Bernini

Born in 1589, Bernini was a sculptor and architect in Rome.  He was a sculptor around the same level of talent that of Michelangelo Buonarroti.  Bernini sculpted many things throughout his life, and many of these sculptures were fountains.  One fountain in particular that he did is one that we saw on our Rome excursion.  This fountain is his Fontana dei Quattro Fiumi, or the Fountain of the Four Rivers.  This fountain is located in Piazza Navona, in the center of the Piazza.  This fountain is that of a travertine grotto that needs to support an Egyptian obelisk.  The water flows from the grotto to the pool where there are four statues that symbolize four rivers from different continents.  These rivers include the Nile, Ganges, Plata, and the Danube River.  These statues are Baroque, in a reclined position, and their bodies twist in the typical style that baroque statues do.  I read in Gardner’s Art through the Ages that the Nile covers his face, to symbolize that they did not know the source of the river at the time, and the river Plata has coins signifying the fortune of the New World.  The statue symbolizing the Ganges is holding an ore, and the Danube is reaching up to the coat of arms of the Pope.  This fountain represents many things, of the continents of the world, and what comes of them.  It is beautiful, and very recognizably Baroque.  

Bernini's Fountain of the Four Rivers

Wiki Commons

Tintoretto

                Tintoretto, born Jacopo Comin, was born in Venice in 1518.  He was the oldest or twenty one children, and Tintoretto’s father who was a dyer, or tintore, which gave reasoning for the nickname of Tintoretto, or little dyer.  Tintoretto ended up going to the Venetian School, where he learned his skill of painting.  After researching some of his works, I realized that I saw one of his paintings at the Louvre in Paris.  This painting is The Coronation of the Virgin.  I found it to be very pleasing to the eye in many ways.   This painting’s main subject is obvious to be the Virgin Mary, and it is the time in Christianity, where Mary is being accepted into the kingdom of heaven.  This painting has many subjects including bishops, saints, martyrs, and popes.  It is a beautiful painting in the way that it shows movement, and the audiences’ eye is able to skate across the canvas seeing everyone in heaven, with Mary at the highest point alongside Christ.  The scene involves her coronation, which is a beautiful moment in the stories of Mary’s life, and death.  This painting says a lot for how important Mary was in the story of Christianity.  This Baroque painting is very beautiful, with a lot of movement and color.

Coronation of the Virgin

Wiki commons

Giulio Romano

                                     Wiki commons: Self portrait Giuliano Romano

Romano was started out as one of Raphael’s students.  He was one that was very good at what he was learning from his teacher.  As Vasari states “there was no one who imitated Raphael more closely.”  This is a very important compliment from Vasari, because Raphael was one of the most impressive painters.  Giuliano was born in the end of the quattrocento, and died when he was middle aged.  Vasari tells us that Romano was so well liked by Raphael not only by his talent, but but his personality, confidence, and boldness.  He states that “one could not have loved him more had he been his son.”  His genius as a student was learning from his teacher some of the more difficult things in painting, like drawing in perspective, and to measure buildings, and work up plans.  Being such a good painter, once Raphael died, Romano was in charge of finishing paintings that were left unfinished.  This man was a great painter who was recognized by many for being able to paint so closely to what his teacher was able to accomplish in his own lifetime of painting.             

Michelangelo’s Pieta

            While in Rome, we had the opportunity to witness Michelangelo’s Pieta first hand.  Which is really the only way to see such a work of art.  This sculpture was finished in 1499, and is located in the massive St. Peter’s Basilica.  The scene of a Pieta is the Mary cradling Christ’s body after the crucifixion.  In this particular Pieta, sculpted out of marble by Michelangelo, it is easy to see that Mary is still young and youthful looking.  There are many points to this sculpture that show why Michelangelo was probably the most talented sculptors; like the way Mary’s clothes are draped. The drapery of Mary’s clothing, falls in such a natural way, it looks as though it could really be cloth.  What I find to be most interesting though, is Mary depicted as very beautiful and youthful, which seems to represent the significance she holds in Christianity, as the mother of the Messiah.  The detail that is entailed into this work of art is incredible; including the way that Christ’s lifeless body is sculpted.  Michelangelo captures the natural way that one could imagine Christ looked after he was crucified.  He looks as though he was starved, and his limbs are very limp.  Although no longer alive, the way that Jesus’ head is turned towards his mother’s body, it is easy to feel the love, and sadness that was felt.  In my opinion, this sculpture is an incredible feat, including so much detail, and capturing so much emotion.

Michelangelo's Pieta

St. Peter's Basillica

Wiki Commons

Raphael

            Raphael was a different man in the way of the artists.  Vasari recognized that Raphael was not only a phenomenal painter, but a good natured person as well.  Reading Vasari on Raphael has been interesting because he states that Raphael’s had these attributes; “grace, study, beauty, modesty, and fine manners.”  These things he learned growing up in a loving environment with a loving father.  Raphael was a very studious artist, studying the works of Masaccio, Leonardo, and Michelangelo.  The things he saw in these artists’ works, “made him apply himself with great intensity.”  This quote appreciates the work it takes to become one of the four greatest artists of the Renaissance.  He was born with talent, but he had to study to make himself perfect what he wanted to do in life, which was art in different forms.  This is the interesting part of art, that Vasari really makes known, that people are not just blessed with the ability to create things like the fresco of the School of Athens; but that even the best artists of the Renaissance had to stick to studying as well.  Painting all throughout Italy was great for Raphael, who eventually was commissioned to do some works in the Vatican City, although he was not in the running to paint the Sistine Chapel, his works do not go unrecognized.  My favorite fresco that we saw in Rome is no doubt the School of Athens, which I have always just been attracted to.  It is a beautiful piece of art, and history showing many different scenes and people in one, simply a symbol of the genius of art that Vasari speaks about.

School of  Athens

Raphael

Vatican Museum

Photo: Cesilee Mazza

Michelangelo & Titian

Michelangelo

                 What is there to say about Michelanelo, other than that he was a very talented sculptor, painter, and architect.  He was born in the late quattrocento, so he began his work during the early cinquecento.  Of his many famous works, including his David, the Pieta, and his work on the Sistine chapel, one painting sticks out to me.  Now in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, the Doni Tondo is a very beautiful painting.  It is in the style of Tondo, or circular work of art.  The subjects of this painting include the Virgin Mary, St. Joseph, and Christ the child.  Although this painting is of the Holy Family, it was most likely commissioned by Agnolo Doni, to honor his wedding or the birth of his first daughter.  Among the family, St. John the Baptist is there in a pool which could have been used to symbolize the baptism of Christ.  The way this painting was done includes the very popular subject of the “male nude” that Michelangelo has done in many of his works.  These nudes bring together the Pagan and Christian worlds together.  This painting a very beautiful painting that we learned about, and as a class were able to see in person at the trip to the Uffizi gallery.  The framework is very beautiful, including five heads that represent Jesus, two prophets, and two sybils.   The frame also depicts the coat of arms of both Agnolo’s family, and the family of his wife; Maddalena Strozzi. 

Michelangelo's Doni Tondo

Uffizi Gallery

Wikki Commons

Titian

                Titian had followed, for a long time, the art of Bellini, but after sometime he changed his ideas.  After observing the method and styles of Giorgione, he as Vasari states, “abandoned the style of Giovanni Bellini.”  Giorgione had this ability to make paintings with softness, without first trying them on paper.  Titian was able to follow this and perfect it quickly.  After the death of Bellini, Titian worked to finish an incomplete scene that Bellini had left behind.  The changes he made were noticed, by the Senate who rewarded him with an office in the Fondaco de’ Teceschi.  This paid three hundred “scudi” each year.  Titian’s genius and understanding of art mostly included his understanding and talented use of color in his paintings.  He was recognized by many as a great painter.  One of the people he befriended in life was a poet named Messer Ludovico Ariosto, who once wrote in his Orlando Furioso “and Titian to whose mastery is due such glory that Urbino shares no more, and Venice shines no brighter than Cador.”  This is a compliment considering the way he states that the small town of Cadore is just as bright as Venice, because the wonderful painter Titian was from there.  There is no doubt that Titian was an amazing painter.

Titian

Self portrait

Wikki Commons

From Botticelli to the great Leonardo

 Blog #1

Sandro Botticelli

                Sandro Botticelli was born in 1445.  As a child, he was admitted to the Medici’s Florentine school, under the Lorenzo di’ Medici.  He became an apprentice at the age of fourteen, and he was taught some most of his talent, by Fra Filippo Lippi.  Botticelli learned to pay attention to detail of the body from Lippi, who was very interested in the works of Masaccio.  Botticelli created many fantastic works including Primavera, the Adoration of the Maggi, and the Birth of Venus.  Because the Birth of Venus is so popular and widely known it is an interesting experience to see it in person, at the Uffizi.  This painting is tempera on panel, with Venus in the middle of the painting, standing on a shell.  It is as if she was born from the sea, out of a shell, created by God.  The background includes an ocean that is very flat and does not look very realistic.  But the eye does not recognize it as bad, because the attention is supposed to be on Venus, who is in a typical baptism scene.  This scene is very beautiful; showing the color of Venus’ blonde hair contrasting against the water, and sky makes her seem so majestic, and separated from the background.  Botticelli, knew how to show the importance of this goddess, who is seen as a comparison to the Virgin Mary.

Birth of Venus

Sandro Botticelli

Uffizi Gallery

Wiki commons

Vasari on Leonardo Da Vinci

                Leonardo da Vinci was born in 1452 and died in 1519 during his life; he completely mastered the art of painting, and much more.  Leonardo was very interested in learning as a kid, but Vasari states that he” set himself to learn many things, and then, after having begun them, abandoned them.”  Although he did this, he excelled in arithmetic.  One of his flaws, most likely the only one is that Leonardo had trouble finishing his projects.  We can understand why, because Vasari tells us that he believed “the hand was not able to attain to the perfection of art in carrying out the things which he imagined.”  This is a very interesting belief, because Leonardo’s mind was so complex in what he saw in his mind as things to paint, he himself did not think that it was possible for his hand to create them.  Leonardo was probably one of the best painters of all time, and it is very easy to understand the genius that he held.   

Self Portrait in chalk

Leonardo da Vinci

Wikipedia Commons

Quattrocento Artists of the Renaissance

   Filippo Lippi

                Born in 1406, Fra Filippo Lippi was an Italian painter during the Quattrocento, during the Italian renaissance.  Orphaned as a young child, he was taken care of by his aunt for some years until he joined the Carmelite Friars, in his teenage years.  Lippi did not do much studying, but he liked to draw, so eventually his prior allowed him to study painting.  This was a good choice on his part, because Filippo went on in life to create many beautiful paintings.  Filippo eventually met a woman that he asked to model for his painting of the Madonna, which led to a physical relationship.  This relationship resulted in a child whom he named Filippino.  His son too later on became a famous painter. 

                Lippi had many works that are beautiful, including his Madonna with Child, where it is as though he painted the angel to look like his son. More focus goes to the angel rather than the baby, Jesus.  This is a beautiful tempera on panel, where the Madonna is recognized as Lucrezia Buti, the mother of his own child.  Another Painting of Lippi’s that I found online, and found to be very interesting is his fresco of the Feast of Herod.   This fresco shows the scene of the beheading of Saint John the  Baptist, where Salmone is presenting the head of St John the Baptist to Herod, and on the other side is entertaining her guests with a dance. 

The Feast of Herod: Salmone's Dance

1460-1464

Filippo Lippi

Wikimedia Commons

Sandro Botticelli

    

                Sandro Botticelli was born in 1445, and Vasari says him to have never been “satisfied in school with reading, writing, and arithmetic.”  This boy had a passion for more than the type of thing that teachers taught; he was interested in the arts.  His father placed him to work with a goldsmith and friend.  Sandro “took a fancy to painting” and so his father took him to the Carmelita Fra Filippino Lippi, who became the teacher of the great painter Botticelli.  This talented student was able to imitate his mentor so well that Lippi really took a liking to him and taught him through and through on what he knew.  Sandro had this talent, where he took painting, and instead of a hobby, he definitely made it a career and hard work.  The paths that he chose with his paintings were new, and daring in the eyes of some.  His genius took him to a whole different level, using some of the ideas of the Greeks that the human body was beautiful and should be praised.  With this, he also painted scenes of characters from the pagan religions of more than one god.  Beyond these daring scenes, Botticelli paid close attention to the detail of his characters.  Vasari states that the details “reveal the artist’s mastery of his craft.”  This is a very agreeable statement, because Botticelli was sort of a turning point, and definitely a master when it comes to painting.

Primavera 

Sandro Botticelli 1482

Wiki Commons

Two of the Best

Filippo Brunellschi

            Brunelleschi’s training began with apprenticing as a goldsmith and sculptor.  During this time, a major influence in his life was a merchant and medical doctor, Paolo Toscanelli, who was a man of mathematics.  This man taught Brunelleschi a lot about math, including geometry, which he became very interested in. 

            Brunelleschi decided to enter a competition to build the bronze doors of the Florentine baptistery, while teaching.  His competitor was Lorenzo Ghiberti, a very good sculptor.  After losing the competition, Brunelleschi decided to get out of Florence for a while, and went to Rome.  This trip to Rome that he had, really taught him the meaning of Architecture, and seems to have given him a better understanding of his own personal interests.  Returning to Florence, with a new talent in hand, Brunelleschi signed up for a competition to be a consultant on the dome of the cathedral.  This time, his idea and design won, and Brunelleschi was chosen to design the dome. 

            This dome is amazing to the eye, especially with an understanding of how difficult, and how much time went into it. The pointed dome is a double shelled dome, consisting of a rib that is the main bone structure of the dome.  The bricks inside are laid in herring bone style, where they are not all stacked one on top of the other, but in fact they some are vertical, and some are horizontal.  This helps to distribute weight more evenly.  Brunelleschi, since he studied the architecture of the ancient Romans, he understood the way things needed to be constructed to last.  He was a magnificent architect, and was probably the only person at the time that could come up with a way to build such a massive dome that would last as long as it has.

Dome of the Duomo

Wiki Commons

Vasari on Masaccio

            From the beginning of his painting career, Masaccio always tried to convey the most lifelike figures in his works.  Vasari mentions that he tried “following as closely as possible” to the way that Donatello and Brunelleschi worked.  Although the job of painting was much different, he tried to make his painting animated and real.  Masaccio’s paintings were now different than anybody had ever seen, more humanistic and natural than even Giotto.  One of the reasons being, is, Masaccio studied, and practiced perspective.  In one of the temperas he created, Masaccio tried something not many had before; he shows a view from below.  Vasari states that because not many had tried this before he received “no little praise.”  These experiments with perspective showed the talent, and the genius behind the art that is done by Masaccio, and many later artists. 

            One of his most amazing works is the scene of St. Peter asking Christ how to pay the taxes, and is told to get them out of the fish’s belly.  The natural and realistic details of this painting include Saint Peter “especially lifelike, for his head is flushed from bending over.”  This detail is very evolutionary in the way of painting, because in paintings, the detail of how the human body reacts to things has been scarce if not absent completely.  This is the concept of art as genius, because it is no longer just paintings with pretty colors and how the way people look in imagination, but how humans look anatomically.  Masaccio definitely understood the way that the human body looks, and Vasari understood the level of talent that Masaccio had.

Tribute Money

Masaccio

Wiki commons