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- Saint Francis Altarpiece
- Artist: Berlinghieri
- Era: Maniera Greca
- Location: San Francesco, Pescia, Italy
- Techniques:
- tempera on wood
- first known signed and dated representation of St. Francis
- St. Francis wearing clerical garb of order that he founded (Franciscan order)
- holding a large book
- showing off stigmata
- holes in hands and feet - Christ-like marks from being crucified
- flanked by angels with frontal pose, halos, and lack modeling
- enhanced Byzantine style with gold leaf
- to emphasize
- image’s flatness and also spiritual era of the piece
- enhanced Byzantine style with gold leaf emphasizes the images flat style and the spiritual nature of the piece
- Byzantine illuminate manuscripts on the side of him
- St. Francis on right is preaching to birds - he could communicate with nature - he believed he could be closer to god through nature
- no modelling in figures
- no recession into space
- stylized landscape
- stippling technique - little tiny dots of paint - makes the plants look like they are twinkling
- whole piece had a strictly formality
- stippling livens the scene
- emotional resonance
- narrative scene contrast rigid form of St. Francis in center
- on our upper left he is receiving wounds from angel Serpeh
- people should be committed to teaching
- he is showing how to alleviate the suffering of mankind
- closer to god by rejecting all worldly goods
- strict life of fasting, prayer, and meditation
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- Pulpit Baptistry
- Artist: Nicola Pisano
- Era: Proto-Renaissance, 1259-1260
- Location: Pisa, Italy
- Techniques:
- sculpture on inside not outside of churches
- raised platforms from where sermons would be read
- Medieval influence
- - tri-lobed arches
- - lions that support some of the columns
- Classical influence
- - large bushy capitals Isimilar to Corinthean)
- - rounded not pointed arches, ogival arhes
- - relief panels are densely packed (inspiration from Roman sarcophagi)
- each panel is a scene from the life of Christ
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- Annunciation and Nativity
- Artist: Nicola Pisano
- Era: Proto-Renaissance
- Location: Pulpit Baptistry, Pisa Cathedral, Italy
- Techniques:
- two stories are compressed into one panel
- dense and pushed to surface
- few shadows
- angel is pointing at Mary and Mary is pointing at herself
- no body contour
- rigid v-shaped folds
- very little recession into space
- annunciation in top right
- Mary's posture is like a sarcophagus, pushed and turned, looks like reclining, sitting on the side of her hip, not natural
- type faces, difference is only in coiffure
- heavy drapery
- bulky and thick figure
- systematic stylized folds
- two figures washing the Christ on bottom
- people coming to see Christ in top right
- animals in bottom right to show setting
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- Annunciation and Nativity
- Artist: Giovanni Pisano
- Era: Proto-Renaissance, 1297-1301
- Location: Pulpit of San Andrea, Pistola, Italy
- Techniques:
- loosely and dynamically arranged figures
- motion suggested because of the deep open spaces between the figures
- pushed to the surface
- marble relief
- twisting and bending bodies in a more natural form
- deeply drilled background - more sense of light and shadow
- Mary is in a more natural position, sense of contraposta and slight recession into space- body contour under clothing
- deeply undercut folds for play of light and shadow on garment
- she is almost completely free from background
- figures are moved by spiritual passion, energetic, shepards and sheep aren't emotional
- swiftly turning bodies
- thinner figures
- emotionalism of scene
- Mary is shrinking away from announcement adding emotion
- focused on realism and naturalism
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- Madonna Enthroned with Angels and Prophets
- Artist: Cimabue
- Era: Proto-Renaissance
- Location: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
- Techniques:
- tempera on wood
- formality of style that symbolizes the dignity of the theme presented
- modeled after Byzantine examples - symmetrical balance and gold background
- gold accents give it a three dimensional quality
- deeper space
- no body contour
- architectural throne
- prophets underneath Mary under rounded arches
- can see both eyes - spiritual connection
- Christ looks like a little old man, not an infant, not natural
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- Madonna Enthroned
- Artist: Giotto
- Era: Proto-Renaissance, 1310
- Location: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
- Techniques:
- tempera on wood
- everyone is looking at Mary and is in side profile
- gold background
- representational art
- Madonna is very weighty
- heavy fabric - two large folds
- slight body contour
- sturdy queenly mother
- equated to Greco-Roman goddess sculptures
- earthly figure, she casts shadows
- solid figure of Christ
- throne is an extension of a Gothic cathedral, gable with pinnacles
- she is inside a niche of the cathedral
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- Arena Chapel
- Artist: Giotto
- Era: Proto-Renaissance, 1305-1306
- Location: Cappella Scrovegni, Padua, Italy
- Techniques:
- rectangular barrel vaulted hall
- six narrow windows in the south wall only
- entire north wall is unbroken but it is well illuminated
- real light source is used in the creation of play of light and shadow in the painting
- stories of the life of Christ
- 38 framed pictures on 3 levels
- top is virgin Mary and her parents
- middle is life and mission of Christ
- bottom is passion, crucifixion and ressurection
- very bottom, section of neutral toned panels meant to look like painted marble, 1st style grey monotone - grisalle people sitting on wall in between colored marble sections
- above chapels entrance is last judgement
- ceiling is blue with painted stars
- Christ, Mary, and a few prophets in medallions on ceiling
- entire background is blue, unifies the chapel
- black rods are engineering to strengthen walls
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- Lamentation
- Artist: Giotto
- Era: Proto-Renaissance, 1305
- Location: Arena Chapel, Padua, Italy
- Techniques:
- Mary and Christ's decipals mourning his death
- angels are hysterical with grief in sky
- Mary Magdalene is looking at his feet
- everyone has gray skin tone
- Mary is cradling his body
- St. John the Baptist throwing his arms back in grief and shock- blue background
- set on earth
- uses pictorial elements to create space
- Christ is off center - off center focus
- uses wall to draw eyes to Christ (pictorial device) and creates a stage like setting
- shallow foreground creates drama
- steep angle of wall is a formal element and connects to panel next to it, unifying elements
- sculpturesque, simple, weighty figures
- cluster technique to show lots of people
- backs of individuals - no eyes - physically closing off the scene and creating a stage setting
- clearly outlined figures
- different fabric weight and texture emphasized with folds and play of light and shadows differentiate figures
- light and shadow creates spacial depth, bodily mass, and perspective
- compostional complexity plus emotion ressonance
- each group of people has own definition creating a rhythmic order to the piece
- barren tree alludes to the fall of Adam and Eve, wall starts with tree and leads to Christ - wall goes from fall of man the rebirth of man - figures are pushed to foreground but it is not flat
- contradiction to old frontality
- entire panel synthesizes dramatic narrative, holy lesson, and truth to human experience
- motion and emotion created in angels contrasts lack of motion and emotion of the earthly figures
- angels have individualistic emotion and facial expression in reaction to what is happening
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- Death of St. Francis
- Artist: Giotto
- Era: Proto-Renaissance
- Location: Bardi Chapel, Sta Corce, Floarence, Italy
- Techniques:
- shallow space create by architecture
- elongated figures
- figures in profile
- groupings of figures
- strongly outlined figures
- more solemn feeling, less dramatic emotion
- later in his life than The Lamentation
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- Maesta Altarpiece
- Artist: Duccio
- Era: Proto-Renaissance
- Techniques:
- tempera on wood- inscription asking to pray for himself, Siena, and churches in general
- 7 pinnacles
- predella is raised shelf on base
- Madonna enthroned as the queen of heaven
- Byzantine tradition - formality and symmetry
- figures are types
- more relaxation of formality
- individualization of four saints in front with ceremonial gestures
- softening body outlines and contour
- drapery falling with more curves
- scenes underneath are related to life of the virgins
- play of color and texture manipulation
- according to humanists color and texture of clothing meant one was a bad person
- back of that is the scenes from the life of Christ
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- Betrayal of Christ
- Artist: Duccio
- Era: Proto-Renaissance
- Location: Maesta Altarpiece
- Techniques:
- continuous narration by showing
- - the betrayal of Jesus
- - decipals fleeing in terror
- - St. Peter chopping the ear off of a high priest servant
- figures are elongated but have substantial body weight
- reintroduces shadow and modeling
- convincing drapery
- shows motion with figures but feet are too firmly planted
- s-curved bodies that sway imply motion
- no recession into space
- gold background
- stylized hillside
- variety of facial expressions - anger in Peter's face, malice in Judissus' face, apprehension and timidity in decipals' faces
- humanization of religious subject matter
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- Annunciation of the Death of the Virgin
- Artist: Duccio
- Era: Proto-Renaissance
- Location: Maesta Altarpiece
- Techniques:
- attempt at recession into space through coffered ceiling
- implied movement through cluttered clothing
- modeling creates volume of body
- Mary is frail
- gray skin tones
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- The Annunciation
- Artist: Simone Martini
- Era: International Style, 1333
- Location: Uffizi Gallery, Florence
- Techniques:
- combined French Gothic and Italian Renaissance with Northern Ideals
- tempera and gold leaf on wood
- elegant shapes and radiant colors
- flowing, fluttering lines
- weightless figures in a spaceless setting
- iridescent colored wings of the angel Gabriel, they sparkle and shine to give them movement
- detailed, multi-colored wings
- gold on gown is heiraldic
- gold background creates a spiritual realm even though the setting is earth
- shape of frame is an ornate style of gables - multi-lobed, pointed arch with scalloping on the inside
- main arch frames the flock of doves that represent the holy spirit
- Mary is demure, shrinking back
- she puts down her book of devotions - she is in the presence of royalty
- she is wearing a deep blue purple robe with gold hem
- heiraldic colors of a queen of Heaven
- drama is subordinate to court ritual
- intricate tracery in late Gothic frame
- lilies are iconographic symbols of the crucifxion and the ressurection
- side figures are saints and could have been painted by a student of Martini
- - more like Gothic portal sculpture
- - more rigid
- - still done in his style
- - contrasts with naturalism in center panel
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- Birth of the Virgin
- Artist: Pietro Lorenzetti
- Era: Proto-Renaissance, 1342
- Techniques:
- altarpiece
- tempera on wood
- queen of the republic, earthly queen
- architectural place
- 3 paneled piece but two scenes
- St. Anne is reclining but is weary, more realistic and emotional
- box-like stage setting
- Italian pilazzo
- both real and fictional architecture with figuration
- illusion is strengthened by blocked view of room by pillar - creates recession into space
- Oriental rug promotes Crusades
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- Allegory of a Good Government
- Artist: Ambrogio Lorenzetti
- Era: Proto-Renaissance, 1338-1339
- Location: Salla Della Pave, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena
- Techniques:
- enthroned allegorical figure of good government
- around him are virtues - justice, prudence, temperance, fortitude, peace, magnanimity, faith, hope, and charity
- Siena represented the potential good government in the politically unstable Italy
- wanted to reform entire city
- supported by angels
- commissioned inside government office
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- Peaceful City
- Artist: Ambrogio Lorenzetti
- Era: Proto-Renaissance, 1338-1339
- Location: Allegory of a Good Government, Salla Della Pave, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena
- Techniques:
- panoramic view of Siena
- clustering building market places, chruchs, and streets
- traffic is peaceful
- spring time rituals
- cluster of radiant maidens dancing
- metaphor of the peaceful commonwealth
- good business, all markets are open
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- Peaceful Country
- Artist: Ambrogio Lorenzetti
- Era: Proro-Renaissance, 1338-1339
- Location: Allegory of a Good Government, Salla Della Pave, Palazzo Pubblico, Siena
- Techniques:
- birds eye view of an undulating country side
- farms, villas, castles, and peasants
- even peasants are successful and content
- allegorical figure of security flying overhead with a scroll in which promises a made to the safety of the people under her and the good government
- first true landscape since ancient times
- careful observation and specific details
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- Triumph of Death
- Artist: Francesco Triani
- Era: Proto-Renaissance, 1330s
- Location: Campo Santo, Pisa, italy
- Techniques:
- corroded fresco
- group of wealthy men and ladies riding to three coffins in foreground
- representation three levels of decomposition
- stench is so bad that they are covering their noses
- social statement that death is an equal opportunity for all classes
- even the hermit can not escape death
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- Ler Tres Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
- Artist: Limbourg Brothers
- Era: 15th Century Northern Renaissance, 1413-1416
- Techniques:
- Duc de Berry was an avid art collector
- used of reciting prayers
- illuminated calendar pages
- 6 images of aristocracy and 6 images
- "Office of the Blessed Virgin"
- read privately at set times during the day
- affluent burghers could buy it - decentralization of religious factors contributing to the Protestant Reformation
- 12 months of seasonal tasks
- above page is Lynette with a chariot of the sun that makes it cycle through the twelve months and zodiac signs
- displays the duke's relationship with peasants - he is a devout sophisticated man, slightly propaganda
- integration of secular and religious concerns in art and life
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- October
- Artist: Limbourg Brothers
- Era: 15th Century Northern Renaissance, 1413-1416
- Techniques:
- harrower and sewer on horseback, washer women
- promenade in front of Louvre
- peasants are flattering the duke's image as a compassionate leade
- naturalism in architectural detail of Louvre
- cast shadows
- figures in foreground and larger than those in background - recession into space
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