Renaissance Florence “What a happy age we live in!” -- Vasari

Self-awareness In 15 th c., Florentines felt as if living in new age – reborn Athens, Rome Artists not working in isolation, but celebrated

Part of constant city-state warfare Acquisition of port of Pisa, etc. allowed direct trade with Northern Euro, East Medit

Marriage among wealthy Lorenzo married Clarice Orsini, a baron's daughter and cardinal's niece, brings connections, class, and military muscle to the Medici dynasty.

Political and Econ Significance of Florence In 1400 one of few cities left wth republican gov’t (trend to one man or one family rule) Bruni – republican gov’t is better than monarchy because more people involved (  Cicero, Aristotle, history, human nature) center of Euro banking in the 15 th c., hub of international wool and cloth trade, main manufacturer of silk Medici back popes, become papal bank, collect money from every parish in Euro

Medici family powerful bankers Branches all over Euro Cosimo exiled in 1433, took money and Florence went into recession Cosimo returned, became “godfather” Family sponsored festivals, hired musicans Toppled by French in 1495, returned to power 1512

This is good for us Cosimo sponsored Brunelleschi, Donatello Brunelleschi inventor, architect, scientist, general contractor, researcher, revived classical forms – reason applied to art Donatello – first free-standing bronze statue Lorenzo sponsored Botticelli, Leonardo, Michelangelo Galileo is teacher for Medicis

More Medicis Giovanni di Lorenzo de' Medici = Pope Leo X Giulio di Giuliano de' Medici = Pope Clement VII

But others hired artists too Other families for mausoleums, portraits Many guilds wanted statues University welcomed refugee scholars from east City hired humanists, granted tax exemptions For fame and immortality

Florentine breakthroughs Giotto abandoned flatness for depth Petrarch is first humanist Nudes in painting and sculpture (medieval no-no) Lots and lots of math (shapes, perspective) Classical topics Machiavelli – lessons w/o regard to morality of Bible

More! Alberti writes book on architecture Vasari writes first book on art history

Leonardo da Vinci Michelangelo Both painters, sculptors, observers of nature, engineers, poets

Pico della Mirandola

Constant conflicts within city Urban workers were exploited (serious riot at end of the 14th c.) Battles between families for power; Cosimo imprisoned, Lorenzo’s brother assassinated Massachio killed in street brawl