2 - 15th Century Italian Sculpture and Architecture PDF

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Professor Allison Young Summer Session 2021...

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2 - 15th Century Italian Sculpture and Architecture

15TH CENTURY ITALIAN SCULPTURE Pack back Question: How do you think Humanism influenced the innovations of early renaissance sculptures? Humanism is defined as “an outlook or system of thought attaching prime importance to human rather than divine or supernatural matters” (Oxford Languages). We have learned that artists of the early Renaissance rediscovered ancient texts and artifacts that were previously banned by the church due to the fact that the church saw these classical artifacts as a threat to the church’s authority. How do you think the idea of humanism, spirituality, and appreciation for the human body influenced sculptures of the early renaissance? What are some key differences that can differentiate renaissance humanism sculptures from Medieval sculptures?

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Church banned texts by classical authors of the ancient worlds that expressed a pagan worldview and counteracted the authority of the church Rediscovered ancient artifacts and text and resulted in art about other subject besides religion Close observations of the physical world

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Sculpture on a pulpit Priest would stand up on this pulpit and set his bible on the eagle Distinctly medieval features

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Anatomically accurate sculptures compared to less realistic medieval sculptures

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Similar to Greek sculptures that use contrapposto that represents the body naturally and less tense way Allegorical to Greek mythology – relates to Hercules known for his strength because this statue represents fortitude

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Florence Cathedral (Florence Duomo) 3rd largest church in the world

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Bell Tower

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Mixed medieval and classical elements of sculpture Blank background like trees and rocks God is creating Adam – close to medieval style because of how thick his robes are, and does not show a physical body of God Adam is classical nude, athletic, posture like a real person

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Left relief is representative of industry rather than religion Strikingly similar to the creation of Adam relief

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Quatrefoil shape

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East entrance faces the cathedral Contest to design the door Must create a piece that represents the sacrificing of Isaac by Abraham

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Angel is foreshortened and coming in from the right Abraham is hesitant and nervous – second of pause and complexity that is subtle Isaac is fully nude – can see skeletal structure under his skin, looks like a real physical body Elements are all united in the composition Classicized the portrayal of human emotion not just drama and fear, cast his panel from fewer pieces of bronze

Or San Michele

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Donatello, Feast of Herod Master of early Renaissance sculpture, renovating 3D art Baptismal font for the Cathedral in Sienna Used for baptism Feast of Herod – story that shows the martyrdom of St. John the Baptist St. John Condemned the marriage of Herod and Herodias because she had formerly been married to Herod’s half brother Phillip and had a daughter with named Salome o Royal family party, Salome seduces her step father Herod and he says he will bring her whatever she wants and she asks for the head of John the Baptist to avenge for her mother’s shame. Assasin was sent to kill him

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St. John’s head severed at the party High and low relief Earliest recorded examples of linear perspective in art, especially in sculpture Mathematically perfect perspective Requires horizon line, vanishing point, and orthogonal line, and a distance point

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Mathematical relationships between archways and tiles on the floor

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Highlights movement of the body in a freestanding sculpture Donatello, David One of the most important sculpture of the early renaissance Free standing nude statue Nudity appeared very rarely, and the body was a path to corruption, returns people to respect and love the human body Created this sculpture for the courtyard of the palace of the Medici Family David, Slayer of Goliath, youthful hero, symbol of the Florentine Republic Nude adds to eroticism of classical figure, Standing on goliath’s body and holds his sword Helmet of enemy contains a wing/feather, rides up David’s thigh, might be homoerotic Sensuality and beauty of the classical world that was not seen in the middle ages but was brought back

15TH CENTURY ITALIAN ARCHITECTURE

Key Terms: Arcade: a succession of contiguous arches, with each arch supported by a colonnade of columns or piers. Exterior arcades are designed to provide a sheltered walkway for

pedestrians. Arch: a curved symmetrical structure spanning an opening and typically supporting the weight of a bridge, roof, or wall above it. Dome: an architectural element that resembles the hollow upper half of a sphere Façade: the face of a building, especially the principal front that looks onto a street or open space. Gothic: of or in the style of architecture prevalent in western Europe in the 12th–16th centuries, characterized by pointed arches, rib vaults, and flying buttresses, together with large windows and elaborate tracery. Loggia: a gallery or room with one or more open sides, especially one that forms part of a house and has one side open to the garden. Pediment: the triangular upper part of the front of a building in classical style, typically surmounting a portico of columns. Tondo: a circular painting or relief. Vault: a self-supporting arched form, usually of stone or brick, serving to cover a space with a ceiling or roof

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Stoa

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Arches invented by the Romans o Makes buildings sturdier and distribution of weight down the pillars that support it o Allows for vaults and domes Ambitious architectural features Taller and more vast than Greeks

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One of the most recognizable features of Roman architecture are domes

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Medieval churches were different in that they were more vertical Trying to reach the heavens, go bigger and more ambitious Gothic Cathedrals Shaped like a cross

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Pointed arches, vaulted ceilings, adapting features from roman architecture

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Venetian Architecture Outlier in terms of architecture in Italy Apart of the Byzantine empire until it became an independent city-state Civic architecture

Owned by a wealthy merchant Decoration and ornament of the gothic style Asymmetrical Arches, spirals, patterns, blank areas Public reception room at the bottom to look out at the canal

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Top flood – private chambers for family o Narrow arches o Entire façade would have been covered in gold

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Brunelleschi was one of the most sought out architects in Italy Ospedale degli Innocenti (Hospital of the Innocents/Orphans) One of the first true Renaissance Buildings Arches topped with glazed tondos with a swaddled baby Based design on copying example from ancient Rome and classical architecture Approached with goal of expressing rationalism and mathematical harmony everything had to be logical, symmetrical, and balanced Had to determine a unit of measurement that would dictate his use of reition and proportion and create balance

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Modular cubic form determines distance, depth, etc. No gold of the byzantine, more white stucco and grey stone columns

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Santa Maria Novella by Architect Alberti Façade is the front facing wall of the work of architecture Used by Dominican monks who lived a life of poverty Believed in classical design – pure, Idealized, simple, rational, embody mathematical harmony Ancient books on architecture, did not like ornamentation and asymmetry Building is created in gothic style but the façade is completely different and you can tell it was created in a different time. Partially developed before Alberti even worked on it o Façade had a whole row of pointed arches on the lower level that are gothic not classical o Where marble tombs would go

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Began with framing façade with columns In the center he created a new doorway modeled after ancient buildings like the pantheon in ancient Rome Geometric frame and new sense of rhythm to ignore the gothic arches Uses elements as references to create the rest of the façade

Top o Mini Greek temple o Circular window was there before, adds more circles o Inscription that gives credit to the donor of the project Problems o Lines created by columns did not line up with the existing lines at the lower level of gothic arches o Intermediary layer that is filled with geometric patterns gives a distraction to focus on Who façade fits into a square...