1. Italy in the 13th and 14th centuries
We will call this time period Late Gothic or Italian Gothic

2. Where’s the power? Where’s the money?
Leading merchant families in trade, manufacturing and banking.
These families were the patrons of art.
Florence
Venice
Pisa
Siena

3. Holy Roman Empire
Voltaire (French philosopher) said that the “agglomeration” which was and is still called the Holy Roman Empire was neither holy, nor Roman not an empire.
None the less, it was “ruled” by an emperor.
The ruler was often German during the Middle Ages.

4. Francesco Petrarch churchman, scholar and poet
He belonged to a generation of thinkers wo believed in the study of the ancients for moral clarity and models of behavior.
Humanism (planting the seeds for the birth of a renaissance)

5. Abbey Church of Fossanova, Italy, 1208
The Cistercian plan
Simple, unadorned
No ribs
Octagonal tower

6. Abbey Church Fossanova
Franciscan and Dominican monastic orders
These monks don’t retreat
Minister to lay population
Preach to reach crowds
Images are helpful to mission

7. Basilica of San Francesco, Assisi, Italy, 1228
Highly decorated
Frescos of St. Francis’ (simple) life
Also Old and New Testament themes
Plenty of ribs

8. Fresco is an art process of painting into wet plaster with water based paint. When both dry, they have permanently integrated.
Saint Francis Preaching to the Birds, 1290
In Basilica of San Francesco
Birds are all turned in rapt attention
Companion cannot believe her eyes

9. Franciscan women Worship God as nuns in convents
Saint Clare was an associate of St. Francis.
She founded the Order of St. Clare (for nuns)

10. Altarpiece of Saint Clare
1280
Tempera on panel
9’x5’
How Byzantine is this?
Surrounded by tiny narratives of her life

11. Italian churches in cities Santa Croce

12. Santa Croce (Holy Cross) Florence, Italy, begun 1295

13. Interior Santa Croce Nave arcade of pointed arches Wide vs. tall
Trussed open, flat ceiling. Why?
Michelangelo is buried here
J441

14. Santa croce

15. Santa Croce Florence

16. Monumental pulpits
Nicola Pisano, Pisa Baptistry

17. Pulpit in Pisa Baptistry Nicola Pisano J443 Hexagonal
Pisano father(Nicola) and son (Giovanni), sculptors in Pisa and other cities
Pulpit in Pisa Baptistry
Nicola Pisano
J443
Hexagonal
Colored marble classical columns
Scalloped arches
Sculpted panels, figures signify virtues
Spandrels have relief prophets

18. Fortitude, by Nicola Pisano
Represents Greek god, Hercules
Hero and symbol of Christian virtue of Fortitude
Figure holds lion cub and skin of adult lion.
One of his twelve labors
On a spandrel

19. The Nativity
Nicola Pisano (father)
Giovanni Pisano (son)

20. Compare Nicola
These are both crowded.

21. Nicola Pisano (father)
Angel Gabriel Baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling clothes Joseph watching Two women wash baby in basin Combination of annunciation and nativity

22. Giovanni Pisano (son)
50 years later, same theme, same church
Outdoor scene
Deeper cuts cast shadows
Audience is of animals and trees and angels

23. Florence Cathedral Duomo San Giovanni
All of those names apply.
Arnolfo di Cambia, artist , engineer, architect.
Statement of the rich city of Florence.
Huge dome
Campanile is separate.
Compare with J445

24. Florence Cathedral, Duomo (dome) and San Giovianni (St. John)
High nave arcade
Ribbed groin vaults
St. John the Baptist
J 446
Huge octagonal dome

25. Florence Cathedral Baptistry 11th c.
Campanile, designed by Giotto, has 2 feet separation
Duomo finished 100 years later

26. Florence Cathedral floor plan
3 apses, huge octagonal dome, no towers on the building.

27. Baptistry bronze doors, gilded
. Designed by Andrea da Pisano (no kin)
. Installed in 1336
. 28 panels depict the life of John the Baptist who is the cathedral’s patron.
. Each panel story in quatrefoil with ground line

28. John is baptizing Jesus
Pisano bronze doors
John is baptizing Jesus
River Jordan water ripples cover legs
Angel nearby
Gold over bronze
Dove (Holy Spirit)
J 448

29. Palazzo Vecchio Palazzo della Signoria
In central Florence.
Civic pride.
Solid first two floors (high windows, two doors).
Tall tower to be seen from afar.
Battlements (turrets) on top.
Copy of David by door.

30. Palazzo Vecchio

31. Two political factions.
Holy Roman Empire which was composed of the aristocratic families and the emperor.

32. Merchant (pro-papal) faction

33. Painting in Tuscany
Trading between Venice and the Byzantine Empire influence.
Madonna Enthroned by Cimabue,
12’x7’, J 449
Tempera on panel with wood inlay
In the “Greek Manner”
Cimabue is Giotto’s teacher

34. Madonna Enthroned by Giotto
Influences: Pisanos and byzantine art
1310 tempera/p J449
Gold background
Eyes on them
Modeling
Throne: gothic architecture

35. Chapel built by banker, Enrico Scrovegni. Called Arena
Chapel built by banker, Enrico Scrovegni. Called Arena. Near Roman Arena in Padua, Italy
Barrel vault.
Fresco over the entire surface.
Blue with gold stars.
Life of Christ in 3 registers.
Annunciation to Last Judgement
J 450

36. Palm Sunday (path covered with palms)
Christ Entering Jerusalem, Giotto, 1305, fresco, Arena
Figures are modeled to appear 3-D.
Placed at our eye level.

38. Christ Entering Jerusalem, Giotto
Group of Apostles.
Upward slope of welcomers.
Christ bridges the two groups.

39. (Detail, Christ Entry) Fresco surface changes. Only landscape indicated.

40. Mourners with and w/o halos. Mary at Christ’s head
Lamentation (Over Christ), 1305, fresco, Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy, J 451
Mourners with and w/o halos.
Mary at Christ’s head
Mary Magdeleine at his feet.
Hovering angels in distress.

41. See how the fresco was applied over days?
Wall line pulls your eye to Jesus.
Action in bottom half.
What with the tree?

42. Giotto is all the rage!
Dante wrote “Once Cimabue was thought to hold the field as painter, Giotto now is all the rage, dimming the luster of the other’s fame.”

43. Giotto is really big!

44. 1. Greco Roman changed art forever!
3. … it was never the same after Picasso!
2. Change came to all of the Renaissance artists who traveled up to see the Giotto frescos in the Arena Chapel.

45. Siena vs. Florence In … Military Economic Cultural
Siena took the Virgin Mary as their patron saint.
Dedicated the cathedral to her.

46. Siena Cathedral
completed 1284
Compound piers
Vaulted ceiling

47. Pointed gables over tympana
Siena Cathedral
Pointed gables over tympana
3 portals
Giovanni Pisano design and sculpture

48. Virgin and Child by Duccio 1300, tempera, gold on panel
Tender relationship.
Modeling.
Mary usually is in blue.
Still Siena is “in the Greek manner” with the gold.

49. Madonna Enthroned, center of the Maesta’ Altarpiece, 1308-1311, tempera on panel

50. “Holy Mother of God, be the cause of peace to Siena and of life to Duccio because he has painted you thus.”

53. Mary is central and largest, wearing blue against gold. All gaze at her. Drapery is soft and fluid. Faces are individual. Figures are naturalistic. Communicate with glances. J 454

54. Somebody is wearing a hair shirt.

55. Annunciation of the Death of the Virgin, by Duccio, J455, front of Maesta’ Altar

56. Duccio, from the Maesta’ Altar
Gabriel returns to warn Mary of her impending death.
Duccio, from the Maesta’ Altar
Architectural interior is a new pictorial device.
Two spaces but each is isolated.
Vanishing lines find many vanishing points. No no. We still don’t get it.

57. Awkward arch, wall and door
Christ Entering Jerusalem, Duccio, back of Maesta’ Altar, J 456, 40”x20”, tempera/panel
Crowd left with halos
Crowd right at entry
All in same scale
Awkward arch, wall and door

59. Annunciation, Simone Martini, 1330, tempera/p J 457
“Ave Maria Gratia Plenum Dominus Tecum” means “Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you.”
Mary is surprised and pulls away.
Doves of the Holy Spirit are awaiting her decision.
Two local patrons on the sides.
Real frame, recently restored, pointed arch cusp.

60. Lorenzetti Brothers, Pietro and Ambrogio
Birth of the Virgin
1342, 6’x6’tempera/panel
J 448
Siena Cathedral
Pietro

61. Birth of the Virgin Pietro Lorenzetti
Triptych.
Architectural setting.
Joachim, Mary’s father.
Saint Anne (mother) in bed.
Separated sexes.
Mid-wives.
Some real, some painted architecture.

62. The Allegory of Good Government, … in the City, …in the Country
The Allegory of Good Government, … in the City, …in the Country. Ambrogio Lorenzetti, in the Palazzo Pubblico (Siena City Hall), J 459

65. Palazzo Pubblico, Siena Italy

66. Throned figures: Justice/Wisdom and Good/Virtue.
24 Judiciary figures
Depicts a well-ordered city-state.
Bustling crowd.

67. Beyond the pink wall, security, prosperity.

68. The Triumph of Death, anonymous, fresco, Pisa 1325-1350, J 461

69. Black Plague
Elegantly dressed happen upon
3 decaying bodies in coffins
Lorenzetti brothers perished from plague

71. Way to Salvation, Andrea da Firenze, 1365-67, 38 feet wide, Santa Maria Novella, Florence
Fresco in Dominican church.
Shows actions of monks to assure your access to heaven.
Unfinished Florence Cathedral

74. Middle: St Peter at the gate
Aristocrats enjoy sensual pleasures
Dominican monk show path

76. Northern Italy Venice and Milan
Doge elected by the merchants organizations.
Doge’s Palace, 1340, Venice.
No defensive architectural features.

77. Doge’s Palace Diamond patterned stonework Guatrefoils
Covered passageway around the building

78. Milan Cathedral

79. High Gothic took 100 years to complete.
The government of Milan is in the hands of a single aristocratic family, the Visconti family.

80. NEXT … THE ELEGANT INTERNATIONAL Gothic Style