The Renaissance in Italy

The Italian City-states Italy conduit for travel and commerce between Europe and East Cities independent from kings and popes Merchant princes Medici family – powerful banking family Charitable to arts Civic humanism

Renaissance Humanism Humans God greatest creation Humanist: student of classical ideas Glorified beauty and order in nature Pico’s Oration: man had choice of goodness or evil in himself Great reformers, artists, writers, inventors

Lorenzo “The Magnificent” , patron of the arts Praised Plato, civic leader, poet Wrote songs in Italian Gave money and support to artists in Florence Had many libraries, museums, and palaces built for Florence

Ghiberti’s Baptistery Doors Competition for Baptistery Doors – 1401 Ghiberti and Bunelleschi competed for the commission with the subject of “Abraham and Isaac” Ghiberti won They took 48 years! Michelangelo called them the “Gates of Paradise” The Creation of Adam and Eve (fig.13.8) – perspective

Brunelleschi’s Domes Florence’s greatest Renaissance architect Studied Rome’s ancient buildings Domed roof over Florence Cathedral – unique two-layer construction Simplicity and reason Pazzi Chapel – Roman architecture Attempt by Pazzi on Lorenzo’s life in chapel

Florentine Painting: A Refined Classicism Life-like figures, volume and perspective Revival of fresco technique Masaccio – depth through modeling, linear perspective, and atmospheric effects The Tribute Money (fig ) – chiaroscuro

Sandro Botticelli Primavera (fig ) – Neoplatonic ideas Birth of Venus (fig ) – her birth equivalent to the birth of the human soul, as yet uncorrupted Later threw his Classically-themed paintings on Savanorola’s “Bonfire of the Vanities” and returned to Christian subjects

Italian Renaissance Music The Mass 1.Sacred motets in Latin 2.Secular song inserted in masses Guillaume Dufay – fuses polyphony with new form, “word painting” Polyphonic secular songs 1.Frottola 2.Madrigal

Donatello Brought back the free-standing nude with David (fig ) Brought back the free-standing nude with David (fig ) Used contrapposto Biblical description of David is that he is adolescent Tuscan hat Pagan (Classical) rather than Christian Political overtones because David was the symbol of Florence

Michelangelo in Florence By age 22 already rival to Donatello In Rome: Pietá (fig ) Florence’s David (fig ): Classical values with a biblical theme Captured his spirit/hero in stone

The Decline of Florence Savonarola Appealed to poor and working people Condemned Church’s corruption and excesses of wealth “Bonfire of the Vanities” Defeated and burned at the stake Message affected artists

Machiavelli’s The Prince Florentine diplomat – described realities of political philosophy and power The Prince – a masterpiece of political philosophy Describes the ideal prince or ruler: only strong, ruthless leaders keep country safe from foreign domination Machiavellian ideal – the end justifies the means

The Genius of Leonardo Architect, engineer, mathematician, and musician as well as artist – true “Renaissance Man” Finished very few projects Conceived airplane, helicopter, parachute, machine gun, and other inventions hundreds of years before they were ever built Developed artistic techniques of chiaroscuro and sfumato

Leonardo as Scientist Notebooks: mirror writing Birds in flight, movement of water, anatomy Inventions requiring propulsion lacked means for motion Unpublished

Leonardo as Painter The Last Supper (fig ) Madonna of the Rocks (fig ) Mona Lisa (fig ) Classical triangle composition Felt that painting was “the highest art”

“Renaissance Men”…and “Woman” Leonardo Baldassare Castiglione: wrote The Courtier, idea of “universal man” (well- rounded individual) Isabella d’Este: educated, cultured, refined tastes, and a patroness of the arts 1.Ruled her city in husband’s absence 2.Multi-talented

Patronage of the Renaissance Wealthy church officials and families employed artists for beauty and entertainment: patronage directly translated as power and prestige Popes and princes: Julius II and Leo X Sometimes there were problems between patrons and artists

Josquin des Prez: Composer of the High Renaissance Leo X meditated in the Sistine Chapel listening to the choir of a cappella music Musicians were male, girls had to have private lessons or attend a convent Greatest composer of High Renaissance Match between words and music, complex polyphony: “word painting” and “imitation”

Raphael Julius II: apartments in the Vatican Known for his Madonnas School of Athens (fig ) 1.Aristotle and Plato in center 2.Portraits of contemporary figures 3.Michelangelo front, slightly left of center Raphael buried in Pantheon and is the only artist to be buried there

Sistine Chapel Ceiling In 1508 Pope Julius II asked M. to paint ceiling Used Old Testament as prophecy of Christ’s coming Combines classical and Christian ideas, tension between spirit and flesh Central panel Creation of Eve, not Creation of Adam (fig ) Muscular energy – male models Confident colors (which was not known until ceiling cleaned in 1990’s!)

The New St. Peter’s Last years devoted to architecture Old basilica demolished and modernized 150 years to complete Three main architects: Bramante, Michelangelo, Maderno Greek Cross floorplan (M.’s design seen only from the rear) (fig ) Conflict between architects and popes Limited funds in Vatican

An Age of Giants Why such concentration of talent in Italy? –Cultural center of beauty and learning –Triumph of the human spirit