Alright, this video will conclude our discussion of early Renaissance Florence. So,
Florence in the 15th century primarily.
And we'll finish up some of our important topics, such
as the development at the Renaissance style in
Italy. So important things to notice as we're going through these works of art
First off: attention to the human
form -- including a return to classical nudity, which
we've already seen in Ghiberti's work, and then also CONTRAPPOSTO, which we've already seen
in Donatello's St. Mark. I'm so the influence of classical Roman statues.
So presuming that these artists were traveling; they were seing antiquities and they
were being inspired by them.
Next, linear perspective, so this desire to create the illusion of
three-dimensional space.
So, this illusion of giving dimension to a two-dimensional
work of art. Next, chiaroscuro -- so chiaroscuro is this technique to model
forms. So it's this play of light and dark using shadow and then highlighting.
The use of single lighting source and shadows for
figure giving them shadows, which gives a sense of greater
realism or greater naturalism. Paintings tend to have
very balanced, symmetrical compositions. We see this
in architecture as well. And then also, of course, classical forms are incorporated into
architecture in greater number.
Things like triumphal arches, domes, coffers,
and then also a lot of harmonious geometric relationships, so
when you think back to the Ospedale degli Innocenti, the work by
Brunelleschi, where we saw really
clean, balanced type of architecture with some classical inspiration.
So, an important theorist to consider,
right at the start, is an individual named Leon Battista Alberti,
who was from a higher status
family in terms up their social standing. He was very well-educated,
and he took some of Brunelleschi's experiments in perspective --
and what was going on in the art world at this time in the early 15th century --
and he codifies it in a book called "De Pictura."
So, a book in Latin on painting. He also
writes a text or he translates it into the vernacular or into
Tuscan -- basically Italian at that time
a few years later, and that's called "Della Pittura."
And so these texts are really giving us a lot of information
about how artists are working at that time. What's important in painting right
around this time.
So, here I'm just showing you Albert's recommended perspective scheme.
You have a horizon line. Your figures -- their heads should always reach
right about the horizon lines, so, for example, if you had a figure right here,
the figure's head would end about here. C would be the vanishing
point, where all the orthogonals are coming together. These diagonals are
what
I'm referring to when I say "orthogonals." And then these lines here are the
transversals.
And the transversals become closer and closer together as you move back towards
that vanishing point.
point. So, remember we said that in Italian paintings, you
feel like you can step into them -- you feel like you could walk into them,
and Alberti is one of these people who's devising this
scheme. So, in addition to perspective, Alberti wanted a lot of other things. He
wanted
accurate representation of nature. So, just as we were staying, greater
realism. He wanted light used to model figures, so they appear sculptural
so figures in, again, 2-D should look 3D.
And he wants them to cast shadows, and so that chiaroscuro -- the
play of light and dark.
He wants a variety of figure types and movements, so, of course, variety is
interesting, and so why not include it in your paintings?
And then also he has this great line that "the movements and the mind
should be revealed in the movements of the body" and so the idea here is that
the viewer should be able to know
what different characters in a painting are feeling -- very similar to
perhaps theater today. That you need to communicate things with body language or
communicate emotions with body language.
Alberti was not interested in gold in painting. You wanted gold to be used
very sparingly.
Gold had been used such a plentiful way earlier in
Byzantine paintings. We it also with Gothic works -- we
saw it with Simone Martini,
with Cimabue, so we saw gold a lot in previous lectures.
Well, here Alberti wants them to curtail it. And then also a reverence for antiquity, of
course, just as we mentioned,
an interest in classical sculpture.
One of the most famous early Renaissance painting is a fresco on the wall of a
church called Santa Maria Novella, which is the main Franciscan church in
-- so what we see here --
excuse me, the main DOMINICAN church in Florence.
What we see here is a symmetrical composition, so very balanced on each
side.
And you can see it is very pyramidal, and a triangular composition gives you a nice sense of
stability. And then you also have very significant donors. The donors are here.
Here's the husband, who had a significant Florentine governmental position,
and here's the wife over here. And it is as if they're praying at an altarpiece
that has come to life -- an altarpiece that's framed
with classical pilasters and perfectly circular roundels and a
triumphal arch
form. And so the altarpiece really that's come to life
represents the Trinity: The Father, The Son, so God the Father,
Christ the Son, and then the Holy Spirit, which is this dove
that looks kind of like a collar, but it's this white dove that's right at the neck of
God the Father. And then you have the Virgin Mary on one side
and you have John the Evangelist on the other side -- two figures who were said to
have been at the Crucifixion.
And the Virgin Mary is helping along the viewer by gesturing towards Christ. This
is something Alberti also liked.
He liked people in the painting to tell you where you should look or where you should
pay attention.
So, you have that classical architecture, which we referred to.
And then also, something a little bit more usual, is you have what's called
MEMENTO MORI at the base.
And this is a reminder of mortality or a reminder of death.
And this basically says that
"you are eventually going to die
be just like me" [Inscription: "IO FU[I] G[I]A QUEL CHE VOI S[I]ETE E QUEL CH['] I[O] SONO VO[I] A[N]C[OR] SARETE" (I once was what you are and what I am you also will be), so it's a reminder that eventually
everyone reaches an end, which is a common
Christian message. So let's look at these bodies:
Very sculptural. They have a lot of presence. They're somewhat reminiscent
Giotto, but look, I would say, even more sculptural,
have a bit more that play of chiaroscuro to them.
So very, very substantial forms and a great sense of
realism and naturalism incorporated.
So, an impressive new type of contribution.
So, a few things that make this painting especially significant in terms of humanist
principles with the importance of
humanism at this time. So it's very reason and rationality
dominated. It's a very clear image. There's an interest in the precise
observation in creating scientific or linear perspective.
There's also the revival of antiquity and then this
interest in civic responsibility, so patrons commissioning things to improve
the city.
And if we follow the perspective scheme, the vanishing point goes right around here
to the bottom of Christ's feet,
so if you ever want to find the vanishing point, you just follow the orthogonals down to
a single point. It's important to note that
there was still a very strong religious fervor, of course -- what we just saw for the
Holy Trinity. We see paintings even incorporated into monks cells.
This was a Dominican monastery called the monastery of San Marco,
and this is also in Florence, and this was something that received a lot of
money from the Medici family.
This was probably commissioned by Cosimo de'Medici.
So a friar, so a man who had taken holy orders, who
had the name "Fra Angelico" -- so he has this very angelic style.
You can see that he and his workshop included or painted images
within the monastic cells of different monks.
They're very simple, very plain, so some of his other paintings are very
rich in adornment. But you can see very simple holy images that are
useful in assisting the monks in their prayer. And this monastery will actually
become very famous because a very famous friar named
Fra Savonarola will live there and will become extremely powerful in Florence.
This is not his cell -- just one of many cells in the monastery.
But just showing your the type of imagery that was included, and here you have
St. Peter Martyr, who's a very famous Dominican
monk, who was killed, so you see him incorporated into the scene.
And a lot of the scenes show other monks in prayer,
in scenes of flagellation -- scenes of that nature.
So just a reminder of the Medici. They've remained an important family
throughout the 15th century. We saw their palace. previously.
Well, inside that palace, was this very famous sculpture by Donatello
entering their collection sometime in the mid-15th century.
So, a couple key things: you have your first freestanding, nude statue since antiquity.
A strong contrapposto there with the shifting of weight. You have the nudity used for a heroic
purpose, rather than a sinful purpose, and it has this inscription: "The victor is
whoever defends the fatherland. God crushes the wrath
of an enormous foe. Behold! A boy overcame a great tyrant.
Conquer, o citizens!" And so here you see David
in quite a confident posture with a grand sword having
decapitated Goliath holding onto the stone used
in his slingshot. And he's wearing a cap here,
and he has his boots on, but otherwise he's nude -- his heroic nudity
emulating classical sculpture. And then you have
Goliath's head down below with the helmet, the nose, and the eyes.
And so lot people have raised the question: why put this image
of killing a tyrant
in the home people who might have been interpreted as tyrants --
so remember the Medici were somewhat of a controversial family because
they had too much power in Florence. Well, most likely, they used images like this,
and also Donatello's Judith and Holofernes
to demonstrate that they are actually bringing liberty to Florence.
Whether they actually were --
who knows? But most likely they're trying to demonstrate that they are the
bringers of
liberty and the supporters of freedom in Florence,
and using this type of imagery as propaganda. There are also lots of
interpretation that this very famous sculpture
add more of a sexual element to it, possibly even a homosocial interpretation.
You have this feather that runs up the leg of
David here that adds kind of a titillating
element to it. So the Medici, as I said, we're not
universally popular. There was this Pazzi conspiracy, where the Medici family was
attacked
in the Cathedral or the Duomo of Florence on April 26
and the Pazzi family were one of many
families hat supported this conspiracy, and so they intended to
murder Lorenzo (Il Magnifico) and he had
essentially made himself the ruler of Florence. He would continue to be the
ruler because they don't succeed in killing him. He is slightly hurt, but he is
able to
hide away. Lorenzo's brother Giuliano, however, is killed.
And following this really all the families that were associated
with this conspiracy are in quite a bit of trouble, and the Medici really able to
consolidate their
rule. And we continue to see for about another ten years or so,
a lot are being produced on behalf of the Medici. However, by 1494 the
Medici family will be expelled from the city,
but this is after Lorenzo the Magnificent or Lorenzo (Il Magnifico)
has died. He dies in 1492.
So some pieces that they collect that indicate an interest
in mythology, which is new at this point, which we haven't seen as many
examples [compared to religious art!]. This work by Antonio del Pollaiuolo,
which is Hercules and Antaeus, shows a story of the
hero Hercules, who was also an important symbol for Florence -- Hercules
and David -- so Hercules obviously a
mythological figure, who's a figure great strength, and obviously Florentines
probably thought that was impressive.
So, here we see Hercules defeating Antaeus.
Hercules can't let his [Antaeus'] feet touch the ground because when his feet touch the
ground
he's able to get a charge of energy from his mother, who's a
mother and earth goddess [Gaia]. So Hercules realizes if he needs to defeat this figure,
he's going to have to squeeze him to death and crush him, so here we see
Hercules squeezing this figure.
We have some nice musculature on the bodies.
Casting in bronze in more of classical style -- just like we saw with the
David.
And we see Antaeus -- his body writing and him screaming out
a final cry of pain -- so something to think about.
We also have some beautiful mythology or mythological stories by Botticelli --
works that were probably commissioned on the occasion of marriage.
This one may have decorated a daybed.
It's a relatively complex scene probably reflecting
the humanists that were in the Medici court. So, this scene is "Primavera"
or spring, commissioned early 1480s.
It's tempera on panel, and we have a number figures here,
again, mythological figures. So Mercury dispelling all the clouds.
We have the Three Graces -- we have Cupid and
Venus, so figures that are associated with love.
And then we have a scene here that's probably equated with the ideas of
marriage and abduction.
So, we have Zephyrus, who's abducting Cloris, and there's an implied
abduction and rape here. And then she will become Flora,
following their marriage. So, this figure here is the result of
this scene. Cloris will become Flora.
So, it's a complicated scene. The oranges probably associated with fertility
or possibly with the Medici symbol of the balls.
Another scene is, of course, "The Birth of Venus" -- a very famous
painting from this time done on canvas -- possibly even processed
in a marriage procession. You see here Zephyrus and Cloris
blowing
Venus ashore after her birth from the ocean waves,
and an attendant coming to drape her. Probably based on a poem written by poet
in, again, the Medici courts. So,
also, her body type is based on the modest Venus
pose, which is based on classical sculpture, and the Medici
had a sculpture of this kind.
So, finally, by the end of Botticelli's life,
he becomes really very, very religious,
and this is possibly because of a man named Fra Savonarola.
He was said to have burned luxurious objects. He was said to have
really made the laws a lot stricter -- new laws being passed at this time.
This is where Florence is really starting to lose some of its power. It's becoming less
powerful at this time.
The Medici family is eventually expelled,
but Fra Savonorola's power is quite short lived. He is eventually excommunicated
and then executed in 1498, and
this is really where we tend to see the creativity of Florence starting to
dwindle,
a new centers starting to rise, such as Rome
and Venice becoming important sites of the High Renaissance.