In this class our examination of the Colby campus led to an exploration of Renaissance Italian cities. The strong middle class in port cities and other mercantile hubs led to a flourishing artistic environment. I found it interesting how the structure of Florence was derived from the ancient fort it grew from, and how that layout seems reflected somewhat in Colby’s campus. The architectural style of the Palazzo Vecchio as a symbol of Guelph dominance in the city was also fascinating, as the fortress elements of the structure are completely unnecessary in the middle of a city. The representation of the city’s power through statues and structures reflects the political situations of each era and the continued importance of the city. This is reflected on a smaller level by the art commissioned by the most prominent guilds and placed in public spaces to ensure the population was constantly reminded of the importance of those groups in society. Finally, it was interesting how the rivalry between Franciscan and Dominican friars was reflected in the positioning of their churches and in the art they commissioned.
Author: Nick English (Page 1 of 3)
This class explored the emergence of the art market in the Low Countries. Increased competition and the freedoms an artist had when not bound to a contract led to the need to specialize or improve their work. The artist’s name became important, tied to their creations, and widely known. Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s paintings, for example, depict tales and sayings with strong morals. His Fall of Icarus conveys the message of that myth by embedding it into a much larger landscape scene, thereby enhancing its moral significance. Netherlandish Proverbs similarly represents common sayings embedded in everyday life. This painting would make a great conversation piece for anyone familiar with those proverbs, mostly for comedic value. This is very different from the works we examined at the beginning of the term. I found it interesting how series became extremely popular at this time. It makes sense on reflection that purchasing a series could decorate an entire room with a theme, but I hadn’t thought of that previously. For example, Bruegel the Elder’s seasons series of four paintings fit together very well. Finally, the reference to van Eyck in Massys’ Money Changer and his Wife was interesting because it shows a deference to and recognition of van Eyck’s influence on other artists.
In this class we explored the ways in which art appears in domestic spaces and on household objects. The studioli of the palace of Gubbio and the Duke of Urbino display skillful use of intarsia for the purpose of making the room appear larger and conveying humanist messages. The spaces are inherently domestic, and the objects portrayed reflect the passions and roles of those who inhabited them. The level of detail achieved through woodwork in these panels is incredible and must have taken immense amounts of work and time. Perspective in every object within the panels makes the entire room feel as if it extends both away and towards the viewer, and helps the objects appear realistic. Botticelli’s Primavera interested me because of its intended location above a letuccio. The painting’s similarities to a tapestry reflect this positioning, and the figures within it display the importance of the commissioning family. I was also interested in how very domestic objects such as cassone used to store clothes and birth trays contained meaningful moral stories and depictions of desired futures.
This recorded class continued our discussion of the role of women in Rennaisance art by examining manuscripts. Jean Pucelle’s Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux, created for the Queen of France, represents a shift from previous books of hours. I found it interesting how the artist was able to influence many other works and the manuscript was considered important enough to be included in the succession of the kingdom. The use of grisaille and a little color allows the material to show through and makes images feel borderless. The juxtaposition of events from different parts of theological stories prompts deeper thought from the viewer and helps clarify the importance or relevance of the prayer on each page. Similarly, scenes in the bas-de-page support and add context to the main scenes. It was interesting how this work differed from but also seemed reflected in the Grandes Heures of Anne of Britanny, which emphasizes luxury through gold paint and adds frames within images that appear realistic. The artist utilized both extremely real-looking depictions for plants and insects and highly idealized imagery for religious scenes. The different styles between the two types of image reflected the interests of the patron and a difference in intent by the artist when depicting each subject.
In this class we continued our analysis of portraits. We began with Time’s Trump cover. The connections between the chair used in the image and the metonymy of the throne and ruler interested me. The flaws in the chair invoke issues of leadership, and Trump’s position in shadowy 3/4 view makes him seem slightly menacing. Discussion then moved to the roles of women in art and society. Lotto’s Portrait of a Woman displays a clear effort by Lucretia Vallier to present herself as a modern reflection of the values embodied by the ancient Lucretia. She appears dignified and honorable, which supports the painting’s possible purpose as a commemoration of the sitter’s wedding. A similar goal is seen in Gheeraerts the Younger’s Queen Elizabeth, which depicts the ruler as significantly younger and standing over a globe, symbolizing and exagerating the extensive reach of the nation she ruled. The power and status of the figure is made clear. Finally, works such as Titian’s Venus of Urbino conveyed a very different message, depicting more sexualized figures and emphasizing that aspect instead of power.
This lecture focused on differences in styles of portraiture and the meanings behind portraits. Leonardo’s Mona Lisa exhibits the artist’s efforts to improve the construction of a portrait. The 3/4 view is extended down to waist level and allows the hands to rest at a normal position, something not seen in other portraits of the time. Leonardo emphasizes the face and chest of the figure through a clear central vertical line and the use of sfumato, making the clothes and background blend together without distinct boundaries. Gheeraert the Younger’s Elizabeth I and Titian’s Isabella d’Este reflect the power of portraiture in displaying status. The portraits emphasize the social, economic, and political importance of the figures. Decisions made by the artists reflect conscious efforts to portray a specific message about the sitters. I found it interesting how these choices depart from the realistic to emphasize things that may not be reflective of the actual person.
Finally, we continued to examine symbolism through van Eyck’s Giovanni Arnolfini and His Wife and Holbein’s The Ambassadors. Both artists hint at the importance of the worldly events happening at the moment depicted through subtle and obvious detail. Van Eyck utilized more visible symbols such as peaches and a dog but also included small details such as possibly himself in the reflection in the mirror to strengthen the scene. Similarly, Holbein’s use of everyday objects on the shelf presents one layer of detail, but hidden within items such as the music and math books is another level of meaning. Finally, I found it fascinating how Holbein’s skull was intended to be seen from a different very specific angle than the rest of the work.
We discussed portraits through analysis of selected selfies in this class. I was interested in how each represented a conscious choice to record a specific moment in time. Other choices, such as angle, background, and positioning support the depiction of that moment. This carried into our discussion of renaissance portraits. The choice of background and which details to emphasize was clear in each work. Campin’s Portraits of a Man and a Woman displays an amorphous background, drawing the eye to focus on the figures and emphasize their details. The Northern emphasis on realistic detail was evident through van Eyck’s portrait as well. This contrasted with the Italians, who leaned towards perfection and idealism. I found the comparison to Plato and Aristotle in Raffaello Sanzio’s School of Athens fascinating, as it seems to perfectly encapsulate the ideals of both regions. While Plato points up towards the sky, indicating a more heavenly or perfect goal, Artistotle gestures downwards as if suggesting a more earthly and realistic interpretation of the world.
The idea of perspective was further explored through Petrus Christus’ Exeter Madonna and Campin’s Merode Triptych in this class. As we saw previously, Northern artists favored the inclusion of greater detail over following strict rules. This led to the use of rising perspective and tilt as we saw last class. They also utilized aerial perspective, which aims to recreate the way objects look from far away. This includes blurring and less detail, hue shift, and increased saturation coupled with a loss of contrast. The use of aerial perspective enabled artists to accurately represent distance. It was interesting how Christus utilized it to enhance the realistic appearance of the city visible through the arches of the scene. Campin’s triptych provides an excellent example of disguised symbolism through everyday objects. Theological symbols such as the book and scroll, candle, and mousetrap remind the viewer that although the surroundings of the annunciation scene are extremely secular, the figures represent a key message they should recognize and remember. I found this a fascinating way to impart scenes with underlying messages while on the surface appearing strictly secular or earthly.
In this class we discussed the suggestion of depth through the use of perspective. Leonardo’s Last Supper provides a great example of the technique, with the vanishing point drawing focus to Christ and the room symbolically suggesting theological concepts. This includes the use of the largest window to invoke a halo behind Christ. I found it interesting how Leonardo utilized numbers within the structure of the “fresco” to invoke such themes. The four groupings of three apostles, coupled with four panels on each side wall and three openings at the back of the room, invoke the Trinity, theological virtues, the gospels, and the cardinal virtues. Taken together, they represent the seven sorrows of the virgin, vices, and virtues, and the 12 apostles, months, and hours of the day. The principles Leonardo used are detailed in Alberti’s On Painting, which served as a comprehensive set of instructions for any painter. I also found it interesting that the usage of perspective greatly differed between Italian and Northern artists, with Northerners using rising perspective and tilt to show more detail while Italians followed stricter rules.
We explored the shift towards more realistic depictions in this class. The Master of Frankfurt’s Portrait of the Artist and His Wife attempts to represent real life closely, possibly through a mirror as a self-portrait. The artist’s use of flies to show off his skills represents an interesting emphasis on tricking the eye into believing what is painted is actually real. This example of mimesis led to our discussion of classical Greek art, particularly sculpture. The influence of the chiastic pose exemplified by many of the figures is clearly seen in many Renaissance works through the use of contrapposto. The change in focus between ancient realism and the more religious-focused Middle Ages art shows how “progress” is defined entirely from a certain point of view. People such as Vasari living in the Renaissance saw the art of their time as the pinnacle of a long development and a return to “better” art lost in the Middle Ages. However, for people in that period, their less-realistic, more idea-oriented art likely seemed to be the height of progress. The works of Dürer and Leonardo we examined show a split even in the way in which artists approached the shift back towards realistic representations. While Dürer sought to replicate the big picture in minute detail, Leonardo wanted to understand how all the small parts worked.