Today we began class by discussing Agnolo Bronzino and the Allegory with Venus and Cupid. Here, we see Father Time depicted as an old guy with an hourglass. He appears to be unveiling the curtain of the work. We also the ways in which Mannerist art is “weird”. For example, the mom appears to be French kissing the kid in a display of erotic dimension. We also see a very sickly-looking figure on the opposite side of the work. These could be feelings of jealousy, envy or allegory for syphilis. This is ironic because Francis I, who was gifted this work, had syphilis. We then discussed another work by Bronizno, the Portrait of Elenora de Toledo and her son Giovanni de Meci. Elenora appears to be high up in the work, with a long neck and tall posture. In a sense she is looking down at us and appears unapproachable. There is lots of gold and her dress is so elaborate you can even tell what it is made of. This is a very accurate display of wealth. We also get a sense of this “virgin-like” blue background.
We then began our discussion on the High Renaissance in Northern Europe. We started with Albrecht Durer and the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse. Albrecht is referred to as the greatest German painter of the period. Some even deem him, the German Leonardo. This work is part of a series of prints and is based on the Book of Revelations,, which is, in a sense, “crazy.” It is carved incredibly. We compare this work to Buzheim’s St Christopher who is the traveling saint and is said to be a giant. Compared to Albrecht’s work, this is much simpler as it serves the purpose of a devotional image as opposed to a detailed artwork. Furthermore, we see Albrecht Durer’s Self Portrait. We describe him as a narcissist as he looks like Jesus, chooses a frontal portrait, which is often worshipped, and appears to adopt a blessing gesture. We also see him three times in this image. His likeness, monogram and his name. I found interest particularly in Albrecht’s Adam and Eve as it was a very interesting take on the scene. This work is often referred to as one of his master prints. Adam and Eve are in a forest; Adam has broad shoulders, while Eve has wide hips. We also see many unique figures/animals with different meanings. The parrot is a reference to Eve and the Virgin Mary. The cat is a reference to chloric temperament and the bile of the liver, while the Elk is a reference to the black gull of the liver and melancholic temperament. The Ox is a reference to the phlegm in the lungs and phlegmatic temperament, and the rabbit refers to blood and sanguine temperament. We concluded a discussion on Matthias Grunewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece, which was gigantic and opened three times. We see the depiction of ergotism.