Art History Spring 2017

Notes
1

1 1-11-17
1.1 Continuity and Change
Quote from Cennino Cennini circa 1400. Something about how the painters job is to capture and
memorialize the subject forever.
Picture of Jumbo the Elephant. He lived 1861-1885. He was in the PT Barnum Circus, and then in
Tufts University from 1885-1975. This wouldnt be considered art because it didnt have a soul.
They tried to capture soul in their paintings, so that was the goal.
The next painting is by Rembrandt, called Elephant, black chalk on paper, 1637. This doesnt ex-
actly look like an elephant, but it is showing the the things an elephant is supposed to do eg shaking,
moving. So in the Renaissance era this would have been more alive than the dead elephant.
Then there was a picture of the preserved human body. Once again, since this was just a dead thing
and not representing the thing itself it does not have a soul
Painting Raphael, Portrait of Pope Leo X and Two Cardinals ca 1515. This is a very detailed and
pretty. It is done in a very realistic way. It is supposed to memorializes the pope forever. It is
meant to capture the person, with a soul and all. This is what the resisance was all about.
Clip from the Simpsons. Example of the troupe of when 2D cartoons go 2D. Opening up a magic
door. The medium isnt supposed to be districting. You should be fooled in to thinking you are
seeing the real thing.
Picture by Pablo Picasso. Three Musicians 1921. Through art we express our conception of what
nature is not This represents modern perspective. There arent trying to fool people in to think
they are seeing the real object. His painting is very abstract. He is trying to portrait very different
things other the realism.
Length quote from Leon Battista Alberti 1435. Make something permeant, or persevere something.
You paint things that are important normally famous people.
Andy Warhol, Self portrait. 1966 In the future everybody will be world famous for 15 min.
Warhol is known for painting everyday objects, not famous or important things. The most famous
example of this is when he painted a campbells soul can.
Photograph by Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother, Nipomo California, 1936. This is the picture of
the sad mother with two kids. She isnt famous, thus is more modern, and the artist is trying to
show something else. The only reason this lady is famous is because of the picture, so this is kind
of backwards of the classical sense.

Summary In classical times they wanted to preserve and reaver famous and important people
and the most important thing about protrating them is the realistic aspects of them. In more
modern times we have stranded away from realism and there are many more reasons to make art.

1.2 Order and hierarchy

Picture of the Cosmos, represents today and then picture of the geocentric model representing the
old times. They put earth at almost the bottom.
1
Next one has god, unchanging stars, moving stars (Planets), then there is finally earth. There is
a weird subset thing of the elements, fire, air, water, earth.
Slime of the earth. So they really though we are low on the totem pole. Get a soul from god.
Summary The thought that the higher up you went the more divine things where. So the skies
where really high and people are like literal garbage.

2 1-13-17
2.1 Thirteenth ad fourteenth-century sculpture in Italy
2.1.1 Artists and works
Nicola Pisano: Pulpit, Pisa Baptistery, 1259-60 -annunciation and Nativity
Giovanni Pisano: Pulpit, Pistoia, Sant Andrea, 1297-1301 -annunciation and Nativity

2.1.2 Concepts
1. Order and hierarchy
2. Dual nature of Christ

2.1.3 Terms:

1 Tuscany

2 relief sculpture(high relief; low relief)

3 classical

4 composition

5 ornament

6 antithesis

Bold/red words are must know words

2.2 Class
Definition: CA=Around
Definition: BCE=before common era

2.2.1 The purpose of Art

Today-Art works mostly serve as an aesthetic pleasure: a luxury good. She thinks that they
function more like a commodity or investment. Its value is based on rarity.
In the renaissance: Art works served various function in the civic and religious life of a city. People
2
thought that paints helped them be closer to god. The people paying for it normally got a quid pro
quo thing, but normal people still enjoyed them, because they were out in the open.
David was up to remind the governors of ..Rome? about Biblical and the people of Rome.
How did an artist become an artist? Artistic training in the renaissance was done in an appren-
tice fashion. People would try an replicate another artist works. Then they work on painting a
physical object. Then work with a living model instead of a bust, or object. Then you are a master
painter.
Imitation: copying the work of other to learn the basics of artistic form and style.

Imitating the best modern works: painting of a painter copying the famous Michelangelos Last
Judgement. Their idea of art is to copy and imitate, over and over again. Now there is a guy
copying an ancient statue. Peter Paul Ruben, copy a ton of statues, then about 12 years later he
using the models to made his works of art. This is a dialogue or
Emulation: An artist copies and modifies and changes a little, but the familiarity will be recognized
by looking at the two.
Marble sculptures: Materials and techniques: Chisels and a couple other things, but nothing
to great. a relief sculpture isnt free standing it leaves some unfinished marble or is set in a bigger
thing. There is high relief, higher out, and lower relief set lower.
Renaissance: french for rebirth renascence. Rebirth of Culture, emulating classical antiquity.
There was culture in ancient Greece and such, much then the roman empire collapsed. This was
like a death of culture. The invaders and christians destroyed the statue of pagan gods.
Dark ages, and Middle ages are both terms invented in the early renaissance in the 1300s.
First we begin with Italy, specifically Tuscany. Famous city Florence, Siena, Pisa.
Pisa was founded in the Roman empire, and we will look at the Baptistery
Cathedral-the church that contains the throne of the bishop, official who oversees the district known
as a diocese.
Baptistery: a space within, or a building adjacent to, a cathedral, in which the sacrament of baptism
is performed for citizens of the diocese.
Baptism is the most important sacrament in Christian church during the late middle ages, and the
early Renaissance.
Every Christian citizen of Pisa passes through that citys baptistery.
Civic and Religious meanings of a work of art are often tied together in the renaissance.
Nicola Pisano, Pisa Pulpit 1259-1260 work of art at the center of the church to peach from or
bible readings.
Picture of pillars on the backs of lions. It is also much more detailed than other pulpits. This
lion has a soul. on top of the pillars, have people on them. They are also very realistic. One is of
David with lions.
There are then panels at the top. Annuciation and nativity, Pisa Pulpit, 1259-1260

3 1-19-17
Hangover

3
4 1-24-17
thirteenth and fourteenth century Italian painting

4.1 Fresco
4.1.1 Giotoo:
Arena Chapel frescoes, Padua, 1305-06

Lamentation
Terms Foreshortening, difficulta

4.2 Tempera on Panel

4.2.1 Cimabue:
Madonna Enthroned with Angels and prophets, tempera on pane, 1280s

4.2.2 Giotto:
Madonna enthroned, tempera on panel, 1310

4.2.3 Duccio:
Maesta

4.3 Giotto
1267-1337
Celebrated during his time,
Giotto, Expulsion of Joachim form the temple. fresco, arena chapel Important
Joachim in the wilderness, fresco arena chapel 1305-1306
Lamentation, Fresco, Arena chapel, 1305-06
the dead body is taken to his mother to say goodbye. This is also not really in the bible.
Once again we see that there is a separation of the heavens and the earth, with the starch contrast.
But both are grieving, the people in the earth and the angels in the sky.
These angel are very different than normal frescos. In this painting they are facing down instead of
up, and the body is far shorter than normal
Definition: foreshortening, you dont see the whole body, you simply see this from an angel, this
is described by an Italian word difficulta, it is difficult for the viewer ie a break from the normal,
perhaps even shocking. It is supposed to stand out.
H after this dude artists people used foreshortening for miracles or amazing feats
The people on the group are heavy, they have a heavy emotions, and they have seriousness.
look up Ja tow
The attention isnt devied, the modeling of the cloth is from the previous guy, ie it is in 3d.
4
Halos are a representation of holiness
The people in the foreground without faces are the enter point for the painting. It is supposed to
bring in our emotional attention.
Marry is squinting at jesus, this normal signifies talking or connection, but this time it is like a call
to the woods with no answer.
The altar is where the priest standing and where the sacraments are given. made of marble or
bronzes. In this one there is altar piece.
Definition: Altarpiece: a sculpted or painted decoration on top of or behind an altar.
Off to Florence.
Function of altarpiece function serves a particular religious dogma. Medium: egg tempera on panel
painting. Eucharist communion. The doctrine of transubstantiation (1215) the idea that the bread
and the wine is the flesh and blood of christ.
New practice: Elevation of the host: the preists does weird shit with the food, ultimately raising it
up.
The altar piece is a backdrop of this raising of the shit.
Altar pieces are not fresco, they are egg tempera on panel painting.
Definition: Egg tempera on panel painting technique It is a wooden panel on the back,
Steps

1 Frame must be constructed from wooden panels, flaws covered

2 Surface to be painted is covered with linen soaked in glue.

3 Several coats of rough gesso (gypsum and glue) are applied to the surface

4 After that dries (2-3 days), several coats f smooth gesso are applies

5 after that dries it is scraped absolutely flat with a straight-edge

6 Finally, you can begin to draw on the surface

a Gilding: (thin leaves of flattened gold) applied over reddish bole

b gilding is burnished: punch patterns are created in gold

c (Egg tempera paint pigment particles suspended in egg yolk) is applied, beginning with
drapery

d Face modeled in Egg Tempera; design scratched into wings and carpet to reveal gold
leaf.

5
 Significate stuff:
More labor intensive but less difficult than fresco
Requires less experience and judgment than fresco (no racing againt the clock)
Because there is not hurry, the surface can be very ornate in comparison with fresco.

Cimabue, Madonna Enthroned with angels and Prophets, tempera on panel,

Note Madonna=Marry
Very large, large than life.
Style term: Byzantine in style.

The model is of something like Italo-Byzantine style,

Definition: Italo-byzantine style: figure are elongated, dark faces, long nose, dark completion.
Little old man christ (not baby)
Definition: Chrysography: Lines of gold.
Back to Cimabue,
Both are vertical, seated figure, main focus is in the center, thin body, Jesus holding a scroll in
both, serious expression, small months, chrysography, Angels are every where and not trapped in
circles, the angels are in the same realitity or moment. chair is solid, angels are holding on to the
chair, This painting is very unified. It is more complicated in the bottom, also includes prophets.
Once again this is drawing on the hierarchy structure. The prophets are at the bottom, but they
provide the foundation, but are still lower. Prophets are angry, marry and angel are happy. throne
is 3D. You can see the underside of the arch, with 3 dimensional in the throne, but two d in the
plane. SO either he sucks or he was going for something. He wanted to differentiate the top and
bottom.
Giotto is younger than Cimabue and Giotto was the student of Cimabue.
So he made about the same thing.
Giotto, Madonna Enthroned, tempera on panel 1310
Giotto doesnt use chrysography, you uses light and darks to show the depth that he wants. He
show that Jesus weighed something with the clothing, small chiseled mouth, but we see teeth. She
can breathe. Giottos angel are looking at Jesus, Cimabue the angels are looking out at the viewer.
In Giottos, the angels are super white. Giottos angels have a depth to them, they look like they
could actually real. Cimabues angels are in positions that arent real. Cimbues painting is pretty
flat, Giotto is pretty depth full. Giotto, no prophets and the plane of the painting has depth.
This starts the illusion of depth and scenes that are suggested and not explicitly shown.

To siena!
Duccio, Maesta, Front: Virgin and Child enthroned with Saints, tempera on panel, (1308-11)
Context: Sept 4,1260L Battle of Montaperti between siena and Florence.
Sept, 3,126- Vow before the battle of Montaperti, portrayed in the 14-century manuscript.
Siena wins the battle;
The altar piece needs to show that when the city pledged itself to the virgin marry, they replaced
to shitty one they had before.
Definition: polyptych: an altar piece that is made up of many many pieces.
This altar piece has a front and back and is really big.
Compare the front to Giotto:
in the front there is the gold lining, Giottos isnt as ornate as the front of this one, it is very ornate
everywhere, even the not important people have detail to their clothes.
6
5 1-26-17
Tempera on panel
Duccio: Maesta tempera on panel for siena cathedral, 1308-11
Front: Virgin and Child enthroned with saints
back Betrayal of Jesus
Continuation for last time, function is still serves a role in the liturgy, egg tempera on panel,
Review, Cimabue is italo-byze, Giotto break a lot of Cimabue, Duccio: italo-byz and ornate style a
very much a mix of the two.
Duccio is very ornate, he is the counter of Giotto. This one the cloak looks very really, as it fall,
but there is no weight,
on the back there is many story pieces, she shows the arrest of jesus. this is the story of Judas.
Judas tells them witch is jesus by kissing him. Compare with Giotto, Giotto, really show the kissing
part. Giotto, doesnt show detail in the solider, they are just a giant mass. Duccio is very colorful
and there is twist and turns in fabric, but the emotion heart of the picture isnt as apparent as
Giottos is. BUT this is ok because the people who see this one are the priests and such, thus it is
ok that the information is given in a very subtle way.
SKIP a lot of the 1350-1400, because the plague arrives in Europe and thus kills many artist and
people in general. Then afterward, the people left alive got more money, then they spent a lot of
art, but the art isnt very progression. They are just churning them out, not really trying out new
things, they are basically phoning it in.

5.1 Fifth-teen-century Italian Sculpture

5.1.1 Overview
Artists and Works,
Filippo Brunelleschi: Sacrifice of Isaac, bronze competition panel for Florence baptistery 1401-01
Lorenzo Ghiberti: Sacrifice of Isaac, Bronze competition panel for Florence baptistery 1401-01
Donatello: St. Mark for orsanmichele, 1411-13, David for medici palace, ca 1440
Lorenzo Ghiberti: Isaac and his sons, for the hates of paradise, 1425-52
Terms: guild, contrapposto, linear perspective: orthogonals, vanishing point.

5.1.2 Florence
Florence is under the threat of attach by a city state call Milan.
In 1401, they decorate the baptistry with new bronze door. They then held a competition to see
who got to build the doors. the two finalists were Filippo Brunelleschi 1377-1446 and Lorenzo
Ghiberti 1378-1455

7
5.1.2.1 Bronze working
The technique of the lost wax casting aka cire perdue

1 Begin by making a form out of clay: this will be the CORE around which you will model your
cat

2 Model your form in WAX around the core. What you create in wax will eventually be
BRONZE.

3 Insert metal CORE PIN through the wax layer and into the clay core

4 Build up a network of wax rods around the wax form these will become channels for pouring
bronze and enting

5 Begin to build a layer of material around the structure in order to pour the metal

6 The melted bronze, which is around 1900 degrees F is carefully poured into the mould

7 The bronze will slowly cool down to the point at which it can be handled

8 Then it cooled and the bronze is harden , the investment is removed for the outside of the
bronze form.

9 The artist must now shear off the corn puns at the surface level, cut off the brown spruces
and repair any flaws

10 The final steps include polishing and adding detail called chasting

5.1.2.2 Competion
Subject for Competition Panel: Sacrifice of Isaac, Dramatic story from the book of genesis.
Brunelleschi: The thing is in a weird shape because it had to be, it is two tiered, he is showing he
can make figure in movement. He uses a man looking at the bottom of his foot, this is a famous
thing as it was an older sculpture call Spinario. Angel is shown grabbing Isaac hand to stop him
from killing his son.
Lorenzo Gihiberti: shows compactness, he shows that the figures are moving back in space, he is
like Duccio in the ornate scene, there is a small detailed lizard, instead of showing realistically there
is some beauty in stead of reality. The angel is foreshortened.
Lorenzo Ghiberti wins it takes him twenty years.

5.1.2.3 Orsanmichel
Context and meaning of the Orsanmichele (Building) in 1406 the guilds given 10 years to fill niche
with statues of their patron saints.
Donatello 1386-1466: Sculptor in bronze and marble.
State of St. Mark, for the Orsanmichele

8
 Definition: Guild: Like unions, they are there to protect the members of the guild, ie painters
guild helped painters. This also took care of widows, throw funerals, also each had a patron saint.
Definition: Contrapposto: Meaning that figure is rest on one foot, the hips sift, the shoulder as
well, the arm above the less weight leg is doing something. SUGGEST the possible of movement.
Once again since it could move it has a soul.

Back to St. Mark by Donatello: the straight cloths side is the heavy leg and the ruffed side is
the bent leg. Left hand is grab at his cloths, this shows nervous energy or boredom, the face has
an intense look, the eyes have been carved out. He is standing on a pillow, making this even more
human.
Important watch fulness seeming ability to move and act
Important because he is guarding the city.

5.1.2.4 Context: Private vs Public commission

Medici Palace Courtyard. Private commission Donatello, David- Bronze 1440. Show the difference
between, old David and new David.
Private new David: Naked is ok, because it was private. First nude bronze full sized since classic
Greece( fancy word). Public old David, With cloths on, pretty boring nothing special to conclude.

6 1-29-17
Outline
Fifteenth Italian sculpture
Donatello: David, for medici palace, ca 1440.
Lorenzo Ghiberti: Isaac and is sons, for the gates of paradise, 1425-1452
Terms: Linear perspective: orthogonals, vanishing point.
Fifteenth Italian paintings
Gentile de Fabriano: Adoration of the Magi(Strozzi Altarpiece) 1423,
Masaccio: Expulsion of Adam and Eve, Brancacci Chapel, 1425
Tribute Monet, Brancacci Chapel 1425
Holy trinity ca 1427
Fra Angelico: Annunciation, fresco, 1440-1445
Terms: Stippling, sfumato, optical modeling, atmospheric (arial) perspective, donor portraits; sacra
conversazione; di sotto in su.
Know that difference between 13 and 14, rather than 15. remember century.

6.1 Fifteenth-Century Italian Sculpture

Donatello: Orsanmichele, St. Mark.
Naked is weird, nude is natural.
David: face is hidden with the hat, or valled. Davids feet are in the beard of the giant he kill. Weird
errotic thing about this. the wing of giant helm is up in to David. when there are things that cant
be figure out are normally private.

9
 Lorenzo Ghiberti: Baptistery Door, 28 sub scene, new testament.
He then gets to build the main door. Old testament scene. East doors of Florence baptis-
tery(Gates of Paradise) 1425-1454.
Now there are ten panel, look at one many one. Lorenzo Ghiberti, Isaac and his sons(Jacob
and Esau) for east doors of the Florence baptistery, on doors of paradise. Really long
story condensed. Eldest son, gets over taken by the younger one. The front of the thing is a outward
relief
Definition: Linear perspective: goes into space, think of road. put a figure in the foreground, then
dived it up in to tiles, then pick a horizon line( at height of the head of the figure). Next, figure
out where the viewer is going to be standing. Definition: Vanishing point: point on the horizon
that all the the points meet
Definition: Orthogonals: the depiction of parallel lone perpendicular to the picture placed to
merge at the vanishing point.
Definition: Transversal, the horizontal line that give the perspective on depth., also ended at the
vanishing point. All figures share the horizon line.
Story starts in the very back and then makes its way forward.
Summary of Linear Perspective:

1 present an illusionistic space that is geometrically constructed and thus can be read and
measured.

2 present a view of the world that is believable because it corresponds to our experience of
spacial recession when we remain still and view the world before us from a fixed point.

3 creates a world as it is seen form a single point of view ie it replicates subjectivity the world
is shown as it is seen by someone not as it independently exists.

6.2 Fifteenth-Century Painting

Gentile da Fabriano of Magi, (Strozzi Altar piece), 1423
Once again the story moves from back to the front. Example of the ornate style, but it is updated
and added. variet of ornaments: antithesis. also difficulta, Definition: Sfumato, example of this,
subtle degree of modeling that obscures where the light is coming from
Definition: stippling: dots of paint, shows reflection, suggesting a little bit of light even in the
shadow.
Masaccio and others, Brancacci Chapel two teirs of frescos., ignore the ceiling.
Masaccio, Expulsion of Adam and Eve from Eden, ca 1427 This is an example classical
emulates antiquity,
Definition: Optical modeling, starch transition from very light to very dark, so this is how it might
actually be seen from a distance.
Masaccio, The tribute Money, Brancacci Chapel, fresco, ca 1427 Like Giotto, they are all
in the same color and there really isnt much detail. This also include and example of a controposto,
this also include linear perspective, with the build behind the right of the scene. The vanishing
point is behind Jesus head. The mountains in the back are an example of an aerial perspective. It
is like the mist on the mountains, it is not well defined. in the left of the photo peter is in a very
weird position, he is foreshortening, difficulta. He wants to make this the main focus because this
is the miracle.
10
7 2-2-17
7.1 Masaccio
Holy Trinity, fresco ca 1428: supposed to show depth, create a virtual space. crucifixion is done
to distinguish jesus from the rest. Linear perspective is use in the ceiling titles, and the weird tomb
thing on the bottom. The focal point is again at eye level, but this doesnt correspond to anything
in the picture. So this is purely for the viewer. The idea is to make the thing 3D. This painting
had things going back in to the wall, but it also has things that are coming out from the wall. The
part that is sunk in to the wall is holy space. Sum up: created a 3D hierarchy, and we are assigned
a position. The only thing that is lower than the viewer is the dead guy. The written part is in
Italian, ie the common language. Definition: Donor portrait: when the person that paid for it are
painted in. They are a little, higher that the average person.
Marry is the entry point. Mary is not idealized. At the very top is the trinity, The father, the big
one, the the holy spirit is the dove and it is foreshorten, and then jesus. The father is unchanging
and jesus changes.

7.1.1 Fra Angelico

Annunciation, fresco, San Marco 1440-45
In Dormitory of the monastery of San Marco, Florence.
His is following Masaccio, he puts in a vanishing point, with the greek things on the pillars. The
vanishing point in in the glass, some bullshit about virgin something. He also uses folds in the
angel. It also has light and darks from the light. So overall it somewhat follows Masaccio. The
wings are pretty ornate, Masaccio wouldnt have done this. He adds shiny in the wings. There are
then flowers and tree, these are more similar to the more ornate style of before.

7.2 Piero Della Francesca

Brera Altarpiece ca 1472-74 It is a sacra conversazione (type of work)
Definition: Sacra Conversazione: a conversion of the saints in a specific place an type. This could
only happen in heaven, because they all at different times.
This is a donor portrait. It is different because the portrait is in the actual portrait. There is a
weird counter empty space of the emperor of the city( in amour) Federico da Montefeltro.
he was very good at perspective. He literally wrote a book on perspective. The helmet has many
different reflection, this is kinda of like Masaccio. Masaccio wouldnt have done, but he like making
thing like they were real. There is a weird egg hanging form the ceiling, this is almost like a focal
point. it is like an ostrich egg.

7.2.1 Comparison
The baby Jesus is giant., in Piero, he has much more depth.

7.3 Andrea Mantegna

Camera Degli Sposi, fresco,1465-74 in the city of Mantua.
This contains multiple donor portrait( more than one of the same guy). He break down the walls of
this room in the perspective. on the fireplace wall there is the ruler of mantua. Mantegna include
11
the worts and wrinkles. He is shown talking with a servant and this shows that even when he is
relaxing he is looking out for the people. The ruler is a dog person. He breaks the perspective to
have a servant on in front of the pillar things, and thus he is standing on the mantle piece. At the
top of the ceiling there is a cool oculus ( a hole in the ceiling) and there are angels looking down to
look at the people in the room .
Definition: Di sotto in su: This is a perspective on ceilings, it puts a focusing or vanishing point
to the heavens.
on this oculus there are other weird that other than the angels, but there are things like a vulture
and a weird pot thing.

7.3.1 Engineering and Classical revival in Florence.

Florence Cathedral: early stage of construction around oder church. Definition: Centering:
required to support an arch or dome during the building process. Florence Cathedral dome: no
concrete, and ow centering. They then hold a competition. Same finalist as the last competition.
Brunelleschi wins.

7.3.1.1 Filippo Brunelleschi

Florence cathedral dome 1420-36 Brunelleschis inative methods:

Invents new machines to aid in construction.

Uses pointed instead of hemispherical dome

Double shell construction lighted the dome.

internal and external ribs strengthen dome.

Herringbone brickwork knits together the individual course of brick

8 2-7-17
Test

9 2-9-17
9.1 Fliippo Brunelleschi 1377-1446
Santo spirito, Florence, begun 1436 This was Longitudinal Plan church or basilica plan church
or latin cross plan. Please note that a bay is like a little alcove. built according to numeric numbers.

Doric item Ionic Somewhat roanti

Corinthian, very very ornate

Definition: Proportion: when things are basic repetitions of one another. Classical columns.
Definition: Modularity: deploring an modulo, ie a bay.

12
9.2 Comparison
S. Maria Novella This two was a latin cross church, used may different size of base units. This
was very common because they used to depend on the expressive of the builders. The roof is held
up by visible columns.

10 2-14-17
Skip

11 2-16-17
Skip

12 2-21-17
Donato Bramante (1445-1514)
Works with Leonardo da vinci.
Da Vinci made the central plan , building, radial symeetry around a point.
Greek cross plan, example of a central plan.

13