Donatello David Medici Commission

• Donatello

• David

• Medici Commission

• First nude free standing statue since antiquity

• Classical body –Praxiteles

• Contrapposto and S-curve

• Restrained pose --- not moving

• Verrochio’s David

• Medici Commission

• David is symbol of Florence

• He stands with jaunty pride

• Shows psychology of young, brash men

• Donatello

• Feast of Herod

• Bronze relief

• Early use of linear perspective – vanishing point in center

• Figures decrease in size from foreground to background – recessional space

• Donatello

• Saint Mark

• Placed in niche in Or San Michele Church – Florence

• Revival of classical contrapposto

• As his body moves, his drapery moves

• Donatello

• Penitent Mary Magdalene

• Rare example of wood sculpture

• Deviates from Renaissance ideals of beauty

• Spiritual and intended for devotion

• Botticelli’s Birth of Venus

• Mythological and based on a Neo-Platonist Poem of ideal beauty

• First female nude since antiquity, modest Venus pose

• Controversial because of nudity and pagan theme (Savonarola condemned this type of work)

• Botticelli (Master of line)

• Portrait of a Youth

• Almost full-face view (influenced by northern Europe) which replaced the profile view popular in Florence until the 1470’s

• Reveals psychology of the sitter

• Pure outline with shading and graceful pose (graceful linearity)

• Donatello’s Equestrian Statue of Gattamelata

• First life-size equestrian statue since antiquity

• Gattamelata was a condotierri (military leader of a city-state)

• Orb under horse’s foot – ancient symbol of power over the earth

• Verrochio’s Equestrian Statue of Colleoni

• He was a condotierri (military commander) of Venice

• Taut muscles, rider has fierce erect body

• Demonstrates power

• Nanni di Banco

• Four Crowned Saints

• Or San Michele, Florence

• Note separation from architecture

• Note how characters interact with gestures – will influence Leonardo

• Influenced by Roman portrait statues

• Pollaiuolo

• Medici commission

• Hercules and Antaeus

• Mythological Battle

• Interested in muscular male form and movement

• Stress and strain of violent action

• Pollaiuolo

• Hercules and Antaeus (tempera painting)

• Muscular male form

• Violent action

• Ghiberti

• Sacrifice of Isaac (sample for competition for bronze doors of Florence baptistery)

• Gothic element --- Abraham S-curve pose

• Renaissance elements ---- Isaac first classicizing nude since antiquity

• Altar resembles Roman sarcophagi

• Ghiberti

• Eastern doors of Florence Baptistery

• “Gates of Paradise”

• Ghiberti , Isaac and his sons Bronze relief panel

• Eastern doors of Florence Baptistery (10 panels altogether make up the doors)

• Medieval/Gothic element – rhythmic line and continuous narrative style

• Classical poses, motifs and architecture

• Linear perspective, changing relief (higher relief in foreground, lower in back), new realism in bodies

• Ghirlandaio

• Portrait of Giovanna Tornabouni

• Sensitive, beautiful, aristocratic young woman

• *Tells viewers about Florentine life such as value of cultivating beauty in life and art

• Also the breeding of courtly manners

• Reveals value of classical literature for humanists (quote from Roman poet in background)

Ghirlandaio Birth of Virgin, Tornabuoni Chapel of Santa Maria Novella, Florence Popular technique --- Secular figure shown in a sacred theme (Tornabuoni woman leading the procession) Medici commissioned similar works (Adoration of Magi)

• Fra Angelico “Annunciation”

• Fresco, San Marco monastery, Florence

• Not everyone was a humanist, he was a monk

• Simple, serene style from humble monk

• Devotional image

• Fra Angelico --- Annunciation scene

• Simple, serene figures --- not fancy in secular (worldly) sense

• Interest in perspective and pictorial illusionism

• Luca Della Robbia

• Madonna and Child (Or San Michele, Florence)

• Terracotta reliefs for people of modest means

• Popular, became family business “della Robbia ware”

• Tondo (circular)

• Bright, colorful, Easter season (white lilies – Mary’s purity)

• Different from Byzantine style, people were able relate with this kind of art

• Lucca della Robbia

• Madonna and Child

• Glazed terracotta

• Popular, less expensive

• “della Robbia ware”

• Gentile da Fabriano

• Adoration of Magi

• Altarpiece

• International Gothic style popular from 14th to 15th Century

• Typical sumptuous costumes and lavishly decorated

• Pomp and ceremony

• Some radical naturalism (foreshortened bodies, animal bodies shown from new angles

• Blends some new naturalistic techniques in a traditional, conservative style

• Masaccio The Expulsion The Brancacci Chapel, Florence 1425

• Fresco

• Idealized nudes

• Eve --- pose based on classical statue of Venus

Massacio Tribute Money Fresco Demonstrates continuous narration, chiaroscuro, linear perspective, atmospheric/aerial perspective Figures are balanced and solid

UNSEEN LIGHT SOURCE TO THE RIGHT…WHAT EFFECT DOES THIS CREATE?

• CHIAROSCURO

• NOTE HOW THE LIGHT-DARK CREATES A SCULPTURESQUE FORM

• Massacio

• Holy Trinity

• Medium is fresco

• Geometric composition --- uses balance symmetry

• Linear Perspective and recessional space

• Donors are the kneeling figures shown on bottom

• Classical Architecture

• Influenced by Giotto

• Skeleton on bottom is Adam and death reminder

• Mantegna

• Saint James Led to Martyrdom 1455

• Fresco (largely destroyed in WWII)

• Interest in perspective

• Antique Roman attire on the soldiers (shows classical interest)

• Antique architecture (same point)

• Interest in body proportions

• Mantegna

• Ceiling of Camera degli Sposi

• Fresco

• Oculus

• Trompe l’oeil (deceives the eye) illusionism

• Foreshortened bodies

• Putti (little cupids)

• Influenced Baroque ceilings

Mantegna’s Dead Christ 1501

• Note foreshortening but not accurate

• Feet are small so they won’t cover the body of Christ

• Castagno’s Last Supper 1447

• Monastery --- Sant’ Apollonia, Florence

• Biblical narrative, shows Judas sitting alone on outside of table

• Interest in perspective but inaccurate (reality--roof and ceiling can’t be seen at same time)

Fra Savonarola

• Florentine priest during late 15th century

• Objected strongly to Florence’s humanist tendencies (interest in mythology and inclusion of nudity in art)

• After Lorenzo de’ Medici died and the Medici's were driven from Florence, Savonarola became dictator for a short while.

• He held “bonfires of the vanities,” in which Florentines would throw worldly possessions, humanist literature and art into fires.

• Luca Signorelli

• Damned Cast into Hell

• Fresco, San Brizio Chapel, Orvieto, Italy

• Strong psychic impact (suffering and torment after living a sinful life)

• Savonarola would approve

• Influenced Michelangelo (Last Judgment)

• Lean muscular bodies, foreshortening, careful study of nudes

• Similar action to Pollaiuolo work

Luca Signorelli, Damned Cast into Hell