Key Images

Question 1

Who made this scupture?

Answer 1

Polykleitos

Question 2

What is this sculpture made of?

Answer 2

Marble copy of bronze original

Question 3

Who is the subject?

Answer 3

Doryphorus / Spear-bearer

Question 4

What is the effect of his stance?

Answer 4

Contrapposto

As seen by the tilted location of the pelvis.

Question 5

When was this made?

Answer 5

440 BC

Replica was made c. 120 – 50 BC

Question 6

Why was this created?

Answer 6

Polykleitos was striving to achieve perfect human form through mathematical proportions.

Question 7

How does this relate to Renaissance artists?

Answer 7

The heroic male nude in his physical prime was seen to embody a canon of perfect human proportion.
It was the ultimate model of the heroic male nude.

Polykleitos was emulated by artists inc Michelangelo in his David

Question 8

Who made this sculpture?

Answer 8

Athanadoros, Hagesandros and Polydoros of Rhodes

Question 9

When was this made?

Answer 9

1st Century AD.

This is a Hellenistic Greek sculpture from the early 1st century A.D.

Question 10

Who is the subject?

Answer 10

Laocoön and his Sons

Question 11

What material is this made from?

Answer 11

Marble

Question 12

How does this relate to Renaissance artists?

Answer 12

Renaissance sculptors were intoxicated by Hellenistic sculpture.
The Hellenistic Period in Greek Scupture is marked by dynamism and emotion of its figures and dramatic, figural groups.

Question 13

Who was inspired by this and what did they create?

Answer 13

Michelangelo and the Sistine ceiling. The fingerprints of Laocoön are all over the Sistine ceiling.

Question 14

What is the modelling of this sculpture?

Answer 14

Naturalistic treatment of anatomy.

Question 15

What is the modelling of this sculpture?

Answer 15

Naturalistic treatment of anatomy.

Question 16

Question 17

How does the artist look to antiquity in this sculpture?

Answer 17

Donatello is looking towards the tradional subject matter of the heroic male nude in antiquity, but he is innovative because his mood is not from ancient mythology, his nude is from the bible.
He is looking to the contrappoosto pose. He does not copy Polykleitos’s pose exactly.

Question 18

How would you charactertise his body type compared to classical examples?

Answer 18

He is a boy figure; he doesn’t have developed muscles in arms, his shoulders aren’t broad, lack of definition in abdomen, thighs aren’t as developed.
If he had the muscular advantage of the classical examples he would not be as legitimate as a David figure, it needs to be believable that it is a miracle this young man could overcome a giant.

Question 19

What is the iconography of this and why is it important?

Answer 19

A hat with laurel leaves and boots.
This is associated with the winged God Mercury (of trade). This would have been of interest to the Medici who were merchants and Florentine as a centre of trade.

Question 20

Who was the patron of this?

Answer 20

The Medici family.

Question 21

Where was this placed?

Answer 21

In the centre of a courtyard surrounded by an collanade / arcade.

Question 22

What was this made from?

Answer 22

Bronze with gilding

Question 23

Who is the sculptor?

Answer 23

Donatello

Question 24

Who is the subject?

Answer 24

Old Testament boy hero, David

Question 25

When was this made?

Answer 25

c. 1430-40.

Question 26

What did the subject do?

Answer 26

David defeated the giant Goliath. The Florentines saw themselves like David who beat the giant (Milan).

Question 27

Why was this comissioned?

Answer 27

The Medici comissioned the statue of David -- the state hero -- for their own private palace. They are appropriating state imagery for their private space. Bold, polemical move. On one hand they claim they are merely citizens, yet they also claim to have defeated the giant like David by having this statue.

Question 28

Why is this sculpture pioneering?

Answer 28

It was the first **in the round** nude sculpture since antiquity. Nudity in bible context was seen to be inappropriate, but with the rediscovery of ancient forms there was an interest by modern sculptors to rival those classical heroic male forms. This pioneering move had to be explored in the domestic context before it would be possible in the church context.

Question 29

What is the effect of light?

Answer 29

Donatello must have played with natural light, it was once placed on a pedestal in the arcade. The light activates lines which dart with fluidity from whatever the observer's point of view.

Question 30

How big is this sculpture?

Answer 30

Lifesize.

Question 31

Who made this scupture?

Answer 31

Andrea del Verrochio

Question 32

Who is the subject?

Answer 32

Lady with a Bunch of Flowers

Question 33

Subject?

Answer 33

Ginevra de' Benci

Question 34

Artist?

Answer 34

Leonardo da Vinci

Question 35

Medium?

Answer 35

Oil on panel

Question 36

Profile pose?

Answer 36

3/4

Question 37

Who was she?

Answer 37

Came from elite Florentine banking family

Question 38

What are the values being promotes?

Answer 38

Leonardo is individualising Ginevra but he also wants her to conform to ideal standards of beauty. Individual and making claims to being part of a community. (Beautiful woman conforming to social ideals)

Question 39

Why is the landscape background pioneering?

Answer 39

Leonardo placed her in an open setting when women were often usually in their homes. The 3/4 pose is amongst the first in Italian portraiture.

Question 40

How was the portrait originally presented?

Answer 40

It was longer and cut down, removing Ginevra's hands (possibly from damage).

Question 41

What is she framed by?

Answer 41

The spiky evergreen leaves of the juniper bush, the once brighter leaves that have browned with age. Juniper signifies her chastity, the greatest Virtue of a Renaissance woman, and puns her name! (The Italian for juniper is ginepro)

Question 42

How is she modelled?

Answer 42

Sfumato -- gradually deepening veils of smoky shadow -- not by line of abrupt transitions of colour or light

Question 43

Who is the patron?

Answer 43

It is not exactly known but this portrait likely occasioned her betrothal.

Question 44

What is on the reverse?

Answer 44

Wreath of laurel, palm and juniper. The palm on the right stands for moral virtue, and the laurel on the left indicates artistic and literary inclinations. Virtuem Forma Decorat "Beauty Adorns Virtue"