Late MedievalTrecento ItalySlide ID’s – *Need to know artist, larger group of work, and area, either Italian or Northern Renaissance -Pisa Baptistery Pulpit - Nicola Pisano-Nativity Panel- Nicola Pisano- Fortitude (Daniel)- Nicola Pisano Problems in Renaissance Art History –- First art historian = Giorgio Vasari- Made renaissance art biased- He wrote two editions of Lives of the Artists Prejudiced  Narrative of progress for Italian Art Characterized Byzantine art as inferior, and said that they should surpass it- Believed that “classical” art needed to be revisited - Any Tuscan, specifically Florentine, is the best artists - Believed Michelangelo was the end all be all of artists; viewed him as a God, “El Divino” PISA –- Become this commercial power- Port in Tuscany- Trade routes and expansion- Big mercantile power- Extremely wealthy, and they wanted to show off their wealth by commissioning works of art- Established itself as a military power  navy- Some of their biggest rivals were port cities in Spain (still held by Muslims)- When they defeated someone, they used Spolia to show that they had conquered - Triumphant statement- Placed a bronze griffon on top of the Pisa Cathedral - Covered in geometric imagery, beautiful and decorative, indicative of Islamic artNicola Pisano – - Nicholas the Pisan- From d’ ApuliaPisa Cathedral - Competition between Italian cities to create the best and most beautiful cathedrals - Cathedral Complex- Cathedral- Baptistery- Campo Santo (graveyard)- Campanile (bell tower – Leaning Tower of Pisa) - Located on a lush green space- Romanesque forms – arcaded facade - Many transitions occurring- Cruciform, basilica plan- Large striped arches, like at Cordoba, they also used spolia- Spoil columns- Spolia = the re-use of earlier building material or decorative sculpture on new monuments- Originally understood as booty taken from war - Specifically had a wooden roof - Evoked Old Saint Peter’s basilica, aligning themselves with Rome- They knew how to build stone roofs at this point Campanile - They built two levels, then it started to skink into the ground and leaned, and the soil was easily sunken in to, so they started building in the opposite direction- If it were straight, it would be shaped like a banana - Continuation of Romanesque forms- Highly decorativeCampo Santo- Graveyard- Constantly had to halt the construction of the different parts due to different reasonsBaptistery - Blind arcade on the lowest register- Second register is more gothic- Shorter, slenderer arcades - Nicola Pisano was working in the Camp Santo restoring sarcophagi - He was employed to build the pulpit - Lectern = a reading desk, with a slanted top, usually placed on a stand or affixed to some other form of supportPisa Baptistery Pulpit- Located in the Baptistery- Carved by N.P.- Nicola Pisano signs it – artists begin to want to be known for their work- Prior to this, artists were considered slightly skilled laborers, they were considered a lower class- Artists wanted to be given a higher status in society, and wanted more respect - Pulpit very close to the baptism fount, and the altar- Sort of diagonal from one another- Supposed to be linked visually - Symbolism: triumph of Christianity over pagan beliefs- Spoil columns add to this idea - At the base there are lions and grotesque figures and animals- It is supported by a central column - Trefoil arches = triple carved arches- Indicative of high gothic - Also similar to triumphal arches, showing the triumph of Christianity- Covered in sculptural reliefs- Statuettes in corners, often statues of Christian virtues - Typically, Christian virtues were represented by women, but here there are men- Renewed interest in classical/natural forms - Nativity Panel Relief- Continuous narrative- The annunciation happens in the background- Repeated figures: Mary, Gabriel- In gothic reliefs they were clearly defined figures- These are less legible - Still mostly illiterate, but they didn’t need to clearly understand the stories by visuals – oral teachings - Oratorical gesture as angel Gabriel tells Mary that she will have a godly kiddie- N.P. was heavily interested by the images he saw while restoring sarcophagi in the Campo Santo- Influenced by Roman reliefs -Corner Sculpture: The Virtue of Fortitude- Daniel – could be a depiction of Daniel from the lion’s den - Classical art being reborn- No longer those flattened elongated forms like in gothic art – abstract, not naturalistic- Fortitude is intentional- The recurrence of the heroic male nude, like in Doryphoros - Contrapposto/ more naturalistic- Different than other “normal” Christian imagery, where nakedness was viewed as bad, evocative of sin- Nudity was not celebrated, but here Fortitude in unashamedly nude, a new idea in Christian art- This is the moment pinpointed to where the Renaissance started - Invokes different depictions of Hercules – classical heroic figure- The fact that this is not a biblical figure, but an idea, they didn’t mind him being depicted nude- Interested in viewer’s perspective – this figure is 15 ft high When you look at it straight on it looks proportionally off, but when you look up at it from below it looks normal --- FortitudeSlide ID’s –- Arena Chapel, Giotto-Expulsion of Joachim-Nativity-Crucifixion-Lamentation-Virgin and Child Enthroned Late Medieval –- Started to become interested in literature and gaining interest in naturalism- Still working with symbolism with a lot of the narratives- Interest in recreating Roman motifs in a Christian wayFLORENCE & SIENA –- Both cities important for commerce- Have a boom in population and urbanization- More people working  more patronage- Guilds control a lot of commercialization within citiesGirorgia Vasari –- Byzantine art for him is Greek art- Does not like Byzantine Icon painting, breaks away from Byzantine styleMadonna Enthroned- Artists: Cimabue and Giotto (Cimabue’s Student)- Giotto uses light and shadow that would actually exist in the chapel- Madonna is more individualized in Giotto’s- Pushing away from Byzantine- Very maternal figure, shows she just had a baby- Breasts Arena Chapel-Scrovegni Chapel-Artist/Patron: Giotto-Chapel specifically built to atone for his family’s sin- Scrovegni family was famous for usury, which was looked down upon-Chapel had only one window, so he could play with light pouring in-Decorated with gilded