Name ________________________________________
THE MEDICI FAMILY
Cosimo de Medici (1389-1464)
While the Medici family was predominant, Florence
became the cultural center of Europe and also became the
cradle of new Humanism.
BACKGROUND
The Medici were possibly the richest family in Italy. In the 13th Century the
family began to gain wealth. At the end of the thirteenth century, the family's
wealth increased when one of the members of the family served as gonfalero
(bearer of a high ceremonial office).
In the fourteenth century their wealth increased again.
Savestro de Medici led people in revolt against the ciompi (small artistanate) and
later he became so popular that he became defacto dictator of Florence. Then in
1383 his wealth decreased when he was banished.
Giovanni Bicci de Medici regained family power by making the family the richest
family in Italy, possibly Europe. The growth in political power also increased
when he became gonfalero in 1421.
Giovanni's son, Cosimo de Medici, was to be the real founder of the family's
fortune. In 1434, Cosimo controlled the government in Florence. For the sixty
years Cosimo ruled Florence but he had no official title. He ruled in the early 15th
Century when he ran for office. He held office in Florence's highest magistry and
at the same time he managed interests in banking, trade, and industry. Later on in
a political battle with another powerful family called the Albizzi family, Cosimo
lost and was banished. But since a lot of people supported him, he was recalled and
the Albizzi family was banished in return.
Cosimo had done a lot for the city of Florence. He had spent lots of his money on
his city and supported artists and sculptors. Churches were built and many large
libraries were produced with the books he collected. After Cosimo had died he
won the title of Pater Palrige (father of his country).
Cosimo had two sons and while his first son, Pier, ruled things kind of slipped.
Then once again their wealth increased because of his other powerful son named
Lorenzo.
Lorenzo was a poet, statsman, politician, banker, patron of artists, writer,
philosopher, and he played an important role in Italian politics. He had spent some
of his time writing poetry and carnival songs. Although he didn't occupy any
official post, he did a lot of good things for the people. An example of one of his
qualities was he paid for artists' education and supplied them with homes by
buying their work. He was truly a man of the Renaissance.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS
One of the many accomplishments that the Medici family offered in the
Renaissance period was when their wealth had first begun. One member became
gonfaler standard bearer. From then on the word success fitted the Medici family
well. While they ruled the city of Florence they did many incredible acts, such as
spending money on their city, and making it the most powerful state in Italy. They
also made it the world's most beautiful city. It became the cultural center of
Europe and was known as an art center and cradle of New Humanism. They also
spent some of their wealth on having the largest library in Europe; they brought in
many Greek sources. They founded the Platonic Academy and supported artists
by feeding them, educating them, and providing them with the necessities. Some of
those artists were Donatello, Michelangelo, and Raphael. The family also did a lot
of charitable acts such as cultivating literature and the arts. The Medici family was
very helpful.
The Medici family members were very interested in the rebirth of learning in
Europe and under their patronage the Renaissance flourished.
BOTTICELLI
1445 - 1510
The Birth of Venus
Botticelli was a very talented artist. He became very popular in the Renaissance
times. His work is still respected and valued very much.
Botticelli was born in Florence, Italy, in 1445. He spent his whole life in Florence
except for a visit to Rome. Botticelli was a member of the Medici family. His real
name was Alessandro Filipepi. He was nicknamed Botticelli when he went to live
with his brother. There he worked as a goldsmith.
When Botticelli was 14 or 15 he was sent to the great painter, Fra Filippo. There
he learned how to mix colors and clean brushes. Botticelli was greatly influenced
by his teacher.
By 1465, Botticelli had his own studio. After the age of 56 no paintings were found
that were painted by him. Botticelli died alone and infirm. He lived to be about 65
and died around 1510.
Botticelli became Florence's favorite artist. His paintings were very popular. He
made of lots of money. In fact, he could make 50 -100 florins per picture. Botticelli
painted religious paintings for churches. He painted three frescos in the Sistine
Chapel in 1484.
Botticelli was famous for many paintings. One of these was The Adoration of the
Magi. Another one was The Birth of Venus which was done in 1484. Then he
painted The Judith. In 1477 he painted Primavera. Botticelli was the artist of
Madonna the Magnificent and the masterly group of the Virgin Enthroned. He
painted the beautiful Mars and Venus too!
Realism was ignored in Botticelli's paintings. He loved to allergorize (has an
underlying meaning). He favored the nude. Botticelli used delicate color and poetic
lines. Botticelli used strong, rhythmic and graceful lines, too!
IMPACT
Some people started to copy his work. It is very difficult to tell which are his
masterpieces today. Some of the things people started to copy from him were
mythical beings, classical beauty and the technique of outlining the pictures.
LEONARDO DA VINCI
1452-1519
The Last Supper, one of da Vinci's most famous paintings.
Da Vinci was an architect,
musician, engineer, scientist and
inventor. He sketched the first
parachute, first helicopter, first
aeroplane, first tank, first
repeating rifle, swinging bridge,
paddle boat and first motor car.
Da Vinci designed machines of
war as well. He was one of the
first artists to sketch outdoor
portraits. Da Vinci was a sculptor
and designer of costumes. He
was also a mathematician and a
botanist.
When he was twenty-one he painted the Annunication. In 1481 da Vinci painted The Adoration
of the Magi. In 1475 da Vinci painted an angel in Verrocchio's Baptism of Christ. One of
Leonardo's greatest pieces of art was the Mona Lisa, (1404) which was famous for her mysterious
smile when piano music played. The Mona Lisa took Leonardo six years to complete. After he was
done the painting the King of France bought it. Leonardo did not want to part with the portrait, so
the King of France let him keep it in his studio until he died. Another famous painting was The
Last Supper, which was painted in 1495. It has become the most famous painting in the world.
Leonardo was also very proud of his Self Portrait, which he painted it in 1515, four years before
he died.
Da Vinci drew the first relaxed portraits with misty landscapes in the background. He used warm
and passionate colours to create the misty look on the landscapes. Da Vinci had a different way of
painting with mixing colours. Da Vinci did not put eyebrows on his painting.
Da Vinci changed the way people painted and made sculptures. Da Vinci was famous for the way
he used light in his portraits. It seemed as if you could see into the soul of the paintings.
Da Vinci's Mona Lisa
"Did you know the Mona Lisa has no eyebrows?"
Michelangelo’s Creation of Man
MICHELANGELO BUONARROTI
1496 - 1564 Michelangelo was born on March 6, 1469, in a town near Florence. His
mother died by the time Michelangelo was six years old, leaving him to live with
his father, a nobleman.
He began to show interest in art and drawing by the age of ten, and
became an apprentice by age 12. When Michelangelo was 13 he was
set to be an artist. He became a pupil of the great sculptor,
Donatello.
Michelangelo lived to the age of 89, and died in 1564.
Michelangelo was a great leader in the Italian Renaissance. His
greatest glory, painting the Sistine Chapel, began in 1508, and
was completed in 1512. In the beginning, MichelangeloCwas to
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paint twelve pictures of the apostles around the outsidee of the
ceiling. Instead of doing so, Michelangelo made another
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suggestion. He used the central area of the ceiling to paint
the
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history of the Old Testament. It included over 300 figures.
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David
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Beginning in 1491, Michelangelo carved Madonna of the Stairs. It took himn one
year to complete it. Next was the Pieta. It was started in 1498 and finished in
1500. He began Doni Tondo in 1503, taking him two years to complete the o
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painting. In 1534, twenty-three years after the Sistine Chapel was completed,
Michelangelo began to paint The Last Judgment, located over the altar M
at the same church as the Sistine Chapel.
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Michelangelo was noted for use of color, light, tone design, and
draftsmanship. He excelled in architecture, sculpture and anatomy.
Michelangelo set standards for sculpting, painting, poetry, and
architecture. When sculpting, he always carved from front to back as
shown on the unfinished piece, St. Matthew. His paintings were all
equally proportioned, with very good perspective. All of his pictures had a 3-D
effect to make his figures stand out from the background.
The Last Judgement, painted in 1534
RAPHAEL SANZIO
1483 - 1520
Raphael was born on April 6, 1483, as Raffaello Sanzio. He was born in Urbino.
Raphael was said to be unusually handsome, pensive and fair. Raphael had born
talent and received early training in art from his father, Giovanni Santi. He also
learned new techniques from Leonardo da Vinci and Michelangelo. Beauty and
Raphael’s Cistine Madonna
serenity were his great emotional themes.
In 1499 he went to Perugia in Urbino and became a
student and assistant of painter, Perugino. Around
1508-09 he was 25 and called to Rome by Pope Julius II
to direct the decoration of the state rooms in the
Vatican Palace. In 1509 he was hard at work on a suite
of papal apartments. In Rome, in 1515, Raphael became
the first Superintendent of Antiquities. In 1515-16 he
painted ten large water color scales. He found the
cultural and intellectual climate very exciting in Rome.
Raphael died on his thirty-seventh birthday, April 6, 1520, and was
buried in the Pantheon amidst universal mourning and acclaim.
Raphael painted the Madonna dell Granduca, The Small
Cowper Madonna, and The Alba Madonna. He painted
Stanza dell Incendio and the four large-scale paintings
were Marriage of the Virgin, Sposalizio, The Crucified Christ with Virgin Mary and
Saints and Angels. He painted a portrait of The Courtier and author Baldassare
Castiglione in 1515. In the Vatican Palace his first room he completed was the socalled Stanza della Signatura (Room of the Signature). In the Vatican Palace he
had the opportunity to apply his classical art on a grand scale.
Raphael had great interest in portraiture and he was a classical perfectionist. He painted pictures
using oil on wood. He studied the work of Leonardo, Michelangelo and Fra Bart Domneo. Raphael
learned the play of light and shade, anatony and dramatic action. Raphael executed a number of
easel paintings. In 1514 Raphael was made chief architect of Saint
Peter's Basilica. A year later he was appointed director of all
excavations of antiquities in and near Rome.
Raphael was known as the genius of high Renaissance
painters. He was the greatest designer of the
Renaissance. Raphael influenced painters up to the
1900's. He made people think of personality when they
looked at his paintings. Raphael put realistic emotions
on to paintings. He changed the way people look at art.
Raphael painted life. He was thought to be one of the
most detailed painters of all portraitists. He also
changed the way people thought of the Holy Madonna.
He painted emotional themes. Raphael changed the art world.
Raphael (self-portrait)
Raphael’s School of Athens