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CHAPTER 19 – Questions for discussion
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Outline: CH 19
A. Setting the scene (key events, figures, historical backdrop)
1. Italy (geographical position / trade routes)
2. Sub-divisions / regions within Italy
3. Bubonic Plague
4. Great Schism (Avignon Papacy)
5. Important figures
6. Being an artist at this time
a. Names of artists
b. Guilds
c. Patronage
d. Training
7. Florence – the extreme importance of this Republic
B. Transitional works
1. WORK 1: Nicola Pisano - Pulpit of Baptistry (Pisa Cathedral)
2. WORK 2: Bonaventura Berlinghieri – Saint Francis Altarpiece
3. WORK 3: Cimabue – Madonna Enthroned
C. Regions of the Early Renaissance
1. Padua
a. WORK 4: The Arena Chapel
b. Giotto
1. WORK 5: Giotto – Madonna
2. WORK 6: Giotto - his work with the Arena Chapel
2. Siena
a. WORK 7: Duccio – The Maesta’
b. WORK 8: Simone Martini – Annunciation (International Style)
c. WORK 9: Pietro Lorenzetti – Birth of the Virgin
d. WORK 10: The Palazzo Pubblico (exterior view)
e. Ambrogio Lorenzetti – interior Palazzo Publico:
1. WORK 11: Allegory –or- Effects of Good Government: Peaceful City & Country
2. WORK 12: Allegory –or- Effects of Bad Government: City & Country
3. Florence
a. WORK 13: Florence Cathedral
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Setting the scene: Key events and figures that help prepare / shape what we call the Italian
Renaissance
Italy and its unique geographical position
Explain the prominence held by Italy by being located in the very epicenter of the Mediterranean
region (in-the-way--so to speak--of the East)?
Geo-political substructure of Italy
Explain the geographical sub-structure of “Italy” as a region (duchies, republics, papal state, etc.)
Which “centers” established themselves as a maritime power?
How did the interior centers differ form the ports?
Are you able to list the major centers and a few items through which they were unique / notable?
The Bubonic Plague
What effect(s) did this have on the art world?
Did the plague hit just once or did it come in waves?
Where did it hit hardest?
Provide some statistics as they relate to the population of Europe and the plague.
What other information can we gather from examining the “path” taken by the plague?
What effect did they plague have on commerce (goods, production, & the working class)?
The Great Schism
Explain what this event entailed.
What is meant by the “Avignon Papacy”?
Explain who was involved in the Great Schism.
Who finally resolved the Great Schism?
During the time of the “schism”, what thrived (rose to prominence) within the religious Italian
“community”?
Important figures: Who were these people? Explain their contribution(s) to the “Spirit of the
Renaissance”
 Boccaccio
 Petrartch
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 Dante (Divine Comedy—Trilogy, choice for writing in vernacular / Italian language, his
concept of heaven and hell vs. that of the Bible, humanist banned from Florence, concept of
Papacy and later “realizations”)
 Vasari
Italian artists’ names
Explain how individuals were identified during this time.
Were there nicknames during this time as well? Explain.
Guilds
What is a guild?
What benefit(s) would artists gain by establishing themselves as a member of a guild?
Patronage
Define the term “patron”. Explain the nature of patronage during the Early Renaissance.
The Training of an Artist
Describe / outline the process (& approx. time periods) through which an artist would learn their
craft.
Florence
Explain its importance during this time.
Who were the “big players” living in Florence during the eve of the Renaissance?
What made Florence so successful amidst the other Italian centers?
Examination of the art bridging the old with the new (transitional art)
WORK 1: Nicola Pisano - Pulpit of Baptistry (Pisa Cathedral)
The Pisanos:
Compare / contrast the work of Nicola Pisano with Giovanni Pisano:
 How would you describe the work of Giovanni Pisano (son)?
 How would you describe the work of Nicola Pisano (father)?
If you had to connect each artist’s style with a previously studied work of art, which would you
select? Why (explain your choice)?
WORK 2: Bonaventura Berlinghieri – Saint Francis Altarpiece
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Who was St. Francis of Assisi?
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Give a brief overview of his life / story, highlighting key events of his life and his convictions.
The church could have made him a martyr or considered him a heretic (due to his being a mystic).
Instead, the church considered St. Francis to be one of the earliest “apostolic figures”. Explain what
this means.
What does this work do to reinforce St. Francis’ character / individual?
How might this work help reinforce the role of religion during this time period?
What were the tenants held dear to the Franciscan order?
What is an altarpiece?
What word would you use to categorize / define this work? Make a two-column chart and list which
characteristics of the work fall under the respective categories of “Medieval / Byzantine” and
“Classical”.
Maniera greca = ItalioWhat term refers to the Catholic church’s acknowledgement of an individual as a “saint”?
What is a confraternity?
What are mendicant orders?
WORK 3: Cimabue – Madonna Enthroned
How did Cimabue break away from the Italo-Byzantine style? What was his pursuit?
PADUA – its location, background, uniqueness
WORK 4: The Arena Chapel
Explain the background / history of this chapel. In your investigation, explain the translation of the
word “arena” and how it relates to the title.
Who were the figures responsible for constructing this?
Define “usury” and explain how this relates to the Arena Chapel and those who commissioned it.
Another word you may want to use in your explanation is that of “indulgences”.
Make a drawing / sketch of the chapel – noting the dimensions and cardinal points of the compass
with respect to the building. Note the architectural elements of the building (windows, entrance,
altar, etc.)
WORK 5: Giotto – Madonna
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Compare / contrast Cimabue’s Madonna with Giotto’s Madonna. Is this an advance? Explain.
WORK 6: Giotto - his work with the Arena Chapel
Make another drawing / sketch of the chapel – this time of the interior structure.
Label the “programs” [basic narrative topics] according to the building’s design.
Explain how a fresco painting works. In your explanation, the following words should be used. In
addition, make a visual cross-sectional diagram that illustrates the layers of a fresco wall and label
the following parts:
 stone / brick wall
 plaster (arriccio)
 sinopia
 plaster (intonaco)
 secco fresco (or just plain “secco”)
 buon fresco
Define the word “giornota”. Explain the Italian translation of the word and the connection to the
world of art, namely the fresco technique.
Explain why the blue color that surrounds the figures in Giotto’s frescoes appears “scratched”, as
though it has been eroding from the wall.
Many art historians have likened Giotto’s work in the chapel to a “big comic strip”. What do you
think about the merit of this statement / connection?
Arena Chapel: West Wall
Examine the west wall fresco of the Arena Chapel. Explain the name / title given to the overall scene.
Recall and list any work from the Romanesque style that may have influenced this scene?
How does this work relate to / differ from that of the Romanesque era?
[overlap-like a ballgame; halos in high relief; presence of mandorla still exists]
It is said that Dante’s hand-prints are all over this work. Explain. You will need to dig into Dante’s
Divine Comedy – to understand how he structures his (heaven, purgatory, hell) and how he chooses
to populate each layer. Which classical author did Dante choose to include as a major figure in his
trilogy? Provide a few statements that summarize Dante’s overall sentiment towards earthly
existence and the fate that awaits us when we die.
Linear perspective
Linear perspective is a system employed by artists to visually manipulate the optical recession of
objects within a flat, 2D space. This illusionary device proved revolutionary to the Italian
Renaissance, but evolved slowly over time.
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Create 2 diagrams – each illustrating one-point perspective & two-point perspective, with respect to
a simple “box”. Label the following parts, as they relate to your illustration:
 vanishing point(s)
 horizon line
 orthogonal line(s)
Explain the difference between the 2 methods (one-point vs. two-point).
When might you want to use one over another?
What determines the height of the “horizon line”? [hint: the horizon line is often refered to as one’s
-level.]
What determines the location of a “vanishing point” in a one-point perspective method?
What happens to a given object (i.e. your box) when the “horizon line” is raised or lowered within
the compositional framework?
What happens when the “vanishing point” is moved to the left or to the right?
Intuitive perspective
Examine the architecture within Giotto’s frescoes. Scholars refer to his use of perspective as being
“intuitive”. What do you suppose this means?
SIENA – its location, background, uniqueness
WORK 7: Duccio – The Maesta’
WORK 8: Simone Martini – Annunciation (International Style)
WORK 9: Pietro Lorenzetti – Birth of the Virgin
WORK 10: The Palazzo Pubblico (exterior view)
Ambrogio Lorenzetti – interior Palazzo Publico:
WORK 11: Allegory –or- Effects of Good Government: Peaceful City & Country
WORK 12: Allegory –or- Effects of Bad Government: City & Country
FLORENCE – its location, background, uniqueness
WORK 13: Florence Cathedral
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