This class finished our exploration of the Arena Chapel. Giotto’s use of posture and positioning of figures to direct sightlines to key parts of the fresco was interesting. The artist simplified scenes and backgrounds, only including the most essential elements. Placing extra people on the edges of scenes looking or gesturing towards the center prompts the viewer to see the parts that matter first. This serves to boost the didactic aspects of the works, as elements key to the story depicted are made prominent. Every scene, therefore, supports the overall message of the chapel. Bosch’s The Garden of Earthly Desires, which we viewed at the end of class, presented a very different depiction of religious subjects than the ways we have seen before. Religious imagery is harnessed for secular and personal use. The utilization of the alchemical process in the triptych reflects something that may have been significant to the patron or artist. Bosch’s handling of the stages reveals interesting comments on life, as conjunction, coagulation, and putrefaction are represented by marriage, copulation, and burning in Hell. It would certainly have made an interesting conversation piece in the patron’s collection.
Author: Nick English (Page 2 of 3)
In this class, we examined the Scrovegni chapel, which contains registers along its walls that depict stories relating to the Virgin. The entire wall above the exit is devoted to the Last Judgement. The prominence of this scene and the way in which it looms over anyone leaving the chapel invoke a strong message about sin and punishment. This mirrors Enrico degli Scrovegni’s personal journey, in which he sought to atone for his father’s sins by funding work on the chapel. This reminded me of Raphael’s Deposition, which conveys a similar context of its patron’s lamentation for past wrongdoings. We also discussed the Original Sin painted by the Limbourg brothers. They incorporated an aspect of their past into the work by making golden structures prominent, reflecting their time as apprentice goldsmiths. The brothers displayed significant changes from the styles we have previously seen by incorporating a continuous narrative as well as leaving the background bare.
In this class, we explored the collections of John, Duke of Berry. He is the first example we have seen of individuals amassing large amounts of art for a personal collection. His activity trading and acquiring art simply to have and be able to show off a large array of works is unique among the other patrons we have discussed. This focus is especially shown by his six books of hours, which were typically only used for religious purchases. In owning so many, the Duke showed a departure from the typical functional way in which people viewed such objects and a devotion to art for its artistic value over traditional uses. Another way in which the Duke expanded his collections was through gathering artists themselves. Incorporating artists into the court and granting many, such as the Limbourg brothers, status nearing nobility made that court an artistic center in the region. I found it interesting how the Duke of Berry showed such passion for art compared to other powerful figures around him.
Our discussion in this class introduced printing, specifically woodblock techniques. The printing of art presented a significant change in availability and distribution, as it was both mass-producible and cheap compared to other types of art we have examined so far. It allowed many more people to see the exact same work of art and even to own prints, whereas altarpieces and sculptures generally do not travel and are seen only by those who travel to them. I found it interesting how the storytelling we discussed last class carried through. Albrecht Dürer’s Apocalypse series, for example, presents the stories of the Bible in a widely available visual format. He was able to distribute immensely intricate prints to many people since he only needed to create the art once. Dürer’s work provides an example of widespread popular art with a reach we have not seen before in that era. The release of the series in conjunction with mass panic related to the year 1500 and the potential for apocalypse led to huge success for the artist, making him a household name across vast areas.
The use of narrative in scenes was introduced through Vittore Carpaccio’s Scenes from the Life of St. Ursula in this class. The work utilizes our natural viewing patterns to tell a story. While only two distinct scenes are overtly depicted, the piece implies both past and future events in the story. Continuity is established within the story in time through the use of identical clothing, but also in space. Entry points for the viewer and carefully placed figures that look on within the image tie it to the space around it. This is similar to the way feet standing outside of the scene were used in other works we have seen. Viewers feel they are part of the same environment as the events depicted. Another interesting aspect of the piece is its combination of secular and religious iconography and meaning. Its purpose within the confraternity is reflected in the formal and processionary way figures are presented. This reflection of real people’s societal roles is reminiscent of Raphael’s Entombment, which transmitted the grief of the patron. Attention to the events, people, and interactions that lead to the creation of works of art adds a deeper and more significant layer to our understanding.
In this class, we continued our discussion of Grünewalds’ Isenheim Altarpiece through its inner panels, which revealed further differences between it and the other altarpieces we have seen. The intense contrast between the clearness and purity of the Ascension and the outer Crucifixion panels make them seem completely opposed to one another. The Temptation of St Anthony adds devilish hybrid animals attacking the saint, which would have helped patients relate their sufferings to the piece. This altarpiece is unlike any others in the ways it contrasts the gruesome or the earthly and the pure or heavenly. The center of the final opening presented gilded wood sculptures of three saints. While we have seen these types of works before, they have often been separate from a painted altarpiece. Riemenschneider’s altarpiece provides an example of an entirely sculptural altarpiece that was not gilded or polychromatic but washed in a natural brown. This type of altarpiece is a departure from the Italian-style works we have seen and is distinctly Germanic. I also found it interesting that the carpenter who worked on the frame received equal compensation to the artist, as this reminded me that people at the time would not have seen the work as art but as a functional object.
In this class the stark differences between Matthias Grünewald’s Isenheim Altarpiece and other works we have seen presented a new view of how that type of art affected those who viewed it. Its practical purpose in the monastery’s healing program clearly influenced the artist to tailor the altarpiece towards the people who would view it. The three-layer composition is unlike anything we have seen so far, allowing for a gradual reveal of the splendor inside as a patient advanced in their theological treatment. The work does not focus on conveying a story but instead on conveying feelings through iconography and exaggerated expressions. St. Anthony’s fire is reflected in a grotesque depiction of the crucifixion, with Christ’s skin gangrenous and pierced. This would have drawn sufferers to the piece, with St. Anthony and St. Sebastian representing the desired salvation from the disease and Christ the connection between the human world and the release of Heaven. Grünewald’s use of unnatural expression would have pulled patients to the altarpiece in a way none we have seen so far could.
This week the emergence of similarities between Northern and Italian art showed a cohesiveness between the two we hadn’t seen before. The works of van der Weyden displayed a crossing over of ideas, combining the scenery and techniques of his contemporaries in the Low Countries with symbolism and tomb structure of the Italian art he likely viewed during the jubilee year. The added context provided by the detailed background combines with the Italian-style presentation of the main figures to create a wholly more convincing and lifelike feel. Weyden’s Deposition also exemplifies a shift in depictions of human emotion that occurred over time both in Italy and the North. Each figure is portrayed in high detail, with careful attention paid to their body language and facial expressions. The use of oil instead of tempura enabled the depiction of lifelike tears. Similar changes in style are evident in the Ghent altarpiece, which we also examined in class. The interior panels display heaven in an extremely natural, realistic, and lifelike way. The scenes seem to mirror what people would see in everyday life, just with more splendor and vivid colors. This serves to draw people to the work. Its status as an altarpiece and the fact that it would have been opened only on select days further intensifies how observers must have felt when seeing it opened. Symbolism is still heavily present, including the Arma Christi, but figures and symbols appear as if they have come from real life and been reflected onto the panels.
Our comparison of Madonna Enthroned works by Cimabue and Giotto drew attention to the importance and variance of iconography. Both time and location affect how an artist chose to impart the message of these altarpieces and what meanings those who viewed them may have gleaned. Positioning of figures is one of the most obvious differences between the pair. For example, angels in Giotto’s version are placed farther below the throne than in Cimbue’s, drawing more attention to the Madonna and implying greater importance. Duccio’s Maesta provides another interpretation of the scene as its center panel. The feet of various figures extend into the borders, almost implying that they are standing in our world. This again draws people to the image and helps convey the importance of the Church in their lives. When examining art in this class, it will be essential to consider the effects of iconography and positioning on perception.
As we discussed the ways in which altarpieces changed during the Renaissance, the differences in what was portrayed were especially interesting. While in general polyptychs with many small, separated images were replaced by larger and more prominent works with fewer panels, the methods in which this was achieved differed greatly. Structural changes such as using a single image or a main image with a predella are the most obvious at first glance. However, the differences in iconography between areas was striking. An interesting example of this was the depiction of the Holy Trinity, which is affected by the beliefs of the patron and the location in which the art was meant to be placed. This resulted in vastly differing portrayals, with artists having to creatively adapt to those requirements.