Richard Ceballos
February 12, 2009
Unit 16-Early Renaissance
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Figure 21-28, SANDRO BOTTICELLI, Birth of Venus, ca. 1484–1486.
The height of the quattrocentro late 1400’s, early 1500’s
The birth of Venus, blowing Venus across the water on a shell
Very linear, perspective not apparent
Possibly a symbol of the Platonic academy
Rebirth of beauty and divine love
Figure 21-29, ANTONIO DEL POLLAIUOLO, Battle of the Ten Nudes, ca.
1465.
 First stone engraving
 This is a new process
 Body in action, showing off his capabilities and skills
 Not a classical story being told
 Very high realism with idealized body
II. FLORENCE: Architecture
 Brunelleschi
 Alberti
 Figure 21-30, FILIPPO BRUNELLLESCHI, cutaway view of the dome of
Florence Cathedral, Florence, Italy, 1420-1436 (after Piero Sanpaolesi).
 Felt like a loser, Brunelleschi
 Competition for a dome of the cathedral
 Many artists thought it was impossible
 100 feet high dome, support system hidden
 A series of pointed arches
 Figure 21-31, FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI, interior of Santo Spirito (looking
northeast), Florence, Italy, designed 1434–1436; begun ca. 1436.
 Based all on equal mathematical ratios, mathematical proportions
 The flat faulting, all based on squares and harmony
 A series of arches with Corinthian columns
 Figure 21-32, FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI, early plan (left) and plan as
constructed (right) of Santo Spirito, Florence, Italy, designed 1434–1436; begun
1446.
 Figure 21-35, FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI, interior of the Pazzi Chapel (looking
northeast), Santa Croce, Florence, Italy, designed ca.1423, begun 1442, with
glazed terracotta roundels by Luca della Robbia.
 Figure 21-36, MICHELOZZO DI BARTOLOMMEO, facade of the Palazzo
Medici-Riccardi, Florence, Italy, begun 1445.
 Rusticated masonry, taken from Roman ruins
 Figure 21-37, MICHELOZZO DI BARTOLOMMEO, interior court of the
Palazzo Medici-Riccardi, Florence, Italy, begun 1445.
 Round arch colonnaded on the Corinthian columns
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Figure 21-38, LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI BERNARDO ROSSELLINO,
Palazzo Rucellai, Florence, Italy, ca. 1452–1470.
 The design is more severe, geometric
 Wrote a book on architecture
 Harmonious proportions is the way to go
 Horizontal entablatures
 The idea here is based on the Colosseum
 1st story-Doric, 2nd story-Ionic, 3rd story-Corinthian
 Window in round arches
 Figure 21-39, LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI, west facade of Santa Maria Novella,
Florence, Italy, ca. 1456–1470.
 All based on two squares
 Classical portal
 The height is the same as the width
 Weird scrolls hide clerestory
II. Not Florence (Princely Courts)
 Perugino
 Alberti
 Mantegna
 Figure 21-40, PERUGINO, Christ Delivering the Keys of the Kingdom to Saint
Peter, Sistine Chapel, Vatican, Rome, Italy, 1481–1483.
 Based on the Arch of Constantine
 Saint Peter is the first Pope
 One point perspective, linear perspective, atmospheric perspective, triangular
perspective
 End at the quattrocentro, Rome starts becoming more popular
 All one scene going on
 One single light source outside of the frame, coming from one direction
 Focusing on the church
 Figure 21-44, LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI, west facade of Sant’Andrea,
Mantua, Italy, designed 1470, begun 1472.
 Classical temple mixed by triumphal art design
 Pilasters are where the aisles are
 Harmonious mathematical proportions
 Figure 21-46, LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI, interior of Sant’Andrea (looking
northeast), Mantua, Italy, designed 1470, begun 1472.
 Redesigned the interior
 No flanking aisles
 Figure 21-45, LEON BATTISTA ALBERTI, plan of Sant’Andrea, Mantua, Italy,
designed 1470, begun 1472.
 Chapels little self-containing areas
 Figure 21-47, ANDREA MANTEGNA, interior of the Camera Picta (Painted
Chamber), Palazzo Ducale, Mantua, Italy, 1465–1474.
 At a Princely Palace
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This room is his most famous work
The first fresco cycle that is painted on every space of the wall, window into
another world
 The entire room is an illusion
 Takes Masaccio’s illusionism and furthering it
 Figure 21-48, ANDREA MANTEGNA, Camera Picta (Painted Chamber),
Palazzo Ducale, Mantua, Italy, 1465–1474.
 Trompe l’oeil fooling the eye
 Very convincing fore shorting
 Women look down smirking
 Figure 21-49, ANDREA MANTEGNA, Foreshortened Christ, ca. 1500.
 Foreshortening
 Important Events
 Rome and the power of the Pope is rising
 Lorenzo the Magnificent dies
 Power vacuuming in Florence, Dominican Monk Savonarola
 He wanted to squash it, denounced the Medici, humanism, many people abruptly
converted
 The Florentines Dominican monk was executed
 The rise of Rome and the Pope
 The death of Medici’s
 The rise of the monk
Discussion Questions
 What are the primary stylistic achievements of 15th-century Italian artists? How
do these traits reflect a change in man's view of spirituality and the emergence of
Humanism?
 Do important political families today patronize the arts as during the
Renaissance? Why or why not? Can you cite examples?