ART History Notes PDF

Preview

Summary

ART 282, lecture notes....

Description

ART HISTORY NOTES: 1/29 -

-

-

-

Brancacci Chapel, church of S.M. del Carmine, Florence, scenes from Life of St. Peter.  Frescoes by Masaccio, Masolino and Filippino Lippi, begun 1426. Vault frescoes are later. Brancacci Chapel, Masaccio, Explusion  Adam and eve being expelled  Very naturalistic, chiaroscuro, cast shadows, fictive light source matches the actual direction the light enters the chapel from a window on the upper right.  Masaccio is Giotto’s heir in believable depiction of human emotions and psychology and minimal setting to focus on the figures.  Adam is crying, covering his eyes, Eve is doing Helenistic head thrown back mouth open, and showing shame bc she knows she’s naked now and is trying to cover up.  Medici Venus, the leading family in Florence, Masaccio’s eve is quoting Medici Venus, Roman, first century BC. Medici coat of arms at the bottom on statue to know it’s medici venus.  Masaccio, patch around Adams body, draw backs of fresco, it’s a patch of plaster that changed colors a lot = giornato, the temperature probably changed when that piece was being painted.  There was fire in the church in 1700s, before, all the frescoes were super dark and there were leaves covering their genitals, leaves done in dry fresco and not done by Masaccio so when they cleaned the paintings after fire they took the leaves off. Masaccio, Tribute Money, Brancacci Chapel, Florence Simultaneous narrative (three events in one)  Chiaroscuro  Cast shadows  Fictive light seems real  Haloes are foreshortened hold disks on top of the head instead of flat disks behind.  Individualized faces of apostols  One-point linear perspective, vanishing point over jesus’ head.  Isocephaly = all heads on the same level, while position of feet show the relative depth. The people with feet lowest on painting are closer, higher feet means farther away.  Objects in the distance get smaller to show spatial recession. Atmospheric perspective used in the mountains and clouds, things are more out of focus, duller in color to get atmospheric perspective.  International Gothic, 1423, Florence, elegant faces and clothing contrasted with down to Earth ones in Early Renaissance in 1426 in Masaccio. Donatello, David, c. 1430-1440, bronze, first lifesize freestanding bronze nude since antiquity  He’s adolescent, he shows pride, but his face is very classical

Has some sensual characteristics, some people say the medici wanted a homoerotic aspect, or the sensuality means love, a love for god.  On the helmet, little nude boy represents david’s triumph over goliath, Putti pull triumphal cart, alluding to David’s victory.  Sensual qualities of feather from helmet touching the right leg close to the groin and David’s toes caressing Goliath’s beard.  Donatello had trouble casting this work, the bronze wouldn’t go in certain places so he had to put come patches.  The hair and hat were originally gilded but it fades away. Covered in gold leaf. Donatello, Gattamelata, Padua, 1445-50, bronze, Condottiere, Equestrian Statue, prominent location outside the most important church in Padua Marcus Aurelius, inspired by the ancient Roman equestrian statue of Marcus that Donatello would have seen in Rome 

-...