THE RENAISSANCE IN ITALY

The Italian Renaissance

Florence, Italy, a small republic with a big banking business, was an exciting place to be in the 1400s. This city-state was the home of the Medici family, a family that gained wealth through banking and rose to prominence. The first great Medici to become a patron of the arts and help establish the practice of patronage was Cosimo Medici. But being a Renaissance celebrity wasn't always easy — or safe.

Notes

Read the article, The Birth of a Dynasty, and write a brief summary in your notes. 

OBJECTIVES

• Discuss the role of the Medici family in Renaissance art.

• Describe Italian Early Renaissance sculpture.

• Show the influence of sculptures on painting.

• Characterize Italian Early Renaissance painting.

VOCABULARY

EARLY RENAISSANCE SCULPTURE AND ARCHITECTURE IN ITALY

Early Renaissance Art and Architecture

The Italians were surrounded by many examples of ancient Greek and Roman art in ruins and artifacts, so it isn't surprising that a renewed interest in this art would originate in Italy. Of course, the architecture — from the colosseum to the aqueducts — stood as a testament to the artistic tastes and engineering ingenuity of these ancient people.

Early Renaissance Sculpture

Sculptors ushered in the Renaissance during the early 1400s. One of the most important of these was Filippo Brunelleschi, who developed linear perspective. Brunelleschi started out as a goldsmith and then became a sculptor. When he lost a competition to Lorenzo Ghiberti to design the northern doors of the city's massive cathedral, known as the Duomo, he turned his talents to architecture, a field where he excelled.

Brunelleschi had visited the ruins of Rome, and he was deeply influenced by the simplicity and beauty of the classical style, so different from the Gothic style. He introduced what has come to be known as the Renaissance style of architecture, which can be seen in his impressive design of the dome for the Duomo of Florence. Brunelleschi completed this under the patronage of Cosimo Medici.

Donatello 

We can divide Donatello's career into three periods.

• Before 1425 — influenced by Gothic sculpture but with classical and realistic tendencies

• From 1425 to 1443 — heavily influenced by the classical models and artistic principles of ancient Rome

• After 1443 — emphasis on realism, character and dramatic action, here's an example from Donatello's third period, based on the story of Judith and Holoferne.

EARLY RENAISSANCE PAINTING IN ITALY

A young painter named Masaccio was deeply influenced by the works of Donatello and other Renaissance sculptors. He took the techniques of these artists and applied them to painting. Although he died when he was just 27 years old, he altered the course of art.

Notice how in The Tribute Money, the painter creates a sense of depth by making objects in the background smaller and through his use of angles. This, as you may remember, is called linear perspective. It makes the painting appear three-dimensional. The figures are realistic and yet they are refined and dignified.

Notes

Explore Masaccio further in the Web museum site and make notes about his style.

Fra Angelico

The artist Monk Fra Angelico, who lived from 1400 to 1455, was an important Italian painter of the early Renaissance. He was both a devout friar and an accomplished painter. He was known as "Angelico," which means angelic, because he was deeply religious and his paintings were of sedate, religious subjects. Fra Angelico became a friar in 1425. He learned to paint by illustrating religious texts. Then he moved on to altarpieces and panels.

At the convent of San Marco in Florence, Fra Angelico and his assistants painted frescoes such as this one throughout the building.

STUDY OF ANATOMY

The philosophy of the Middle Ages directly contrasted the new generation of Renaissance artists. The artist of the Middle Ages adhered to the religious value of the body being representative of the flesh and thus an obstacle in which the spiritual pilgrim must struggle against. However, the new generation saw beauty in creation and sought to elevate its depiction.

So, the next generation of Italian Renaissance artists made further refinements to the artistic styles of the Renaissance. They made innovations in perspective, consolidated their compositions, and developed new techniques for portraying both landscapes and the human figure.

The artist Antonio Pollaiuolo took realism to new levels by studying human anatomy in order to more accurately portray the human body. Pollaiuolo was both a sculptor and a painter. His figures show a renewed interest in the musculature. Pollaiuolo may have been the first artist to use dissection to improve his understanding of the body.

The Martyrdom of Saint Sebastian is his masterpiece.

Notice the musculature and the realistic stances of the men shooting arrows.

Notes

Now read the article on Renaissance painters and the study of anatomy at the Metropolitan Museum of Art website.

As the Renaissance progressed, a new generation of painters came along. One of the leading painters of this generation was Andrea Mantegna.

Sandro Botticelli was another leader in the second generation of Renaissance painter. His most famous painting is The Birth of Venus, painted in 1486. 

LET'S REVIEW!

In this lesson, you have covered:

• The Early Renaissance period in Italy and how it related to architecture, sculpture, and painting

• Ghiberti and Donatello's roles in introducing Renaissance ideals of realistic human figures in sculpture

• The refinement of earlier techniques by Botticelli and Mantegna

Complete the quiz before moving forward.