PART 1 : LATE MEDIEVAL PAINTING
CONTENT: What do you see?
FORM: The details (what you see more exactly). How the artist delivers the content.
CONTEXT: Everything NOT observable.
FUNCTION: The intended purpose of the work.

​APAH 250 Images:

Late Medieval Painting
63. Arena (Scrovegni) Chapel,
      including Lamentation 
64. Golden Haggadah 
* Madonna Enthroned, Cimabue
* Madonna Enthroned, Giotto
* Virgin and Child Enthroned, Duccio

Basic definition of painting: capturing illusionary form, space, and light on a flat surface

Ways of creating Illusionary FORM:                   
​1. modeling     
2. foreshortening         
3. chiaroscuro         
4. definition

​
Ways of creating Illusionary SPACE:
1. size of objects
2. diagonals in composition
3. overlapping of forms
4. position of objects up the picture plane
5. atmospheric perspective / detail / intensity
6. cast shadows on the ground
Painting MEDIA:
  • Egg Tempera on wood panel
          gesso                        punchwork
          under painting .       bole
          gilding                       linen
          terra vert                  gold leaf

  • Fresco Technique on plastered wall
          arriccio                     sinopia
          intonaco                   lime
          giornata                    sinopie
          egg                            white
          fresco                       secco

HISTORY

  • Humanism (starts as a literary movement in that writers concerned themselves with secular issues). In Northern Europe, Humanism "pagan" Humanism is rejected in favor of a blend of religion and classical literature.
  • Petrarch: Considered the first "modern" writer, he wrote sonnets in Italian, other works in Latin. 
  • Isabelle d'Este (1474-1539) was married to Giovanni Gonzaga, she was an outstanding diplomat and patron of learning. She turned Mantua into the center of learning and thought. Also, an important female patron of the arts. 

CONTEXT

GIOTTO - 1266-1337
Politics:
City States: Italy is a collection of powerful city states ruled by oligarchs or despots over a variety of political structures which were rife with internal conflicts and instability.
Constantinople is captured by Crusaders in 1204 which results in an influx of Byzantine artists into Italy, especially Siena. Maniera Greca is the term used for the “eastern” (Greek) style.
Religion:
Cult of the Virgin is expressed in many paintings of the Madonna Enthroned (the Queen of Heaven)
St. Francis c. 1220 - a “contemporary Jesus”, establishes preaching order and was made a saint in 1228.
​Why Giotto is so important to European painting:

1. The visible world is the source of knowledge of nature.
2. Giotto stressed the preeminence of the faculty of sight in gaining knowledge of the world.
3. Outward vision replaces inward vision that characterized earlier painting.
​4. Giotto pictured ONE event in the picture plane with emotional and dramatic intensity.

Pictorial strategies used by Giotto:: ​

​
Illusionary FORM: 
Modeling
Limited foreshortening         
Illusionary SPACE:
​Overlapping
Use of diagonals 
 Position on the picture plane
 Limited use of size relationships

Characteristics of Giotto’s painting style:

1. Constructs a limited but believable environment (space) for his figures.
2. Giotto abandons frontal, centralized compositions for dramatic compositions.
3. Giotto focuses on a single event of drama and emotion, evoking a single, intense response.
4. The emphasis is on the foreground space using figures with their backs turned to the viewer.
5. Giotto stresses the essentials of a dramatic scene, ignoring the extraneous and distracting.

​CHARACTERISTICS OF FLORENTINE PAINTING

CHARACTERISTICS OF SIENESE PAINTING
  • Large scale panels that stand on their own (freeing from the wall)
  • Usually fresco or the use of tempera
  • Cimabue (artist) is influenced by the Byzantine works referred to as maniera greca.
  • Giotto (artist) moved away from tradition and towards reality that anchored figures to ground lines. Figures are often depicted.
  • More decorative style and more reminiscent of N. European art.
  • Figures are thinner, elegant, and courtly. 
  • Drapery is less defined, and is more flowing like ripples.
  • Imitates marble patterning on thrones or pavements
  • Figures are more in proportion to each other vs. Hierarchal ordering.
  • Italian altarpieces reflect Gothic Cathedrals. 

VOCABULARY

diptych
triptych
polydiptych
predella panel
​Cult of the Virgin (expressed in painting as) “Madonna Enthroned”
Humanism
campanile
​Lamentation
Maniera greca
tempera
trecento

PART 2 : NORTHERN RENAISSANCE ART
CONTENT: What do you see?
FORM: The details (what you see more exactly). How the artist delivers the content.
CONTEXT: Everything NOT observable.
FUNCTION: The intended purpose of the work.

​​APAH 250 Images:

66. Annunciation Triptych (Merode Altarpiece) 
68. The Arnolfini Portrait, Jan van Eyck 
77. Isenheim Altarpiece, Matthias Grünewald 
74. Adam and Eve, Albrecht Dürer 
79. Allegory of Law and Grace,
      Lucas Cranach the Elder 
83. Hunters in the Snow, Pieter Bruegel the Elder 
* Garden of Earthly Delights, Hieronymus Bosch

​Characteristics of Northern Renaissance Painting

1. Sober realism - grave and sedate as opposed to Italian Renaissance’s tendency to idealize using Classical models
2. Humanization of religious themes - site and time specific without overt religious depictions (Merode Altarpiece)
  • eliminating traditional religious iconography - religious figures often without halos
  • contemporizing religious events - bible stories taking place in an everyday household
  • secondary symbolism - secular scenes filled with religious symbolism
3. Analytical approach to the world - every object and details of each object is treated with equal emphasis
  • elaborately detailed interiors - Italian Renaissance fascination with linear perspective is not the obsession
  • rich color - due to oil technique
  • surface of form dominates over form itself - love of surface textures and detail
4. New interest in portraiture - due to stress on individuality and realism (Giovanni Arnolni and his Bride)
  • intense scrutiny and analysis of individual trait, sometimes unflatteringly honest
5. Expressionist sensibilities - stressing human actions and dramas (Isenheim Altarpiece)
  • asking the viewer to personally identify with “human” pain and emotional grief

​CAUSES OF THE REFORMATION

  1. Corruption of the Roman Catholic Church during the Renaissance; sale of indulgences, nepotism, sale of church offices, decline of morality among the clergy.
  2. Humanism questioned Church traditions; it contradicted  the emphasis on salvation.
  3. Resentment of secular rulers over the power of the popes and the clergy. 

KEY IDEAS

  • Important secular works of 15th century architecture are influenced by Gothic church architecture. 
  • International Gothic Style dominates
  • Flemish painting is characterized by symbolically rich layers of meaning applied to crowed compositions with high horizon lines
  • Printmaking!!!! 1st mass produced art form, radically changes art history!
  • Northern Renaissance altarpieces are cupboards rather than screens. 
  • Gold is used in abundance to show wealth

VOCABULARY
polyptych
triptych
woodcut
altarpiece
engraving
oil paint
​etching

​HISTORY
  • The Reformation began in 1517 when a German monk and scholar named Martin Luther nailed a list of his complaints, the Ninety Five Theses,  to the doors of All Saints Church in Wittenberg, Germany. 
  • One of the top discussions was the sale of indulgences (people buying their way into Heaven). Luther wanted reform clarification on spiritual issues. 
  • This led to a split in the Christian faith-
  1. Countries that were converted  into Christianity the latest became Protestant: Germany, Scandinavia, & the Netherlands. 
  2. Countries  that  had  Christian  traditions the longest stayed as Catholic: Spain, Italy, Portugal, & Poland
  • Luther facilitated the lay public's access to biblical truths by translating the Bible into the vernacular.
  • Calvinists were the main people that progressed the iconoclastic movement and destroyed paintings and sculptures of holy figures.
  • Protestants believed that one could connect with God through the act of intervening on the behalf of another (basically intercession). 
  • Protestants believed that faith was deeply personal. Protestant churches were relatively plain, while the Catholic churches were heavily decorated with artworks to facilitate prayer, the act of repentance, and becoming closer to God.
  • 1540's: The Catholic and Counter-Reformations begin. 
  • Ignatius Loyola established the Jesuits, a holy order that was organized in a military fashion. Required absolute faith and obedience. Jesuits swore to suppress Protestantism.
  • Artists during this time are turning to portraits, like Durer, and printmaking is allowing artists more recognized internationally. Artworks are commodities and gaining huge popularity.
  • Johann Gutenberg (1400-1468) popularized the printing press. Originally invented in China but Gutenberg was the first to make interchangeable moveable metal type from lead molds.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN ITALY & NORTHERN EUROPE

  • Oil Paint
     The artists of the North invented oil paint! They use oil paint fifty years or more before they use it in Italy (where they use tempera until then). Think about what oil paint can do that fresco and tempera can not do! Keep this in mind as you look at the Merode Altarpiece. The Renaissance in Northern Europe is very different from the Renaissance in Italy. (SmartHistory)
3 reasons why oil paints are better:
      a. Brighter colors
      b. More details
      c. Preservation is better
​
  • Classical Antiquity
     The fact that we are far from Italy tells us something about the character of the Northern Renaissance. Remember that in Italy we said that the Renaissance was a rebirth of the art and culture of Ancient Greece and Rome? Well, in Northern Europe we're pretty far from the important centers of Ancient Greek and Roman culture, and so the Renaissance in the North is not a rebirth of Ancient Greek and Roman culture the way it was in Florence.

FABULOUS  VIDEOS ON THE 
GARDEN OF EARTHLY DELIGHTS

PART 1: Outside Panels
PART 2: Left Panel (Garden of Eden)
PART 3: Center Panel (Garden of                    Earthly Delights)
​PART 4: Right Panel (Horrors of Hell)

PART 3 : FLORENTINE RENAISSANCE ART
​CONTENT: What do you see?
FORM: The details (what you see more exactly). How the artist delivers the content.
CONTEXT: Everything NOT observable.
FUNCTION: The intended purpose of the work.

​​​APAH 250 Images:

**Brancacci Chapel –
**Masaccio’s Holy Trinity/Tribute Money
71. Madonna and Child with Two Angels,
     Fra Filippo Lippi 
72. Birth of Venus, Sandro Botticelli 
** Christ Delivering the Keys to the Kingdom,  
     Perugino
** Florence Cathedral, Baptistry Doors, Ghiberti
69. David, Donatello and St. Mark
​67. Pazzi Chapel, Filipo Brunellschi  
70. Palazzo Rucellai, Leon Battista Alberti 

KEY IDEAS

  • Revitalization of classical ideals in literature, history, and philosophy.
  • Renaissance courts influenced by humanism (Secular over the religious)
  • Humanism is hugely popular and more and more people are attracted to the ideals. It fostered the belief in individual potential
  • Rise in realistic, 3D paintings
  • Human antatomy: increase in nude sculptures
  • Architecture emphasizes light spaces that are balanced and symmetrical.
  • Political and economic changes that contributed to the rise of a new class of wealthy patrons (Medici Family) who fostered art and learning on a lavish scale.

​THE MEDICI FAMILY

  • Watch a very informative documentary all about the Medicis here!
  • The most powerful and famous dynasty of bankers who used their incredible wealth to both govern city-states and be patrons of the arts. 
  • Founded in Florence. Wealth first started by Giovanni de'Medici.
  • Extra information on just how powerful the Medici Family really is!

VOCABULARY

bottega
chapter house
orthagonal
pilaster
Quattrocento
trompe l'oeil
perspective (one and two point) atmospheric perspective
synoptic organization
modeling
chiarascuro
sacra conversazione
pietra serena
​rusticated stone

RENAISSANCE ARCHITECTURE

  • use of Roman building motifs
  • application of Classical elements to contemporary buildings
  • use of geometry as a primary organizing device
  • circle and square form the basis on design and proportion of plan, interior, and facade
  • mathematic ratios and modular units in repetition as a basis for harmonic relationships
  • basis for the “beautiful”
  • emphasis on symmetry, logic, and clarity
  • crisp delineation by architectural elements and moldings done in pietra serena (gray stone) framing white plastered walls, apses, and domes
  • emphasis on the wall as an important structural element
  • facades separated into stories by horizontal string courses topped by a heavy cornice

Part 4: HIGH, LATE, VENETIAN RENAISSANCE

QUICK HISTORY

  • Renaissance means a "rebirth" suggesting that the 15th and 16th centuries marked an awakening from the "dark ages". The dark ages were actually a great time period where Europe gave rise to laws, language and economics. 
  • New rise to secularism- not a huge focus on the hereafter
  • After the Protestant Reformation in 1517, High Renaissance art was not reflective of so called perfect world. The complexities of Mannerist art better describe this period.
  • Rome was sacked in 1527 by Charles V against France, Milan, Venic, Florence, and the Papacy
  • The Council of Trent (1545-1563) or the Counter-Reformation, created a new order of priests, the Jesuits. 
  • Jesuits used art as a teaching tool and a religious statement.

VOCABULARY

atmospheric perspective 
arcadian
canvas
cassone
chiaroscuro
cinquecento
entombment
flood story
genre painting
glazes
grisaille
ignudi
Last Supper
modeling 
perspective (one and two point) 
pietra serena 
rusticated stone 
sfumato
sibyl
​still life
​terribilita
CONTENT: What do you see?
FORM: The details (what you see more exactly). How the artist delivers the content.
CONTEXT: Everything NOT observable.
FUNCTION: The intended purpose of the work.

​APAH 250 IMAGES:

High Renaissance:
​73. Last Supper, Leonardo da Vinci 
* Mona Lisa, Leonardo da Vinci
76. School of Athens, Raphael 
75. Sistine Chapel ceiling and altar wall frescos, Michelangelo
* Michelangelo:  David, Pieta, Moses, Bound . Slaves
* Bramante: tempieto, Plan for St. Peter’s
* Raphael’s cycle of paintings Stanza della
Segnatura
​Late + Venetian Renaissance:​
80. Venus of Urbino, Titian 
* Villa Rotunda, Palladio
* Last Supper, Tintoretto
​* Feast in the House of Levi, Veronese

KEY IDEAS:

High Renaissance (1495-1520)

  • Revitalization of the city of Rome under Pope Julius II
  • All about Roman Grandeur by producing awe inspiring artistic projects
  • Key Points: Symmetry, Balance, Ideal Proportions, Triangular compositions
  • Venetian Painters stress sensuous forms with sophisticated color combos
  • Portraits are of true likeness and personalities
  • Renaissance = Before sack of Rome
  • Mannerism = After 1527

MANNERISM (1520-1600)

  • Mannerist art is deliberately intellectual, asking the viewer to respond in a sophisticated way to the spatial challenges 
  • Complicated compositions, distorted figures, complex allegorical interpretations

VENETIAN

Technical considerations:
  • Venice’s damp climate and close proximity to water makes the use of fresco and egg tempera risky (plaster easily rots and cracks).
  • During the late 1470’s, Messina introduces new oil technique to Venetian artists. Oil painting on stretched canvas becomes the medium of choice.
  • The soft and diused light of Venice is renowned, suggesting a more atmospheric treatment of subject matter.

CONTEXT

​High Renaissance Ideas:
1. Rome as cultural capital - becomes the new Athens after expulsion of the Medici’s in Florence
2. Papal power - Pope Julius II and Leo X - political as well as cultural ambitions
3. The artist as genius - Michelangelo, Raphael, da Vinci - artist as hero, inspired, “divine”
4. Art as metaphor art signs for:  - 1. the ambitions of their patrons, 2. the ego of the artist/creator, 3. philosophical ideas
5. Monumental ambition and scale - large scale painting, sculpture programs, and architecture
6. Neoplatonic thought - the Philosophical Basis of Michelangelo’s Sculpture and Painting Levels in his design for the organization of the Sistine Chapel ceiling program (and Julius II’s tomb):
Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel Ceiling
Iconographic Program
Outer boarder of Triangular panels:
men and women imprison in physical appetites unaware of the divine world
​ Middle section of Square panels:
Inspired Old Testament prophets and pagan sibyls through their writings and prophecies impart knowledge of the divine will and act as intermediaries between humanity and God
Center Rectangular central panels:
stories of men and women who had direct relationship to God represented in panels seen through the architectural divisions as if they are beyond on a more cosmic plane
Read about Michelangelo's famous David from SmartHistory
​* Symbolism and David by My Modern Met
* Want to know more about the fascinating life of da Vinci? Read it here!
* Website that has great images of many of da Vinci's drawings
* Separate website that has many images of his sketches
* What's up with Mona Lisa?  *CROWDS at the Louvre! Yikes!
* Take a virtual tour of the Sistine Chapel :) Thank you Rachel!
* Great detail pictures and descriptions of The Last Judgment
* Interesting website on El Greco and The Burial of Count Orgaz
* Venus of Urbino at the Uffizi Gallery, Florence

SAMPLE QUESTIONS:

​The relationship between an artist or architect and patron very often shapes the form and content of a work of art or architecture. Identify two works, each from a different art historical time period, and name the specific persons who commissioned them. Discuss how the specific interests and intentions of the particular patrons are revealed in each work.
(Artist and Patron- 2004 AP Exam)
​Whom did Pope Julius II commission to paint this work for his library? In what ways do the style and subject of the painting reflect the interests of its patron?

Part 5: MANNERISM

APAH 250 Images:

78. Entombment of Christ, Jacobo da Pontormo 
* Burial of Count Orgaz, El Greco
​​CONTENT: What do you see?
FORM: The details (what you see more exactly). How the artist delivers the content.
CONTEXT: Everything NOT observable.
FUNCTION: The intended purpose of the work.

MANNERISM (1520-1600)

CONTEXT - Historic Events:
  • Mannerist art is deliberately intellectual,asking the viewer to respond in a sophisticated way to the spatial challenges 
  • Complicated compositions, distorted figures, complex allegorical interpretations

ARTISTIC RESPONSE:

Definition: idiosyncratic, affected, exaggerated or contrived mode of behavior​

Major Tenants: 
1. Each artist has a right to a personal interpretation of the “rules” 2. Removed one step away from nature, beginning with reinterpretations of previous art
3. Investigation into the human figure, presented in a very staged (artificial) way
4. Artists intent on expressing their own personalities, powers of imagination, and technical skills
​
General Characteristics:
1. The breaking up of the Renaissance sense of purity
2. Virtuosity of technique, tendencies to over-refinement/self-consciously contrived attitudes
3. Self-awareness of previous golden age (High Renaissance) - consciously breaking “rules”
4. Self-referential to world of art and previous art making, appropriation, and puns
​5. Attempt to shock audience with subject matter and presentation
​Instability in the culture was created by the following events:
  • The Reformation - Martin Luther, John Calvin break from the church in Rome: the Reformation is born (1517)
  • The Sack of Rome 1527 by Charles V - invasion of Italy - Pope Clement VII under siege in Castel Sant’ Angelo
  • Universal Inquisition (c. 1550) the beginnings of the Counter-Reformation
  • Copernicus publishes On the Revolution of the Planets in their Orbits in 1543 results in the following questions:
                 - new consciousness of earth’s significance (or                                  insignificance) - man not the center of creation
                 - weakening of man’s belief in miracles and divine                            intervention
  • Peasant revolts and religious wars throughout Europe
  • Threat of the encroaching Ottoman Turks from the east
Stylistic Characteristics of Mannerist Painting:
  • Cramped compositions: crowded pictorial space led with figures blotting out the background
  • Undefinable space: space appears too shallow or undefined for what is taking place in it
  • Exaggeration: fanciful gestures and attitudes, deliberately intricate groupings
  • Movement: figures are characterized by athletic bending and twisting
  • Distortion: unnatural elongation in the body, unrealistically small heads
  • Unbalanced compositions: unstable groupings of figures
  • Nervous: Quality of restlessness that leads to distortion, exaggeration, and bizarre posturing
  • Un-classical: center of compositions are often left void or there is an absence of one focal point
  • Self-conscious: figures look out into viewer’s space, anxiously
  • Subjective color: unnatural color
  • Idiosyncratic: highly individual choice of subject matter and interpretation