiosity took the spirit of Leonardo to many fields of action, thus he became inventor of innovative and unthinkable prototypes for the time in which he lived, such as the helicopter and the bycicle.

Le opere Le opere “Annunciation” oil on panel (Uffizi Gallery , Florence 1472-1475) “Adoration of the magi” oil on panel (Uffizi Gallery , Florence 1481-

1482) “Vitruvian Man” pencil and ink on paper (Galleria dell’Accademia,

Venice 1490 ca.) “Last supper” oil on the wall ( Refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie,

Milan 1494-1498) “Mona Lisa” oil on canvas (Musée du Louvre, Paris 1503-1514) Study of the head :he was the first to study Anatomy on coarpses; his studies were

initially scientific in nature, but at a later stage they were used for the artistic representation..: o “Female head” stone, pen ink brush (Gabinetto disegni e stampe

degli Uffizi, Florence 1475 ca.)o “ Two views of the skull” drawing pen , indian ink and charcoal on

paper (Windsor Castle, Royal Library1489ca) “Study of hands ”, drawing silver tip (Windsor Castle, 1474) Inventions : “Aerial screw” Codex Atlanticus, sheet 83 v.,

(Bibiloteca Ambrosiana, Milan 1483-1486). Amongst the flying machines designed by Leonardo, the aerial screw constitutes an alternative to swing wing models.

““Annunciation” (Annunciation” (Uffizi Gallery, FlorenceUffizi Gallery, Florence1472-1475)1472-1475)

““Adoration of magiAdoration of magi” (Uffizi Gallery, Florence ” (Uffizi Gallery, Florence 1481-1482)1481-1482)

““Last supper”Last supper” (Refectory of Santa Maria delle (Refectory of Santa Maria delle Grazie, Milan 1494-1498)Grazie, Milan 1494-1498)

““Mona Lisa” (Mona Lisa” (Musée du Musée du Louvre, Paris 1503-Louvre, Paris 1503-

1514)1514)

““VVitruvian Man ” (itruvian Man ” (Galleria dell’Accademia, Galleria dell’Accademia, Venice 1490 ca.)Venice 1490 ca.)

Study of the headStudy of the head“Female head”

(Gabinetto disegni e stampe degli Uffizi, Florence 1475 ca.)

“Two views of skull” (Windsor Castle, Royal Library 1489ca)

““Study of handsStudy of hands” (Windsor Castle 1474)” (Windsor Castle 1474)

““Aerial Screw” Aerial Screw” Codex Atlanticus, sheet 83 v. Codex Atlanticus, sheet 83 v. (Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan 1483-1486)(Biblioteca Ambrosiana, Milan 1483-1486)

MICHELANGELO MICHELANGELO BUONARROTIBUONARROTI

Born : Caprese (Arezzo), March 6,1475Died: Rome, February 18, 1564

Short biography Short biography He was one of the greatest artists of the Italian Renaissance. Sculptor, painter, architect and poet, he created one of the most known, appreciated and famous works of art in the world. He was so ingenious and innovative in his art that he influenced succeeding generations which created an artistic movement motivated by his manner: Mannerism.The first formation of Michelangelo Buonarroti's took place in Florence, with the artist Ghirlandaio. He studied carefully the rules of classical art and was passionate about the works of the great innovators of Florentine art: Giotto, Masaccio, Donatello.Noticed by Lorenzo the magnificent, Michelangelo is welcomed to his palace where, in contact with the great thinkers, he was able to enrich its own culture. At the Court of the Medici he produced his first sculptures, the Battle of the Centaurs and the Madonna della Scala. He lived in Florence, Rome, Venice and Bologna.In Florence between 1501 and 1505, under some suggestion of Leonardo he produced a series of masterpieces including Doni Tondo and David.The art form he prefers is sculpture. About sculpture, Michelangelo asserted that the idea was already present inside the block of marble: the artist just had to free her from the raw material. Sculpture is seen as the expression of the rise from a material condition to a more spiritual one. An anecdotereports that, in an effort to synthesize the best idea in the matter, he went in person to Carrara to choose the marble block.

Works of art Works of art • “Madonna della scala”,marble bas-rilief (Buonarroti’s home , Florence, 1491 ca.)•“Pietà vaticana”, marble sculpture (Saint Peter’s Basilica ,Vatican, Rome, 1497-1499)• “David” white marble sculpture (Galleria dell’Accademia, Florence, 1501-1504)• “Tondo Doni”, tempera on panel (Uffizi Gallery, Florence 1503 -1504)• “The Sistine Chapel” frescoes (Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum,Vatican, Rome, 1508 – 1512)• “ Last judgment” fresco (Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum , Vatican, Rome, 1536, 1541)• “Mosè”marble sculpture (Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome 1513 – 1515 ca. e 1542)• “Pietà Rondanini” marble sculpture (Castello Sforzesco, Milan 1552 - 1564):it is a kind of testament of the author who, according to sources, worked on it until a few days before he died.

““Madonna della scala” (Madonna della scala” (Buonarroti’s home, Florence, Buonarroti’s home, Florence, 1491 ca.)1491 ca.)

““Pietà vaticana”Pietà vaticana”(Saint Peter’s Basilica ,Vatican, (Saint Peter’s Basilica ,Vatican, Rome, 1497-1499)Rome, 1497-1499)

““DavidDavid” (Galleria ” (Galleria dell’Accademia, dell’Accademia, Florence, 1501-Florence, 1501-

1504)1504)

““Tondo DoniTondo Doni”(Uffizi Gallery, Florence 1503 -”(Uffizi Gallery, Florence 1503 -1504)1504)

“ “ The Sistine ChapelThe Sistine Chapel” (Sistine Chapel,Vatican ” (Sistine Chapel,Vatican Museum,Vatican, Rome, 1508 – 1512)Museum,Vatican, Rome, 1508 – 1512)

Detail of Chapel: “Creation of Adam”

“ “ Last judgmentLast judgment”( Sistine Chapel, Vatican ”( Sistine Chapel, Vatican Museum, Vatican, Rome, 1536, 1541)Museum, Vatican, Rome, 1536, 1541)

““MosèMosè” (Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome ” (Basilica di San Pietro in Vincoli, Rome 1513 –1515 ca. e 15421513 –1515 ca. e 1542))

““Pietà RondaniniPietà Rondanini” (Castello Sforzesco, Milan 1552 ” (Castello Sforzesco, Milan 1552 - 1564)- 1564)

CARAVAGGIOCARAVAGGIOMichelangelo MerisiMichelangelo Merisi

Born : Milan, September 29, 1571Died: Porto Ercole (Grosseto), July 18, 1610

Short BiographyShort Biography

He grew between between Milan and Venice, and was active in Rome, Naples, Malta and Sicily between 1593 and 1610. Caravaggio is one of the most important painters of Italian art history; a landmark for many artists of the European Baroque. Caravaggio's revolution lies in the naturalism of his work, expressed in the subjects of his paintings and in its atmospheres. In fact the artist manages to regulate the balance between light and shadow with an innovative technique for the time. To achieve this effect, the artist carefully placed lamps and candles in the study where models laid, bringing out from a dark background only specific parts of the painted scene (chiaroscuro). In fact there are few paintings where the background is painted, this actually goes into the background compared to the subjects. Subjects were taken from the people to highlight the drama in the faces. This caused him many troubles especially when characters were sacred, i.e. In the Death of the Virgin, where he used the face of a prostitute to portray the Madonna.

Work of art Work of art “Boy bitten by a lizard” oil on canvas (Longhi Fondation Florence,

1595-1596 second version) “Judith and Holofernes” oil on canvas (National Gallery , Palazzo

Barberini, Rome, 1599) “Calling of Saint Matthew” oil on canvas (Contarelli Chapel, Chiesa di

San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, 1599- 1600 ) “The incredulity of Saint Thomas” oil on canvas (Bildergalerie,

Potsdam, 1600-1601 ) “Death of the Virgin” oil on canvas (Mosée du Louvre, Paris,1604) “David e Goliath” oil of canvas (Borghese Gallery, Rome, 1610

second version)

“ “Boy bitten by lizard”Boy bitten by lizard” (Longhi Fondation Florence, 1595- (Longhi Fondation Florence, 1595-1596 second version )1596 second version )

““Judith and Holofernes”Judith and Holofernes” (Nazional Gallery, Palazzo (Nazional Gallery, Palazzo Barberini, Rome, 1599 Barberini, Rome, 1599 ))

““Calling of Saint MatthewCalling of Saint Matthew” ” (Contarelli Chapel, Chiesa di (Contarelli Chapel, Chiesa di San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, 1599- 1600 )San Luigi dei Francesi, Rome, 1599- 1600 )

““The incredulity of Saint Thomas” The incredulity of Saint Thomas” (Bildergalerie, Potsdam, (Bildergalerie, Potsdam, 1600-1601)1600-1601)

““Death of Virgin” Death of Virgin” (Mosée du Louvre, Paris,1604 )(Mosée du Louvre, Paris,1604 )

““David and GoliathDavid and Goliath” (Borghese Gallery, Rome, 1610 ” (Borghese Gallery, Rome, 1610 second version)second version)

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