A sculptor's life

Nicola Pisano

Between the years of 1265, and 1268, Nicola Pisano sculpted a pulpit that is located in the Siena Cathedral.  This octagonal pulpit is supported by nine columns that are made from granite, marble, and an igneous rock called phorphyry.  Each of these columns either atop a lion, or a flat panel support this beautiful structure.  Upon the pulpit, there are seven scenes depicting the life of Christ.  

Two important panels upon the pulpit are the Massacre of the Innocents, and the Crucifixion.  The Massacre of the Innocents is significant in depicting the mass killing of young boys in Bethlehem to get around the prophecy that “the King of Jews” would raise against King Herod and receive the throne.  This scene is the only one that does not include Jesus or his family. With a central spot on the pulpit, including twenty-four boys, it shows Pisano’s interest in movement of humans in a scene. 

Massacre of the Innocents

Siena Cathedral

Photo Credit: Cesilee Mazza

      Just next to the scene of the massacre, is the crucifixion of Christ.  In this scene, we see Christ on the cross with a new way of putting his feet crossed and nailed to the cross.  Among Christ are mourners and onlookers including Mary, who is “physically grieving.”   The way Mary looks as though she may faint, it exemplifies the Pisano’s understanding of human emotion, and it clearly shows humanism.  I found it interesting the way that everyone is looking at Jesus on the cross, it is bone chilling the emotion that is shown in one panel of this sculpture.

Crucifixion

Photo credit:Cesilee Mazza 

Siena Cathedral

Lorenzo Ghiberti was born to Bartoluccio Ghiberti, who was a goldsmith who taught the craft to his son.  When older, Lorenzo started doing more and more sculpting, and was eventually invited by winning a competition to create doors for the Baptistery of Florence.  These doors depict scenes from the Old Testament.  The first scene is of course a scene involving Adam and Eve, in which Vasari states: “it is clear that Lorenzo tried to render their members as beautifully as he could.”   When Vasari speaks about an artist, he almost translates to the reader what the artist tells them with their art.  Ghiberti’s Gates of Paradise doors have depicted the stories the way they were meant to be told.  Although the doors are not located on the baptistery, and are now renovated in a museum, they still hold the original message, and symbol.  Located on the east of the baptistery, facing the cathedral was perfect for the walk between the two structures.  

Ghiberti on the north doors

Photo Credit: Cesilee Mazza

Florence, Italy

Artists of the trecento

             Ambrogio Lorenzetti

           During the later dugento, and in the early trecento, humanism was a concept that artists were starting to experiment with.  Instead of Christ the judge, a lot of artists portrayed the life of Christ through the Virgin Mary.  Mary became a symbol, since she was an intercessor that helped humans feel closer, and more at ease when communicating with God.

                Besides humanism, painters were also beginning to become more naturalistic as well.  Some painters like Giotto, and Martini were in this category of more naturalistic.   These naturalistic painters painted everything in a more natural way, and more realistic portrayals than the Byzantine style of art.  Among these painters, I found that during the trecento there was a painter whose style was said to “anticipate the renaissance”.  Ambrogio Lorenzetti, brother of Pietro Lorenzetti, was influenced by works of Martini, but even more so naturalistic.  While at the Uffizi, an altarpiece caught my eye, and I started to research it.  This altar piece is a triptych style altarpiece by Ambrogio, in 1332.  This altarpiece in three pieces is entitled Madonna and Child with Saints Nicholas, and Proculus which was painted for the Florentine church in San Procolo.  This painting is a tempra on a panel, and is interesting because the baby Christ is holding onto Mary’s finger in a loving way, which is more natural to the relationship between a mother and child.   On the right and left of her, are the two saints, and located above (as to my knowledge) are Christ the redeemer, John the Baptist, and John the Evangelist.  

Madonna and Child with Saints Nicholas and Proculus 1332

Ambrogio Lorenzetti (1290-June 9, 1348)

Wiki Commons

Vasari on Giotto

      In the year of 1266, an artist that Vasari, and many others consider to be the father of the renaissance, was born.  This artist, Giotto was born to a humble tiller, and he was blessed with the talent of drawing.  Even so, that Vasari tells us a story of how as a child, Giotto was noticed by the artist Cimabue.  According to this story, Giotto asked his father  

to study under this artist, in which his father "lovingly gave consent" understanding the opportunity his son had just been given.  

    As a better trained artist, what made Giotto so interesting in Vasari's eyes is that he was an "excellent imitator of nature."  Meaning Giotto had a this knack for creating this modern art that was more natural, and different than even his teacher.  This style he had done was greatly recognized by many others including his friend Dante.  

     I was intrigued when I finally witnessed Giotto's altarpiece of Madonna and Child Enthroned Among Angels and Saints.  In my opinion, this tempera painting on a panel finished around 1310, goes far beyond a similar altarpiece done by Cimabue some twenty years before, and I understand Vasari's interest Giotto's life.  Differences I noticed include the more realistic features of the inhabitants of the painting, before people really studied the anatomy of the human body.  I also notice that the saints, and angels are gazing up at the Virgin Mary, in awe.  It gives evidence about the way that the people of this age felt about Mary, they worshiped her life, and prayed to her rather than Christ the Judge.  After studying a few pieces done by Giotto, I agree with Vasari when he explains that Giotto was the father of renaissance (painting).

Statue of Giotto (1845)

Giovanni Dupre

Wiki Commons

                                                

Week 3 Blogs

                                                                             

Blog #1  

     This week in the lecture, speaking about the crucifixes that included icons of the Byzantine style, inspired me to write about Cimabue.  Cenni di Peppi, or Cimabue was a painter in the late era of the dugento.  He wasn’t born until 1240, and therefore was considered late medieval.  According to Lives of the Artists, Cimabue had a lot of support from his father, who “judged him to be so skilled in painting…”.  Some of his earlier work imitated Greek styles painting, but he was able to improve it and make it his own.  An example would be of an altar dossal he created at Santa Cecilia.  Among his other works, there is the more famous Madonna of Santa Trinita, which is hanging in the Uffizi museum in Florence.  This weekend I had the pleasure of seeing this piece of art.  In person, it is incredible to see the detail, and effort put into this painting.  

Madonna of Santa Trinita (Uffizi museum)

  

Photo Credit allposters.com
Pictures are not allowed in the Uffizi museum

Flicker does not have image

Blog Post #2    

     During my reading of the introduction/preface in Vasari’s book made his appreciation of art a little more clear.  Vasari states that God creating man would be the “first form of sculpture and painting.”  His argument is that God created the world, and “decorated” the heavens, seeming to mean that man is a work of art that God himself first created.  Girogio Vasari was very important in the means of an artist, and as the first person to really recognize the history of art.  Vasari speaks about (what I saw to be) the three phases of art as being close to the phases of the lives of humans.   These phases are that we are born, we grow old, and then we die, and that art once it has reached its “summit,” it will then fall to ruins.  Besides his theories about art, and his concept of art, Vasari has also given a lot of information about artists, including the art that the Pagans did before Christianity ‘destroyed’ their art and purity.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/32357038@N08/3972200821/

Blogger will not accept the url of this photo, and will not show the photograph of Giorgio Vasari.  

Blog posts 1 & 2

 This is a picture I took yesterday that just shows that the front is a whole piece of art added to this building.

 This picture does not give justice to the front of the Duomo, but it does show how massive it is.  The entirety of the Duomo, seemed almost impossible to frame well, because of it's enormity. 

 This mural is impossible not to see when facing the Duomo.  It seems to be placed perfectly as to remind it's guests that they are entering the house of God.  

  Although I can admire art from the Renaissance era visually, I could not tell you the difference between a Donatello, and a Da Vinci (excluding the Mona Lisa).  Because the focus of this course is mainly on Renaissance art, I think that by the time we leave Florence, I will have a better understanding of paintings, and the styles in which they were painted.  My understanding of the Renaissance is that God was the main point in the people of the city's eyes, but they were finally living to live and not to die.  People too
    Before coming to Florence, I did not really know much about Florence’s art history, other than the existence of some of the monuments, and buildings.  Santa Croce for example, I had seen it in pictures, and videos, but I never knew the façade was not built until the 19^th century until Christina mentioned it during our tour.    Upon seeing the façade of Santa Croce, I was completely mesmerized.  The height and the detail of every square foot were impeccable. 

Seeing the Duomo yesterday  was even more of an incredible experience.  The detail that covers this mass of a building on every corner and every wall is almost intimidating.  It seems like the effort to build a building so beautiful for religion would never be made today.




Blog Enrty #2 Giorgio Vasari

     Vasari was a man of wisdom when it came to art.  He understood they meaning behind the different artists' styles within their different works of art.  Vasari, a lover of Florentine art, and artists, wrote quite a bit on Donatello.  One caption I noticed was about the Annunciation in which Donatello sculpted in Santa Croce.  Vasari states that this is what earned Donatello a name in Florence, as a sculptor.  Vasari seemed to really appreciate Donatello, as it is stated in Lives of the Artists, that "his works possessed so much grace and excellence...".  While in this city of art, I would like to go into the church of Santa Croce to see this “grotesque” style sculpture by Donatello. 

    Giorgio Vasari’s book has been something that for years, people could study, and learn real facts about artists during the Renaissance.  Lives of the Artists has been a way for art historians to learn about the way the people who created some of the most fascinating paintings, and monuments lived and worked.  Vasari’s movement throughout Italy and his own talent when it comes to art really gave him a sense about the importance of the Renaissance, or rebirth of the Italian people.  His talent, when it comes to art was clearly recognized by Pope Pius V, who invited Giorgio to decorate chapels throughout Rome.  Vasari lived a life full of art, and artists that when he died working on frescos, I believe he died with a satisfaction of the work he did, and the satisfaction that he recorded facts about the other artists he socialized with.     

Thanks to Sandra Haynes of Pasadena, I was able to put a picture with my brief caption about Donatello's famous Annunciation that is home to Santa Croce church, of Florence, Italy.