1 Flashcards
1
Q
was introduced by Italian humanists to differentiate the 1000-year gap from the Classical Period (Ancient Greek and Roman) up to the Renaissance.
A
Medieval Period
2
Q
was the last Roman emperor. He was defeated by a Germanic tribe leader, Odoacer in 476 CE.
A
Marcus Augustulus
3
Q
who defeated marcus augustulus
A
Odacer
4
Q
Why did the roman empire fall
A
Financial Crisis
-overspending,
-minimal resources,
-and depletion of labor force.
5
Q
Roman Empire was divided into two
A
Western Empire and Eastern Empire
6
Q
the seat of power in Milan
A
Western Empire
7
Q
the seat in Constantinople
A
Eastern Empire
8
Q
What empire endured longer
A
Eastern Empire
9
Q
Refers to the painting, sculpture, and architecture from the beginnings of Christianity up to the 6th Century CE in Italy and the Western part of the Mediterreanean
A
Early Christian Art
10
Q
The earliest identifiably Christian art consists of a few 2nd-century wall and ceiling paintings in the Roman catacombs (underground burial chambers), which continued to be decorated in a sketchy style derived from Roman impressionism through the 4th century. The earliest Christian iconography tended to be symbolic
A
Hidden and symbolic
11
Q
was one of the most important early Christian symbols.
A
Fish as a symbol for Christ
12
Q
Putting the two together, they represent the eternity of Christ as the Son of God.
A
Christ as the Alpha and the Omega
13
Q
According to Matthew 3:16, during the Baptism of Jesus the Holy Spirit descended like a dove and came to rest on Jesus. For this reason the dove became a symbol of the Holy Spirit and in general it occurs frequently in connection with early representations of baptism
A
Dove as the Holy Spirit
14
Q
The earliest identifiably Christian art consists of a few 2nd-century wall and ceiling paintings in the Roman catacombs (underground burial chambers), which continued to be decorated in a sketchy style derived from Roman impressionism through the 4th century. The earliest Christian iconography tended to be symbolic
A
3rd and 4th Century Catacombs
15
Q
The agreement shifted Christianity from being an illicit, persecuted sect to being a welcome—and soon dominant—religion of the Roman Empire. It was the outcome of a political agreement concluded in Mediolanum (modern Milan) between the Roman emperors Constantine I and Licinius in February 313. The proclamation, made for the East by Licinius in June 313, granted all persons freedom to worship whatever deity they pleased, assured Christians of legal rights (including the right to organize churches), and directed the prompt return to Christians of confiscated property.
A
The Edict of Milan
16
Q
Since Christianity was a mystery religion that demanded initiation to participate in religious practices, Christian architecture put greater emphasis on the interior. The Christian churches needed large interior spaces to house the growing congregations and to mark the clear separation of the faithful from the unfaithful. At the same time, the new Christian churches needed to be visually meaningful. The buildings needed to convey the new authority of Christianity
A
The basilica
17
Q
The Basilica of Constantine in Trier, Germany
. Today it is used as the Church of the Redeemer and owned by a congregation within the Evangelical Church in the Rhineland
A
Aula Palatina
18
Q
The oldest church in Europe, it is considered the mother church of the Roman Catholic faithful. The papal cathedra situated at the apse
A
Basilica of St. John Lateran
19
Q
Built on the site of the Circus of Nero. The basilica is the traditional site of the remains of St. Peter. It became a site of monumental importance from its construction in the 300th Century CE up to this date. The basilica was around 403 feet long and 208 feet in width. It held 4 aisles instead of the usual 2, and accentuated by the transept running through the nave and the apse, the central part of the building and portion containing the altar respectively.
A
Old St. Peter’s Basilica
20
Q
Present-day insight into the crucial early phase of this part of the history of mosaic is limited because of the loss of nearly everything that was made in the field during the first half of the 4th century. It seems certain that wall mosaics had come into use in Roman art well before Emperor Constantine’s edict of toleration of the Christian faith in 313 CE.
A
Early Christian Mosaics
21
Q
Can be seen at the Church of Santa Costanza
Traditionally identified as the mausoleum of Constantina, the daughter of Constantine
A
Mosaic of the Traditio Legis
22
Q
Can be seen at the Church of Santa Costanza
The key represents the power to forgive and to share the word of God thereby giving it the power to allow others into heaven
A
Christ presenting the key of His Kingdom to St. Peter
23
Q
In the centre of the mosaic stands Christ. He is dressed in a golden toga, which is embroidered with what looks like the letter iota, the tenth letter of the Greek alphabet, possibly a reference to the Ten Commandments. Christ is thus the Law and the Word made flesh.
A
Apse Mosaic
24
Q
This part of the mosaic shows the scene where Jonah was thrown off the boat and was about to be eaten by a giant fish
A
Mosaic at the Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta
25
Took shape in the eleventh century, initially developing in France then spreading to Spain, England, Flanders, Germany, Italy, and other regions. As the first style to spread across Europe, it symbolized the growing wealth of European cities and the power of church monasteries
Romanesque Art
26
” was invented by 19th century art historians to refer specifically to architecture of the time period, which retained many basic features of Roman architectural style—most notably semi-circular arches—but retained distinctive regional characteristics.
Romanesque
27
resulted from the great expansion of monasticism in the 10th and 11th centuries, when Europe first regained a measure of political stability after the fall of the Roman Empire.
Romanesque art
28
Characteristics: of painting
OSLSBE
originality developed
saturated primary colors
limited depth
subjects vary in sizes depending on importance
backgrounds are abstract
elongated human forms
29
sculpture was used to depict biblical history and church doctrine on the capitals of columns and around the massive doors of churches.
RELIEF Sculpture
30
exhibited a vigorous style, evident in the carved capitals of columns, which often depicted complete scenes consisting of several figures. Precious objects sculpted in metal, enamel, and ivory, such as reliquaries, also had high status in this period
Sculpture
31
is a 12th century Romanesque wooden crucifix, now in the National Art Museum of Catalonia in Barcelona. It is one of the most elaborate examples in Catalonia of an image of Christ on the Cross symbolizing his triumph over death.
The Majestat Batlló
32
as Seat of Wisdom, 1199, inscribed as by Presbyter Martinus, from the Camaldolese abbey in Borgo San Sepolcro near Arezzo, Italy.
Madonna
33
Bamberg, Germany was founded by Emperor Henry II in 1002. The cathedral is approximately 94 meters long and the four towers are each about 81 meters high. The cathedral houses many beautiful German works of art and an equestrian statue known as the Bamberg Horseman.
The Bamberg Cathedral
34
in Porto, Portugal is one of the oldest cathedrals in the city and is characterized by its two square towers supported by buttresses and crowned by a cupola. The first Romanesque building has undergone many restorations but it has remained strikingly Romanesque.
The Porto Cathedral
35
is one of the few existing examples of European fortress churches. Built between 1079 and 1098, it is located in the middle of the Old Town district of Krakow and was designed by a medieval Polish statesman, Palatine Sieciech.
St. Andrew’s Church in Krakow, Poland
36
developed after the Romanesque, in the 12th century. The style continued to be used well into the 16th century in some parts of Europe, while giving way to the Renaissance style earlier in some regions.
Gothic Art
37
was coined by classicizing Italian writers of the Renaissance, who attributed the invention (and what to them was the nonclassical ugliness) of medieval architecture to the barbarian Gothic tribes that had destroyed the Roman Empire and its classical culturein the 5th century CE.
Gothic
38
A handwritten book that has been decorated with gold or silver, brilliant colors, or elaborate designs or miniature pictures. Though various Islamic societies also practiced this art, Europe had one of the longest and most cultivatedtraditions of illuminating manuscripts.
Illuminated Manuscripts
39
What is the term originally denoted the embellishment of the text of handwritten books with gold or, more rarely, silver
Illumination
40
Probably created in York, Britain, this work is a collection of descriptions of animals – some real and some imaginary – drawn from pre-Christian sources, the Bible, and legends.
The Westminster Abbey Bestiary
41
Created in Paris, France by the leading illustrator of the time, Jean Pucelle, for the queen Jeanne d’Evreux (1310-1371 CE), wife of Charles IV (1322-1328 CE). It is a small Book of Hours delicately illustrated on exceptionally fine vellum with over 700 illustrations accompanying the text.
The Book of Hours of Jeanne d’Evreux
42
An enormous work of 1,670 pages with full-page illustrations of scenes from the Bible, secular legend, contemporary landscapes and domestic scenes. The text is made up of prayers, psalms, and other selections from the Bible.
Grimani Breviary
43
They were particularly important in the High Gothic cathedrals, most famously in Chartres Cathedral. Their function was to fill the interior with a mystical colored light, representing the Holy Spirit, and also to illustrate the stories of the Bible for the large majority of the congregation who could not read.
Stained Glass
44
Described as the “jewel of the Rayonnant Gothic period
Sainte-Chapelle
45
is famous for its treasure trove of narrative windows. The iconography featured in the splendid panes incorporates both religious and royal motifs and illustrates the artistic advancements of England's late Gothic period
King's College Chapel
46
is home to the largest collection of preserved medieval stained-glass windows in the world. The windows are in an excellent state of conservation and currently undergoing an active restoration phase to return them to their original splendour. Most of them date from the early years of the 13th century and they are an exceptional legacy of the thriving artistic, intellectual and spiritual activity of a time when Gothic Humanism was reaching full maturity
Chartres Cathedral
47
assumed an increasingly prominent role during the High and late Gothic periods and were placed in large numbers on the facades of cathedrals, often in their own niches. In the 14th century, Gothic sculpture became more refined and elegant and acquired a mannered daintiness in its elaborate and finicky drapery.
Monumental sculptures
48
was closely tied to architecture, since it was used primarily to decorate the exteriors of cathedrals and other religious buildings
Gothic sculpture
49
architectural style in Europe that lasted from the mid-12th century to the 16th century, particularly a style of masonry building characterized by cavernous spaces with the expanse of walls broken up by overlaid tracery.
Gothic architecture
50
is the tallest completed cathedral in France, reaching an internal height of 138.8 feet. It also has the largest interior volume at 260,000 cubic yards
Amiens Cathedral,
France
51
Characteristics:
of gothic architecture
GUPVLGD
52
Henry III ordered the construction of this abbey in 1245, as he chose the spot for his burial. It's now the site of British coronations and many royal weddings—most recently, the marriage of Prince William and Kate Middleton, now the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.
Westminster Abbey, London
53
The kings of France were crowned in this cathedral, constructed during the 13th century on the site of an old church dating from the year 400.
Notre-Dame de Reims, France
54
Archbishop Thomas Becket was famously murdered in the church.
Canterbury Cathedral, U.K.
55
The largest church in Italy took nearly 600 years to complete. Unlike most Gothic cathedrals, which have two towers in front, Milan'sl has quite a different silhouette, being covered in many small pinnacles.
Milan Cathedral,
Italy
56
was a fervent period of European cultural, artistic, political and economic “rebirth” following the
Middle Ages. Generally described as taking place from the 14th century to the 17th century, the Renaissance
promoted the rediscovery of classical philosophy, literature and art.
Renaissance
57
comes from the French word for "rebirth."
"Renaissance"
58
major developments of the Renaissance
astronomy, humanist philosophy, the printing press, vernacular
language in writing, painting and sculpture technique, world exploration and, in the late Renaissance, Shakespeare's
works
59
WHAT CAUSED THE RENAISSANCE?
Discovery and translation of Ancient Greek and Roman texts
The Crusades
Fall of the Byzantine Empire
Humanism
Invention of the printing press
Copernican revolution
The Black Death
Art patrons
60
the Renaissance proper was preceded by an important
“blankzzz” in the late 13th and early 14th centuries,
which drew inspiration from Franciscan radicalism. St. Francis had
rejected the formal Scholasticism of the prevailing Christian
theology and gone out among the poor praising the beauties and
spiritual value of nature.
Proto-Renaissance Art
61
PROTO-RENAISSANCE
ARTISTS
Giotto di
Bondone
Francesco
Petrarch
Giovanni
Boccaccio
62
The painting shows some of the natural, lifelike qualities
Giotto introduced into the art of his time. Giotto painted the
throne of the Madonna with open sides, and showed two
bearded men looking through the openings. In this way,
Giotto increased the feeling that the scene is not just a flat
panel but realistically recedes into space. The painting was
originally done for the Church of the Ognissanti in Florence,
Italy, but is now on display in that city's Uffizi Gallery.
OGNISSANTI MADONNA
GIOTTO DI BONDONE, 1310
63
It is one of the famous frescoes made by Giotto
at the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. After the Last Supper, in
the garden of Gethsemane, Judas identifies Jesus for the
Roman soldiers by kissing him. In the center of the
composition we see Judas, in yellow robes, as he envelops
Jesus with an intimate embrace. The two men lock eyes as
angry soldiers carrying weapons lie in wait.
KISS OF JUDAS
GIOTTO DI BONDONE, EARLY 14TH CENTURY
64
is is another fresco made by Giotto at the
Scrovegni Chapel in Padua. In the scene of the Lamentation,
Christ's body has been cut down from the cross and is
surrounded by his weeping family and friends. His head is
cradled in the arms of his mother, the Virgin Mary - who is the
focus of the picture - while Mary Magdalene grieves at his
feet, and John the Evangelist opens his arms wide in shock
and anguish.
LAMENTATION
GIOTTO DI BONDONE, EARLY 14TH CENTURY
65
Giotto's last great surviving paintings are frescoes in the
Church of Santa Croce in Florence. In these works, Giotto
used more complicated compositions than he did in the
Scrovegni frescoes. This picture, which shows the Adoration
of the Magi in the foreground and the Annunciation to the
Shepherds in the background highlights clearly organized
space, arranged like a stepped stage with the stable viewed
from below, and the simplified shapes of the figures
THE EPIPHANY
GIOTTO DI BONDONE, EARLY 14TH CENTURY
66
A series of allegorical poems that describes a succession of
victories, beginning with Love which is conquered by
Chastity, which gives way to Death, which is triumphed over
by Fame, Time and Divinity. In the poems, Petrarch presents
his vision of the human experience and establishes a moral
hierarchy of virtues, with Divinity triumphing over the others.
TRIONFI (THE TRIUMPHS)
FRANCESCO PETRARCH, 1351-1374
67
A collection of more than 317 sonnets and almost 50
additional poems in various forms. The main theme is
Petrarch's love for a woman named Laura, a love that seems
to have been either unrequited or inaccessible. While some
scholars think Laura was fictional, others believe she may
have been the very real, and very married, Laura de Noves, an
Italian noblewoman.
IL CANZONIERE
FRANCESCO PETRARCH
68
begins with the flight of 10 young people (7
women and 3 men) from plague-stricken Florence in 1348.
They retire to a rich, well-watered countryside, where, in the
course of a fortnight, each member of the party has a turn as
king or queen over the others, deciding in detail how their
day shall be spent and directing their leisurely walks, their
outdoor conversations, their dances and songs, and, above all,
their alternate storytelling. This storytelling occupies 10 days
of the fortnight (the rest being set aside for personal
adornment or for religious devotions); hence the title of the
book itself, Decameron, or “Ten Days’ Work.”
DECAMERON
GIOVANNI BOCCACCIO, 1348-1353
69
began to create work intensified by
knowledge of architecture, philosophy, theology, mathematics,
science, and design. The innovations that emerged in art during
this period would go on to cause reverberations, which continue
to influence creative and cultural arenas today.
Early Renaissance Art
70
Characteristics of Early Renaissance Arts
-RADICALLY FRESH ARTISTIC
TECHNIQUES
-NEW SUBJECT MATTER
EVOLVED
-EMPHASIZED EMOTIONS AND
INDIVIDUALISM
-ARTS PATRONS LIKE THE
MEDICI FAMILY
71
A fresco located inside the Brancacci Chapel in Florence,
Adam is hiding his face with his hand while Eve’s face is
uncovered, exuding anguish; it’s easy for the viewer to
recognize that both figures are incredibly distraught – their
body postures add to the emotion of the artwork. While some
photos of the fresco show fig leaves covering their private
areas, they were never meant to be there and were removed
when the fresco was restored.
EXPULSION FROM THE
GARDEN
MASACCIO, 1425
72
This fresco depicts the Holy Trinity. Christ, crucified, is the
central figure with God the Father standing behind him. A
small white dove above Christ's head represents the Holy
Spirit. Within the architectural niche that holds the three,
Mary can also be seen, dressed in blue on the left while John
the Disciple stands at the right, both gazing up at Christ in
devotion. On either side of the columns, the commissioned
work's unidentified patrons kneel in profile. Below them, a
skeleton lies in a tomb bearing the inscription: "I once was
what you are and what I am you also will be,
" representing a
memento mori, or an object that serves as a warning or
reminder of the inevitability of death.
THE HOLY TRINITY
MASACCIO, 1426-1427
73
This photograph shows Brunelleschi's famous octagonal
dome crowning the Florence Cathedral. Its red stone,
emblematic of the Florentine love of stonework and Medici
red, dominates the skyline with one of the world's most
recognized and iconic views. Consisting of over four million
bricks, it remains the largest masonry dome in the world.
THE DOME OF FLORENCE
CATHEDRAL
FILIPPO BRUNELLESCHI, 1420-1436
74
is believed to have been commissioned by
Cosimo de’ Medici. What makes this piece quite unique for
the time was that it was the first freestanding nude sculpture
since antiquity, and the body itself is feminine, speaking to
the fact the David portrayed is a young man. Wearing a hat –
the same type they would have worn during those times –
David, who has long hair, is standing on Goliath’s head,
revealing to the viewer that he had just slain the enemy.
DAVID
DONATELLO, 1430-1440
75
, or the moment when the angel
Gabriel appears to the Virgin Mary telling her that she is with
child, the artwork, although simple in its rendering, is
beautiful, especially when the natural light floods through the
window of the staircase, located left of the painting –
something the artist kept in mind when painting the fresco.
THE ANNUNCIATION
FRA ANGELICO, 1438-1445
76
This painting, divided vertically down the center by Roman
columns, depicts the flagellation of Christ in the background
on the left in contrast to three aristocratic Florentine men
engaged in conversation in the foreground on the right. The
innovative use of perspective, though, further emphasized
the division between the two scenes, conveying the
dissonance between two worlds; the self-preoccupation of
the important and wealthy ruling class of Florence implicitly
critiqued by the suffering of Christ taking place in the
adjacent space.
FLAGELLATION OF CHRIST
PIERO DELLA FRANCESCA, 1455
77
This remarkable image shows the dead Christ, lying upon a
marble slab, his lower body shrouded by a piece of linen, as
the stricken faces of St. John and the Virgin Mary peer over
him. The extreme foreshortening and vivid details, like the
nail holes visible in Christ's feet, result in an experience of
intense intimacy for the viewer. Christ becomes less a divine
figure, and merely an affronting human cadaver.
LAMENTATION OVER THE
DEAD CHRIST
ANDREA MANTEGNA, 1480
78
An allegorical painting, --------, often referred to as the
Allegory of Spring, is beautifully rendered with great detail –
hundreds of flowers have been identified in the artwork. The
painting features various figures beginning with Zephyrus
(the wind god) on the right side, grabbing one of the virgin
nymphs, Chloris, who then turns into Flora, the figure dressed
in the embroidered garb gently tossing flower petals around.
We then have the central figure of Venus, followed by the
Three Graces and then Mercury.
LA PRIMAVERA
SANDRO BOTTICELLI, 1481-1482
79
Christ is emphasized slightly in scale and by placement,
outlined and set apart by the space that surrounds him, and
the diagonal that leads to the Temple's entrance of the
building, which begins at the top of his head. The key is
directly in line with the Temple entrance, and isolated, too,
within its own space.
Two scenes from the New Testament are depicted behind.
The scene on the left shows Christ and the disciples paying
the tribute money, and the scene on the right shows Christ
escaping from an attempted stoning. Two identical arches,
resembling the Arch of Constantine flank the Temple in the
background.
CHRIST HANDING THE KEYS
OF THE KINGDOM TO ST.
PETER
PIETRO PERUGINO, 1482
80
This seminal, iconic work, inspired by the Roman poet Ovid's
Metamorphoses (8 A.D.), focuses on the birth of Venus, the
goddess of love, riding her scallop shell as she arrives on land.
To the right, a female with billowing dress and hair leans
toward Venus holding out a swirling red robe to clothe her.
Flying at a diagonal and also leaning toward Venus, Zephyrus,
the god of the wind, puffs out his cheeks, blowing her toward
the shore, as pink flowers fill the air around them.
THE BIRTH OF VENUS
SANDRO BOTTICELLI, 1483-1485
81
This tender portrait vividly evokes a moment of embrace,
juxtaposing a man toward the end of his life with a child at his
beginning. The older man wears a red fur-lined robe, and the
younger, a red doublet and cap. Behind them, a window that
opens onto a landscape of winding roads through fields that
lead toward a small church at the bottom of a terraced hill.
Next to it, a monolithic rock rises out of a lake. The golden
locks of the boy, echoed in the folds of his doublet, draw the
viewer's eye up to the window, which, framed by somber grey
and black, evokes a feeling of contrast between the two
subjects' phases of existence.
PORTRAIT OF AN OLD MAN
WITH HIS GRANDSON
DOMENICO GHIRLANDAIO, 1490
82
, subsequently coined to denote the artistic
pinnacle of the Renaissance, refers to a thirty-year period
exemplified by the groundbreaking, iconic works of art being
made in Italy during what was considered a thriving societal
prime. A rejuvenation of classical art married with a deep
investigation into the humanities spurred artists of unparalleled
mastery whose creations were informed by a keen knowledge of
science, anatomy, and architecture, and remain today, some of the
most awe-inspiring works of excellence in the historical art canon.
High Renaissance Art
83
Characteristics of High Renaissance Art
-CONTINUATION OF ARTISTIC
METHODS
-SFUMATO & QUADRATURA
INITIATEDBY DA VINCI
-INFUSING IDEALS OF BEAUTY
BACK INTO ART
-RENAISSANCE MEN
84
This painting focuses on four figures: the Virgin Mary, John
the Baptist and Christ as young children, and an angel. The
Virgin is the central figure at the top of a pyramidal
composition that emphasizes her importance, framed by
rocks. Gazing downward, she reaches out her arm in blessing
toward Christ but also outward to invite the viewer into this
intimate scene. In the foreground, a pool is visible, with plants
such as an iris and an aquilegia growing along its edges. The
background is a dramatic vista of boulder formations,
pinnacles rising up from earth, the shadowy depths of
caverns, and an overarching roof of stone and fallen trees.
Through the gaps, a sinuous river of blue green water moves
toward the misty horizon on the upper left.
VIRGIN OF THE ROCKS
LEONARDO DA VINCI, 1483-1485
85
Created between the years 1495 and 1498 for the refectory
of the Santa Maria della Grazie in Milan, this fresco made use
of the experimental technique of oil and tempera on plaster –
it has faded horribly; however, it is one of the best and most
loved pieces of all time.
THE LAST SUPPER
LEONARDO DA VINCI, 1495-1498
86
is considered by many scholars to be the
premier example of High Renaissance architecture. With its
perfect proportions, harmony of its parts, and direct
references to ancient architecture, the Tempietto embodies
the Renaissance. This structure has been described as
Bramante’s “calling card” to Pope Julius II, the important
Renaissance patron of the arts who would then employ
Bramante in the historic design of the new St. Peter’s Basilica
TEMPIETTO
DONATO BRAMANTE, 1502
87
Michelangelo’s version of ------ is colossal, standing at 17
feet, with extremely large hands: the reason for this is
because it is meant to be placed up high so that viewers have
to look up – the proper way to view it, making him appear
superhuman. While still a young man – age 16 – this David
has a strong body, making him appear slightly older than his
16 years, and with his sling resting on his shoulder, he has not
yet gone to battle.
DAVID
MICHELANGELO, 1501-1504
88
Among the works created by da Vinci in the 16th century is
the small portrait known as the --------, or La Gioconda,
“the laughing one.” In the present era it is arguably the most
famous painting in the world. Its fame rests, in particular, on
the elusive smile on the woman’s face—its mysterious quality
brought about perhaps by the fact that the artist has subtly
shadowed the corners of the mouth and eyes so that the
exact nature of the smile cannot be determined.
MONA LISA
LEONARDO DA VINCI, 1503-1519
89
This painting shows the Virgin Mary with child versions of
Christ and John the Baptist in an Italian landscape. The facial
expressions and body language, conveyed with a fluid and
precise naturalism, are both remarkably human and
spiritually expressive. The Virgin's gaze, as her right arm
reaches out to touch John comfortingly on the shoulder, is
portent with awareness of future events. He returns her look
with understanding while his left hand grips the base of the
wooden cross.
THE ALBA MADONNA
RAPHAEL, 1510
90
In the painting ---------
composition again picks up the theme of figures in a
landscape. What makes this painting unusual is that there are
two obliquely set figures superimposed. Mary is seated on the
knee of her mother, St. Anne. She leans forward to restrain
the Christ Child as he plays roughly with a lamb, the sign of
his own impending sacrifice . This painting influenced many
contemporaries, including Michelangelo, Raphael, and Andrea
del Sarto. The trends in its composition were adopted in
particular by the Venetian painters Tintoretto and Veronese.
VIRGIN AND CHILD WITH ST.
ANNE
LEONARDO DA VINCI, 1510
91
This fresco, depicting a gathering of classical Greek
philosophers, noted contemporary scholars, and artists, uses
perspective to draw the viewer's gaze toward the central
figures of Plato on the left and Aristotle on the right, walking
as they discuss philosophical matters under the replicating
arches. The scene is animated, as groups in discussion cluster
on both the left and right, creating a contrast with other
individual figures that sit in solitary reflection. A statue of
Apollo, god of music and art, stands on the left, while a statue
of Athena, goddess of reason and wisdom stands on the right,
symbolizing the division between Plato's philosophy of ideal
forms and Aristotle's emphasis on logic and empirical
knowledge.
THE SCHOOL OF ATHENS
RAPHAEL, 1509-1511
92
This legendary painting, part of the vast masterpiece that
adorns the Sistine Chapel, shows Adam as a muscular
classical nude, reclining on the left, as he extends his hand
toward God who fills the right half of the painting. God rushes
toward him, his haste conveyed by his white flaring robe and
the energetic movements of his body. God is surrounded by
angels and cherubim, all encased within a red cloud, while a
feminine figure thought to be Eve or Sophia, symbol of
wisdom, peers out with curious interest from underneath
Adam's arm.
THE CREATION OF ADAM
MICHELANGELO, 1508-1512
93
– an epic High Renaissance work that is sure to take your
breath away. Commissioned by Pope Julius II, the ceiling
features stories from the Old Testament separated by
painted-on architectural elements. The frescoes are brightly
colored and make use of chiaroscuro, and the figures are very
sculptural in form. Some of the stories represented include
The Creation of Adam and Eve, Expulsion from the Garden of
Eden, and Noah and the Great Flood, plus there are various
Sibyls, prophets, and ignudi, or nude youths, dotted
throughout.
THE CEILING OF SISTINE
CHAPEL
MICHELANGELO, 1508-1512
94
presents a serene, self-possessed Virgin
Mary with the Christ child, a woman of ideal maternal
splendor and beauty. She stands on the clouds front and
center, robes flowing, with curtains drawn on either side of
her to emphasize her importance. The view behind her opens
into heaven, as the faces of the souls of unborn children or
angels throng in the clouds. Two third-century martyrs,
patron saints of the church of San Sisto, meet her. On her left,
Pope Sixtus II, kneels to gaze up at her, his left hand above his
heart, and his right hand inviting the viewer forward. On the
right, Saint Barbara kneels, her face turned toward the
viewer and downward toward the two impish cherubim
staring up from the bottom.
THE SISTINE MADONNA
RAPHAEL, 1512
95
A sculpture by Michelangelo, ------ was created for Pope
Julius II’s tomb – it was common in those times for rulers to
commission a tomb before their deaths. The tomb was meant
to be a marble three-story edifice; however, the Pope died
before Michelangelo could finish, so they made it work with
what was already done. The sculpture is unique in that Moses
features horns, and all due to a misinterpretation. When Saint
Jerome was translating the Bible, he mistook the word rays –
when it’s explained that God’s light radiated out of Moses –
for horns, so now, this Moses will always have horns.
MOSES
MICHELANGELO, 1513-1515
96
is another massive masterpiece by
Michelangelo located in the Sistine Chapel. Commissioned by
Pope Paul III, this glorious work features over 300 figures,
most of which are muscular (some over the top) and nude,
with colorful pieces of cloth here and there. Christ is, of
course, at the center of the fresco, along with his Mother, and
is surrounded by various saints, including St. Bartholomew,
who was flayed alive; he, indeed, is shown holding skin with a
caricature of Michelangelo’s face on it. While the majority of
the work displays Heaven on a celestial blue background, the
bottom of the work takes a terrifying turn as many of those
people will not be floating up but rather pulled to Hell.
THE LAST JUDGEMENT
MICHELANGELO, 1535-1541
97
in Burgundy France. Depicted on the relief is Christ with His arms wide open to the Crusaders
The central portal of the Vézelay Abbey
98
is attributed to Reiner of Huy, a 12th century metalworker and sculptor.
The Baptismal Font at St. Bartholomew’s Church
99
in Maastricht, Netherlands is a Roman Catholic Church dedicated to Saint Servatius. Today, the Basilica of Saint Servatius is the main church of Deanery of Maastricht.
The Basilica of Saint Servatius
