#1520s religious paintings in Italy

[kommabortsig]

Saint_Lucy_by_Domenico_di_Pace_Beccafumi.jpg

[artandthebible]

The Adoration of the Child

Artist: Antonio da Correggio  (Italian, 1489–1534)

Genre: Religious Art

Description: Nativity of Jesus

Depicted People: Christ Child

Date: 1518-1520

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Collection: Uffizi Gallery, Florence, Italy

Description

Antonio Allegri, known as Correggio, named after his birth town, can be considered the leading figure of the renewal of early 16th century Emilian painting. Having started out in the Mantuan scene, where he had the opportunity to study illusionism based on perspective and the recovery of Mantegna’s classicism, he enhanced his expertise by learning Da Vinci’s sfumato and the Venetian tonalismo techniques. The result was a fresh, vibrant style of painting, focused on expressing the tenderness of personal relationships, and capable of winning the beholder over with its likeable spontaneous characters and precious, delicate colours.

The provenance of this painting is unknown, but we do know that the Duke of Mantua, Ferdinando Gonzaga, chose it as a gift for the Grand Duke Cosimo II de’Medici so it was definitely considered one of the painter’s masterpieces. The work came to the Uffizi in 1617 and was located in the Tribuna, where it remained until 1848. In the famous view of the ‘Tribuna of the Uffizi’ painted in 1772 by English artist Johan Zoffany, the work occupies a prominent position alongside Raphael’s ‘Madonna of the Chair’.

The subject of the painting had been quite popular in the 15th century through the works of Filippo and Filippino Lippi, who had painted several versions of it. The iconography is inspired by the vision of the birth of Christ experienced by St Bridget of Sweden in Bethlehem in 1372. In her Revelations, the saint relates that” the Virgin then took off her shoes […] knelt with great reverence as if in prayer, with her hands stretched out in front of her and, then and there, in a moment and the twinkling of an eye, she gave birth to a Son. The newborn child suddenly appeared on the ground radiating an ineffable light. When the Virgin realised that she had given birth, she said to the Child: “Welcome, my God, my Lord, and my Son!” In the clear, esoteric dawn atmosphere, a beautiful, sweet Virgin kneels in front of the newborn Child, gazing at him with tenderness. The Child is returning his mother’s gaze, reaching out his tiny hand, as babies do, as he tries to grab her robe. The intimate bond between mother and child is emphasised by the fact that the baby has been set down on a piece of his mother’s robe.

[arthistoriansdiary]

Martyrdom of St Agatha

Sebastiano del Piombo, Martyrdom of St Agatha (1520). Oil on wood, 132 x 178 cm. Palazzo Pitti, Italy.

Sebastiano del Piombo's Martyrdom of St. Agatha is a profound work that encapsulates the Renaissance's emotional depth and dramatic tension. Housed in the Palazzo Pitti in Florence, this oil on wood painting vividly portrays the trials faced by the early Christian martyr, St. Agatha. Through his masterful use of colour, composition, and detail, del Piombo invites viewers to engage with the spiritual and emotional resonance of Agatha's suffering.

The Story Behind the Martyr

St. Agatha, venerated as one of the early Christian martyrs, is depicted in the midst of her agonizing trial. Born in Catania in the 3rd century A.D., Agatha was subjected to brutal torture by Quintianus, the proconsul of Catania, who desired her but accused her of blasphemy when she refused his advances. Del Piombo captures this moment with striking intensity, showcasing Agatha's strength of spirit in the face of unimaginable pain. The painting conveys a narrative that transcends time, inviting viewers to reflect on themes of faith, sacrifice, and resilience.

Artistic Technique: Light and Shadow

One of the most compelling aspects of Martyrdom of St. Agatha is del Piombo’s innovative use of light and shadow, a technique known as chiaroscuro. The contrast between light and dark serves to heighten the emotional gravity of the scene. Agatha is illuminated against the dark background, drawing the viewer’s eye to her expression of defiance and faith. The artist's ability to render flesh tones and textures adds a lifelike quality to the figures, enhancing the dramatic impact of the painting.

The Agony of St. Agatha

In Martyrdom of St. Agatha, Sebastiano del Piombo presents a harrowing depiction of the saint's torture, emphasizing the physical and emotional torment she endures. Agatha's arms are forcibly stretched behind her as two men, positioned on either side, use brutal iron pincers to tear at her breasts, capturing the horrifying moment central to her martyrdom. The torturers grip the tools with grim determination, emphasizing the cruelty of the act and highlighting Agatha's unwavering strength as she faces this torment with stoic defiance.

Her illuminated figure contrasts with the shadowed figures of her tormentors, drawing attention to her suffering yet emphasizing her resilience. In the background, a building teeters on the edge of collapse, engulfed in flames—a reference to the earthquake said to have occurred during her martyrdom. This adds to the chaotic atmosphere, while Agatha’s radiant form remains a symbol of faith in the midst of destruction.

The Legacy of Sebastiano del Piombo

Sebastiano del Piombo’s Martyrdom of St. Agatha showcases his skill in blending Venetian colour with Roman drama. His powerful use of chiaroscuro and emotional intensity set him apart, capturing not just the physical agony of the saint but her spiritual resilience. While often overshadowed by his contemporaries, del Piombo’s ability to convey deep human suffering ensures his lasting influence in Renaissance art.

A Space for Reflection

What does St. Agatha’s unwavering strength in the face of brutal torment say about the power of faith and resilience? How does del Piombo's focus on physical suffering shift the way religious devotion was portrayed in Renaissance art?

[thetudorforum]

Available Characters in Italy

Contact us here or at forum if you wish to play one of them:

Caspar Ottaviano de' Medici-Ambassador Michelangelo-Artist Petyr Baelish-lord Giovanni Montpensier-2nd Baron Montpensier of Calabria Giralamo de Treviso- also known as Girolamo di Tommaso da Treviso the Younger and Girolamo Trevigi, was an Italian Renaissance painter. Stylistically, Girolamo is associated with Giorgionismo and the continuation of Giorgione’s style, and, while working in Bologna during the 1520s, the influence of Raphael’s St. Cecilia.Besides working in Bologna, which included sculptural decoration on the portal of San Petronio and grisaille paintings inside, he also worked in Genoa, Faenza, Trent, and at the Palazzo del Te in Mantua. Giorgio Vasari, in his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, writes that Girolamo traveled to England to work as a military engineer for Henry VIII.He also worked as a painter there,A Protestant Allegory in the Royal Collection shows the Pope on the ground being pelted with large stones by various figures.Girolamo was working as an engineer for Henry when killed by a cannon shot during the siege of Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1544. Tate Langdon- courtier at Italian court. He is a fictional character, his story is all yours to make. Pier Paolo Vergerio- the Younger, was an Italian religious reformer. Although Vergerio achieved little in the way of his appointed task, which was to induce the Protestants to send delegates to the council, Pope Paul III twice dispatched him across the Alps; and meanwhile rewarded him, first with the bishopric of Modruš in Croatia. In the year 1540, Vergerio again entered active diplomatic service; he was at Worms at the religious conference as commissioner for King Francis I of France. It was in memory of the council that he dedicated the tract De unitate et pace ecclesiae. Like Cardinal Contarini, beside whom he also appeared at the religious conference of Regensburg in 1541, he was charged with having conceded too much to the Protestants. Bernardo Tasso-born in Venezia, was an Italian courtier and poet. He was, for many years, secretary in the service of the King of Italy, and he was a childhood friend to a King. Valerie Rocksford-lady in waiting at Italian court. She is a fictional character, hers story is all yours to make. Girolamo Riario- best friend to Caspian de'Noli and Captain-general of the Holy Roman Church. He is a fictional character, his story is all yours to make. Clemencia Huerta- lady in waiting to  Juana of Aragon Lorenzo de Mauro-Soldier and loyal to Juana of Aragon Joanna d'Aragona - daughter of Gerome Dudley and Juana of Aragon Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara- He was the eldest son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia.In April 1528, he married Renée of France, the second daughter of Louis XII, King of France, and Anne of Brittany. Renée received from Francis I of France an ample dowry and annuity. Thus the court she assembled about her in Ferrara corresponded to the tradition which the cultivation of science and art implicitly required, including scholars like Bernardo Tasso and Fulvio Pellegrini Morato. Anna d'Este- was an important princess with considerable influence at the court of France and a central figure in the French Wars of Religion. In her first marriage she was Duchess of Aumale, then of Guise, in her second marriage Duchess of Nemours and Genevois. Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara-He was the elder son of Ercole II d'Este and Renée de France, the daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne of Brittany and was the fifth and last Duke of Ferrara. Lucrezia d'Este-was a Ferrarese noblewoman and duchess of Urbino from 1570 to 1578. She was the third daughter of Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara and his wife Renée of France, the second daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne of Brittany. She was notable as a patron of the arts - she and her younger sister Eleonora d'Este were the dedicatees of Torquato Tasso's poem O figlie di Renata (O daughters of Renata). Eleonora d'Este-was a Ferrarese noblewoman. She was the fourth daughter of Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara and his wife Renée of France, the second daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne of Brittany. She and her elder sister Lucrezia d'Este were the dedicatees of Torquato Tasso's poem O figlie di Renata (O daughters of Renata). Luigi d'Este-was an Italian Catholic cardinal, the second of the five children of Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Modena and Ferrara, and Renée, daughter of Louis XII of France. Rodrigo de Puebla- royal advisor to Juana of Aragon Juliet Capulet- lady in waiting and best friend to Juana of Aragon Costanza Farnese- best friend to Anastasia of Aragon Giacomo Boncompagni- future husband to Anastasia of Aragon Catalina Alberici- governess to Isabella de Aleramici Paris da Mula - Count of Visu and husband of Juliet Capuletti Sister Lucy Brocadelli - nun. Fictioonal Lucrezia Borgia - Duchess of Ferrara; wife of Alfonso d'Este Francesca Salviatii - a lady of Florence Isabella of Taranto-Dowager Queen of Taranto Piero Strozzi Italian military leader Adelaide of Taranto - daughter of Juana Aragon Emma of Taranto - daughter of Juana Aragon Ercole II d'Este - brother of Juana Aragon Costanza d'Avalos-Duchess of Francavilla Joanna d'Aragona-Countess of Lecce and Brienne Cosimo d'Aragona  -  King of Lombardy; son of Juana of Aragon & Caspar de Medici Luca Garcia  -  Prince of Italy; brother of Cesare, Giovanni & Lucrezia Gianna Moretti -  maid; fictional ; her story is yours to make Louise Borgia  -  Duchess of the Romagna Francesca Garcia -  Princess of Italy; sister of Francesco & Madeline Maria Schenk  -  Queen of Italy Lucrezia Garcia  -  Princess of Italy Giulia Amalfi -  lady in waiting

[dutch-and-flemish-painters]

Cornelis van Cleve - Nativity - 

Cornelis van Cleve, Cornelis van Cleef or Cornelis van der Beke, nickname Sotte Cleve ('Mad Cleve') (1520 in Antwerp – 1567/1614) was a Flemish Renaissance painter active in Antwerp who is known for his religious compositions and portraits. Starting his career in Antwerp in the workshop of his father Joos van Cleve, he later worked for a while in London. When he failed to achieve success in England, he became insane and stopped painting.

Cornelis van Cleve was only active during a fourteen-year period in Antwerp and London. Nevertheless, he was able to leave an extensive body of work as can be deduced from the frequent mention of his works in 16th and 17th-century inventories. Rubens owned two works by the artist. The English King Charles I also owned two works by 'Sotte Cleve', which are no longer in the Royal Collection including a 'Bacchus feast of children being some, one and twenty figures'. Max J. Friedländer identified a group of works originally attributed to an artist given the notname Pseudo-Lombard as works of Cornelis van Cleve. Of the works attributed to both Joos van Cleve and Cornelis van Cleve, the authorship of father or son remains often a matter of dispute.

Cornelis van Cleve painted predominantly religious paintings and to a lesser extent mythological scenes and portraits. Walter Friedländer organised van Cleve's pictures in chronological order, based on the development in his style. He thus showed that the painter had distanced himself gradually from his father's style. Initially he was a representative of the tradition in the period dominated by Pieter Coecke van Aelst, Frans Floris and Anthonis Mor, Flemish painters who had studied in Italy or had become influenced by Italian art. He made efforts to keep up with the new style by eagerly looking around for Italian models. This paintings show influences from Raphael, Leonardo da Vinci and Andrea del Sarto.

[anastpaul]

Saint of the Day – 9 March – St Catherine of Bologna OSC (1413-1463) – aged 49 – Religious Poor Clare nun – born on 8 September 1413 at Bologna, Italy as Caterina dei Vigri and died on 9 March 1453 at Bologna, Italy of natural causes.  Patronages – Bologna, Against temptations, Artists, Liberal arts. 

Catherine came from an upper class family, the daughter of Benvenuta Mammolini of Bologna and Giovanni Vigri, a Ferrarese notary.   She was raised at Niccolo III’s court as a lady-in-waiting to his wife Parisina d’Este (d. 1425) and became lifelong friends with his natural daughter Margherita d’Este (d. 1478).   During this time, she received some education in reading, writing, music, playing the viola, and had access to illuminated manuscripts in the d’Este Court library.

In 1426, after Niccolo III’s execution of Parisina d’Este for infidelity, Caterina left court and joined a lay community of beguines living a semi-religious life and following the Augustinian rule.    In 1431 the beguine house was converted into the Observant Poor Clare convent of Corpus Domini, which grew from 12 women in 1431 to 144 women by the end of the century.   Sister Caterina lived at Corpus Domini, Ferrara most of her life from 1431 to 1456, serving as Mistress of Novices.

She was a model of piety and experienced miracles and several visions of Christ, the Virgin Mary, Thomas Becket and St Joseph, as well as future events, such as the fall of Constantinople in 1453.

She wrote a number of religious treatises, lauds, sermons and copied and illustrated her own breviary (below).

In 1455 the Franciscans and the governors of Bologna requested that she become abbess of a new convent, which was to be established under the name of Corpus Domini in Bologna.   She left Ferrara in July 1456 with 12 sisters to start the new community and remained abbess there until her death on 9 March 1463.   Caterina was buried in the convent graveyard but after eighteen days, a sweet smell emanated from the grave and the incorrupt body was exhumed.   It was eventually relocated to a chapel where it remains on display, dressed in her religious habit, seated upright behind glass.   A contemporary Poor Clare, Sister Illuminata Bembo, wrote her biography in 1469.   A strong local Bolognese cult of Caterina Vigri developed and she became a Beata in the 1520s, but was not Canonised until 1712 by Pope Clement XI.

Catherine’s best known text is Seven Spiritual Weapons Necessary for Spiritual Warfare (Le Sette Armi Spirituali), which she appears to have first written in 1438 and then rewritten and augmented between 1450 and 1456.   Although she probably taught similar ideas, she kept the written version hidden until she neared death and then handed it to her confessor with instructions to send a copy to the Poor Clares at Ferrara. Part of this book describes at length her visions both of God and of Satan.   The treatise was circulated in manuscript form through a network of Poor Clare convents.   It was first printed in 1475 and went through 21 later editions in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, including being translated in Latin, French, Portuguese, English, Spanish and German.   It therefore played an important role in the dissemination of late medieval vernacular mysticism in the early modern period.

In addition, she wrote lauds, short religious treatises and letters, as well as a 5000-line Latin poem called the Rosarium Metricum, the I Dodici Giardini and I Sermoni.   These were discovered around 2000 and described by Cardinal Giacomo Biffi – as “now revealed in their surprising beauty.   We can ascertain that she was not undeserving of her renown as a highly cultivated person.   We are now in a position to meditate on a veritable monument of theology which, after the Treatise on the Seven Spiritual Weapons, is made up of distinct and autonomous parts – The Twelve Gardens, a mystical work of her youth, Rosarium, a Latin poem on the life of Jesus and The Sermons, copies of Catherine’s words to her religious sisters.”

St Catherine represents the rare phenomenon of a fifteenth-century nun-artist whose artworks are preserved in her personal breviary.   She meditated while she copied the scriptural text, adding about 1000 prayer rubrics and drew initials with bust-portraits of saints, paying special attention to images of Saints Clare and Francis.   Besides multiple images of Christ and the infant swaddled Christ Child, she depicted other saints, including Thomas Becket, Jerome, Paul, Anthony of Padua, Mary Magdalene, her name saint Catherine of Alexandria.   Her self-taught style incorporated motifs from needlework and devotional prints.   Some saints’ images, interwoven with text and rubrics, display an idiosyncratic, inventive iconography.

Other panel paintings and manuscripts attributed to her include the Madonna and Child (nicknamed the Madonna del Pomo) in the Cappella della Santa, a possible portrait or self-portrait (?) in the autograph copy of the Sette Armi Spirituali, a Redeemer and another Madonna and Child in her chapel.

[echoesoftheeast]

Sulieman the New Justinian

One of the great historical phenomena we find is when major historical figures seek to identify themselves with other great historical figures from the past through various ways, such as through titles, symbolic gestures, and even through paintings. A fascinating example of this is found in the life of one of the Ottoman Empire's greatest sultans, Suleiman the Magnificent. When considering the most memorable points of Suleiman's reign as sultan of the Ottoman Empire from 1520-1566 we find four examples of actions and events which hearken back to the days of the Byzantine Empire and their, arguably, greatest emperor, Justinian the Great. Whether or not Suleiman deliberately sought to identify himself and his reign with Justinian's is a matter of speculation but the correlations are nonetheless intriguing.

The first point of interest lies in the marriages of both men. Both Justinian and Suleiman choose a bride for themselves that came from "less-than-royal" backgrounds. In 525 Justinian married a certain Theodora, who is described by historian John Julius Norwich as not being, "an ideal match. Her father had been a bear-keeper at the Hippodrome, her mother an acrobat - antecedents more than enough to debar her from polite society." Not only was Theodora's lineage considered vulgar but her own youth was considered "less-than-reputable", "while still a child Theodora had joined her elder sister on the stage, playing in farce and burlesque. Before long she had graduated to being Constantinople's most notorious courtesan." Due to her sensational past, Justinian was unable to marry her until his own mother, Empress Lupicina, had died since she considered Theodora origins and past too base. Suleiman's choice was likewise a controversial choice, not because of morally questionable past, such as in the case of Theodora, but due to her status of being a slave. In 1534 Suleiman married the Ruthenian slave-girl Hurrem Sultan (more popularly known as "Roxelana" in the West). This marriage was unprecedented, as in the evaluation of Caroline Finkel, "[Suleiman's] marriage to a freed slave was...a break with convention...[his] marriage to a concubine was shocking enough; his disregard for the one-mother-one-son norm still more so." Despite the popular evaluations of their wives both Justinian and Suleiman were deeply devoted husbands and both Theodora and Roxelana are known to have had considerable influence over their husbands, even in political affairs; Theodora is famous for her rousing speech to Justinian encouraging him not to flee Constantinople during the NIKA protests of January 13th 532 while Roxelana is notorious for her suspected involvement in convincing Suleiman that his oldest son Mustafa, born from another one of his concubines, was plotting against him; leading eventually to Mustafa's execution in 1553.

The next connection between Suleiman and Justinian lies in the scope of the Empires they ruled. Both men are associated with being the rulers of their respective empires at their geographical height. Both men are likewise associated with the expansion of their empires to their geographical height. Justinian's reign is marked by his program of "reconquest" in attempts made by him to retake former territories of the Roman Empire. During his reign, Justinian waged campaigns in Northern Africa, Italy, and Hispania (among others) which brought Justinian's empire beyond being an expression of an "eastern" Roman empire. Suleiman, following the precedence of his forefathers - such as Mehmet II and his father Selim I, likewise expanded his empire through a number of military campaigns. Some of Suleiman's greatest conquests included the taking of Belgrade from the Kingdom of Hungary, the conquest of Baghdad against the Muslim Safavids, as well as the annexation of huge Muslim territories in North Africa.

Another fascinating echo of Justinian in the life of Suleiman is his Ottoman title "the Lawgiver" (rather than his Western title "the Magnificent"). Suleiman is known especially for his work in updating the law-code of the Ottoman Empire as well as formulating new law-codes for the newly acquired territories of his empire. Suleiman's grand legislative work, carried out by Sheikhulislam Ebussuud, was, "a revision and amplification of those [law-codes] of Mehmed II and Bayezid II, containing legislative principles for the empire as a whole on matters such as the regulation of the provincial cavalry forces, taxation...and the affairs of the minority population." This work of updating Ottoman law-codes was not only a revision of laws previously promulgated by the sultans of the past but was also a harmonization between the secular laws and the Islamic religious laws. This dual work of updating imperial law and its harmonization of religious law was also a staple of Justinian's reign. Just as Suleiman carried out his project through Ebussuud so too had Justinian carried out his juridical project through a jurist named Tribonian. In Tribonian, "Justinian found the one man capable of bringing a long-cherished dream to fruition. This was a complete recodification of the Roman law, removing all repetitions and contradictions, ensuring that there was nothing incompatible with Christian teaching."

A final similarity between the two men is found in their ambitious building projects. Justinian is arguably most known for the construction of the church of Hagia Sophia when considering his architectural achievements. During the NIKA revolts, the original church was burned down and Justinian took it upon himself to rebuild the church in greater grandeur than the predecessor. Upon its completion, the cathedral of Hagia Sophia was considered to be the largest building of its time and a marvel of engineering with its enormous central dome, 107 feet across and 160 above the pavement. Tradition has it that when Justinian entered the church for the first time, "[he] stood for a long time in silence before being heard to murmur: 'Solomon, I have surpassed thee.'" Alongside Justinian Suleiman too is known for his construction of religious buildings. While Justinian, as a Christian, was known for his magnificent churches Suleiman, as a Muslim, became known for his mosques. Perhaps the most well known of Suleiman's mosques is the one that bears his name, the Suleymaniye in Constantinople. Just as Hagia Sophia was the most ambitious building project of Justinian's architects so too was the Suleymaniye the largest design of Suleiman's chief architect. The design and size of the Suleymaniye are likewise similar and reminiscent of Hagia Sophia; in fact, it's considered to be the second-largest Mosque in Istanbul right behind Hagia Sophia (which had been converted into a Mosque after Mehmet II's conquering of Constantinople in 1453). Upon its completion, there are whispers that Suleiman uttered the very same words that Justinian had said, marveling and the glory of Hagia Sophia when he entered the mosque for the very first time.

Between these historical circumstances, we can see hints of Suleiman being presented by history as a new Justinian. This would be in fact be quite fitting since the Ottomans considered themselves the inheritors of the Byzantine Empire since their conquest of Constantinople. If an Ottoman sultan wanted to portray himself as being the greatest sultan of the empire it's perfectly reasonable that he may want to draw upon the legacy and image of Justinian to give his own reign an image of greatness. While the lives of Justinian and Suleiman aren't completely identical nonetheless the similarities in marriage, conquest, law, and architecture are intriguing and from these correlations, we can see Suleiman as a new, Islamic, Justinian in a sense. While one's preference for Justinian or Suleiman will largely depend on one's religious convictions (as an Orthodox Christian I make no denial that my own religious convictions place my own personal bias towards Justinian or St. Justinian, as he is remembered in the Orthodox Church) at the very least these similarities can be recognized between them. In calling Suleiman a new Justinian we need not insinuate that Suleiman was greater than Justinian, though no doubt those who hold the Muslim faith would believe so, but rather that since Suleiman's reign bears a certain resemblance to Justinian's, and since Suleiman's reign comes later historically - 1000 years later, in fact, he can be stylized as a new Justinian.

(All quotations regarding Justinian taken from John Julius Norwich's "A Short History of Byzantium" while all quotations regarding Suleiman are taken from Caroline Finkel's "Osman's Dream")

[obsessionarts]

"Madonna With St. Roch And St. Sebastian" (Italy, 1522) Oil on canvas By Lorenzo Lotto

[leyhejuhyunghan]

Alighieri Dante (c. 1265–1321) La Divina Commedia Inferno Canto V. I. 1-15 Minos who judges the second circumference, 13-15., 15. Dicono e odono e poi son giù volte. (Says and hears and then below times.), Workshop of Robert Campin (Netherlandish, ca. 1375–1444), Mérode Altarpiece, ca. 1427–32, The Metropolitan Museum of Art., Hugo van der Goes (Flemish, c. 1430/1440–1482), The Monforte Altarpiece, c.1470, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. Hugo van der Goes 31.03.2023 bis 16.07.2023  Gemäldegalerie, The Portinari Altarpiece, 1475-76, Uffizi Gallery., Jean-Antoine Watteau (French, baptised 1684-1721), Pèlerinage à l'île de Cythère, 1717, Louvre., Pilgrimage to Cythera, c. 1718–1719, L'Enseigne de Gersaint, c. 1720–1721, Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin., Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, OM, RA (Dutch, 1836–1912), The Roses of Heliogabalus, 1888

Alighieri Dante (c. 1265–1321) La Divina Commedia Inferno Canto V. I. 1-15 Minos who judges the second circumference, 13-15., 15. Dicono e odono e poi son giù volte. (Says and hears and then below times.), Workshop of Robert Campin (Netherlandish, ca. 1375–1444), Mérode Altarpiece, ca. 1427–32, The Metropolitan Museum of Art., Hugo van der Goes (Flemish, c. 1430/1440–1482), The Monforte Altarpiece, c.1470, Gemäldegalerie, Berlin. Hugo van der Goes 31.03.2023 bis 16.07.2023  Gemäldegalerie, The Portinari Altarpiece, 1475-76, Uffizi Gallery., Jean-Antoine Watteau (French, baptised 1684-1721), Pèlerinage à l'île de Cythère, 1717, Louvre., Pilgrimage to Cythera, c. 1718–1719, L'Enseigne de Gersaint, c. 1720–1721, Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin., Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, OM, RA (Dutch, 1836–1912), The Roses of Heliogabalus, 1888 https://blog.naver.com/artnouveau19/222653597869

Alighieri Dante (c. 1265–1321) La Divina Commedia

Inferno

Canto V. 

I. 1-15 

Minos who judges the second circumference 

Sempre dinanzi a lui ne stanno molte: (Always in front of him from there they are a lot.)

Vanno a vicenda ciascuna al giudizio, (Goes in turn everybody to the judgement.)

Dicono e odono e poi son giù volte. (Says and hears and then below times.)

Workshop of Robert Campin (Netherlandish, ca. 1375–1444 Tournai), Mérode Altarpiece (Annunciation Triptych), ca. 1427–32, Oil on oak, Dimensions: overall (when open), 25 3/8 × 46 3/8 in.; central panel, 25 1/4 × 24 7/8 in.; each wing, 25 3/8 × 10 3/4 in., The Metropolitan Museum of Art. On view at The Met Cloisters in Gallery 19

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mérode_Altarpiece

https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/470304

Hugo van der Goes (Flemish, c. 1430/1440–1482), The Monforte Altarpiece (Adoration of the Magi), c.1470, Oil on wood, 147×242cm (58×95in), Gemäldegalerie, Berlin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monforte_Altarpiece

Hugo van der Goes

31.03.2023 bis 16.07.2023 Gemäldegalerie

Hugo van der Goes (um 1440-1482) war der wichtigste niederländische Künstler der zweiten Hälfte des 15. Jahrhunderts. Tätig in Gent und Brüssel, gehörte er der zweiten Generation altniederländischer Meister an, die den Pionieren Jan van Eyck und Rogier van der Weyden folgte. Seine Werke wurden von den Zeitgenossen aufs Höchste bewundert und bis ins 17. Jahrhundert hinein vielfach kopiert. Noch Albrecht Dürer nennt ihn 1520, wie nur ganz wenige andere Künstler, einen „großen Meister“. Die Gemäldegalerie präsentiert 2023 die erste ihm gewidmete Sonderausstellung. https://www.smb.museum/ausstellungen/detail/hugo-van-der-goes/

Hugo van der Goes (c. 1430/1440 – 1482) was one of the most significant and original Flemish painters of the late 15th century. Van der Goes was an important painter of altarpieces as well as portraits. He introduced important innovations in painting through his monumental style, use of a specific colour range and individualistic manner of portraiture. From 1483 onwards, the presence of his masterpiece, the Portinari Triptych, in Florence played a role in the development of realism and the use of colour in Italian Renaissance art. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugo_van_der_Goes Hugo van der Goes (Flemish, c. 1430/1440–1482), The Portinari Altarpiece, 1475-76, Oil on wood, Uffizi Gallery. https://www.uffizi.it/en/online-exhibitions/portinari-triptych

The Portinari Altarpiece or Portinari Triptych (c. 1475) is an oil on wood triptych painting by the Flemish painter Hugo van der Goes, commissioned by Tommaso Portinari, representing the Adoration of the Shepherds. It measures 253 x 304 cm, and is now in the Galleria degli Uffizi in Florence, Italy. This altarpiece is filled with figures and religious symbols. Of all the late fifteenth century Flemish artworks, this painting is said to be the most studied. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portinari_Altarpiece

Jean-Antoine Watteau (UK: /ˈwɒtoʊ/, US: /wɒˈtoʊ/,[2][3] French: [ʒɑ̃ ɑ̃twan vato]; baptised October 10, 1684 – died July 18, 1721)[4] was a French painter and draughtsman whose brief career spurred the revival of interest in colour and movement, as seen in the tradition of Correggio and Rubens. He revitalized the waning Baroque style, shifting it to the less severe, more naturalistic, less formally classical, Rococo. Watteau is credited with inventing the genre of fêtes galantes, scenes of bucolic and idyllic charm, suffused with a theatrical air. Some of his best known subjects were drawn from the world of Italian comedy and ballet. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Watteau

Jean-Antoine Watteau (French, baptised 1684-1721), The Embarkation for Cythera ("L'embarquement pour Cythère”, Pèlerinage à l'île de Cythère), 1717, 1.29x1.94m, Louvre. SALLE 917 https://collections.louvre.fr/en/ark:/53355/cl010061995

The Embarkation for Cythera (Louvre version): Many commentators note that it depicts a departure from the island of Cythera, the birthplace of Venus, thus symbolizing the temporary nature of human happiness.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Embarkation_for_Cythera Jean-Antoine Watteau (French, baptised 1684-1721), Pilgrimage to Cythera, c. 1718–1719, Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_Watteau#/media/File:Antoine_Watteau_-_L'imbarco_per_Citera.jpg

The Embarkation for Cythera ("L'embarquement pour Cythère") is a painting by the French painter Jean-Antoine Watteau. It is also known as Voyage to Cythera and Pilgrimage to the Isle of Cythera. Watteau submitted this work to the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture as his reception piece in 1717.[1] The painting is now in the Louvre in Paris. A second version of the work, sometimes called Pilgrimage to Cythera to distinguish it, was painted by Watteau about 1718 or 1719[2] and is in the Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Embarkation_for_Cythera Jean-Antoine Watteau (French, baptised 1684-1721), L'Enseigne de Gersaint, c. 1720–1721, Oil on canvas, 163×308cm (64×121in), Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/L%27Enseigne_de_Gersaint https://www.spsg.de/en/palaces-gardens/object/charlottenburg-palace-old-palace/

L'Enseigne de Gersaint (transl. "The Shop Sign of Gersaint") is an oil on canvas painting in the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, by French painter Jean-Antoine Watteau. Completed during 1720–21,[1] it is considered to be the last prominent work of Watteau, who died some time after. It was painted as a shop sign for the marchand-mercier, or art dealer, Edme François Gersaint.[2] According to Daniel Roche the sign functioned more as an advertisement for the artist than the dealer.[3]

The painting exaggerates the size of Gersaint's cramped boutique, hardly more than a permanent booth with a little backshop, on the medieval Pont Notre-Dame, in the heart of Paris, both creating and following fashion as he purveyed works of art and luxurious trifles to an aristocratic clientele.

Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema, OM, RA (Dutch, 1836–1912), The Roses of Heliogabalus, 1888, oil on canvas, 132.1×213.7 cm, private collection. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Roses_of_Heliogabalus

[sydneyswallow-arh]

(V.S. - 3)

Title: Agony in the Garden

Artist: Francesco Bassano

Culture/Place: Italian

Media: Oil on canvas

Date: 1582-84

Why did John Ringling choose “Agony in the Garden”?

I believe John Ringling chose "Agony in the Garden" by Francesco Bassano is because of the artist and what the painting means. Knowing the amazing history of how the Ringling museum became known for what it is today and understanding the background of the artist; I could see how John Ringling could appreciate this artwork. Francesco's father founded their family workshop and studied heavily in the religious world, and this painting in particular was one of nine that ranked in a church in Brescia. It tells the story of the scene after the Last Supper, in the Garden where Christ prays to his father before his arrest that his apostles shall keep watch and allow the "cup" of sacrifice should be passed from him and then his apostles fell asleep. The story that Francesco portrayed in the oil painting portrays what you would think the mood would be in that story, dark but showing a bit of light (in the prayer/cup) of hope. John Ringling and his wife admired the Italian artwork very much and I believe the reason why he chose this piece of art to be displayed at the museum is because it shows the culture well in detail, the mood, and it was easily relatable to anyone that lived in Italy at the time. Finally, knowing that the family started their own workshop of painters and John Ringling himself spending most of his life building throughout Sarasota and finally opening up his own museum, could appreciate the hard work and love that they similarly shared for art.

The Renaissance era began from Humanists that had influenced emphasis on classic latin literature They also embraced reform of the church through a return to ancient biblical and early Christian works. They were able to adapt their ideas to the different political and cultural situations in the various Italian city-states, one being Venice where Bassano lived at the time. Francesco Bassano created “Agony in the Garden” during the Late Renaissance, also known as “mannerism” which lasted from 1520s–1600. During this time human beings became the central focus of artistic expression in painting, sculpture, and architecture. Bassano's father founded their family workshop and studied heavily in the religious world, and this painting in particular was one of nine that ranked in a church in Brescia. It tells the story of the scene after the Last Supper, in the Garden where Christ prays to his father before his arrest that his apostles shall keep watch and allow the "cup" of sacrifice should be passed from him and then his apostles fell asleep. The story that Francesco portrayed in the oil painting portrays what you would think the mood would be in that story, dark but showing a bit of light (in the prayer/cup) of hope. This painting shows the culture well in detail, the mood, and it was easily relatable to anyone that lived in Italy at the time. It is a vertical oil painting that is staged during the night which gives it a darker effect. The praying Christ is in the center of the painting and the Angel with the cup is above him to the right and the sleeping disciples are on the ground below him. The contrast in this painting give emphasis to the to the mysterious appeal and accent the garments on the characters to give attention to them as well. “Agony in the Garden” shows how well the artist was familiar with the reliogus culture during The Late Renaissance period. It clearly portrays the scene of Christ praying to the angel and being strengthened by it right before the soldiers are coming to arrest him. The detail in the contrast of light helps the viewer understand the meaning behind it. The light from the cup reflecting down on Christ bring out the intensity of that moment and what he needed before he was arrested, which creates feeling of empathy of what he was feeling and what he was looking for from the angel to the people looking at the painting.

"Italian Renaissance Culture." Renaissance and Reformation Reference Library, edited by Julie L. Carnagie, et al., vol. 2: Vol. 2: Almanac, UXL, 2002, pp. 305-371. Gale eBooks, link.gale.com/apps/doc/CX3426300028/GVRL?u=lincclin_mcc&sid=bookmark-GVRL&xid=68c4c31d. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

“Agony in the Garden.” The Agony in the Garden, http://www.ringlingdocents.org/bassano1.htm.

[honestlyswimmingdream]

Virtual Sketchbook 3

Artist: Gaudenzio Ferrari

Title: “The Holy Family with a Donor” Date: late 1520’s Medium: Oil on wood Dimensions: 59 5/8 H x 44 5/16 W x 15/16 D

The room this piece was in was all about art in Italy. There was only one to two pieces of art per wall. Each art piece was decorated with ornate gold frames. The frames contrasted perfectly from the olive-green wall coloring chosen to accentuate each piece of art. One of the pieces that caught my attention was “The Holy Family with a Donor”. In this oil painting, Mary is shown with a loving gaze, looking down upon her child. Joseph is kneeling next to her with a look of astonishment on his face as he clenches his hat, almost just realizing that his son is of a holy nature. Next to Mary, there is an unknown cleric, who most likely was the person that commissioned the piece. The identity of this donor has been unclear but, the red hat that rests beside him indicates that he was a cardinal archbishop. Recent research points to Archbishop of Milan, Giovanni Angelo Arcimboldi (1485-1555). The angels sitting at either side of the child are touching him and looking at him with adoring faces, which is shown by the use of light in the painting which brings to attention their faces. Foreshadowing is used as two angels up at the top are flying in holding a scroll, as if they are looking for the child’s name, to make sure it is there. The realistic detail is portrayed using rich and emotionally expressive color. As the spotlights in the room hit the color, it brings the painting to life as it focuses on the emotions portrayed on the faces. The light brings about a heavenly experience. This piece shows balance as there are three main large individuals in the center, and smaller subjects at the bottom of the painting. When viewing this piece, you are able to feel the emotion at the time. This painting brings about a calming effect when viewing it partly because of the subjects, but also because of how the chiaroscuro is used when lightening up the faces on the subjects. Gaudenzio Ferrari, a Northern Italian painter and sculptor of the Renaissance, demonstrated a high level of skill in portraying religious subjects as shown here. He was said to be an artist of considerable power and individuality. Many of his early works were represented by Leonardo and his Milanese followers. Ferrari (1475/80 - 1546) worked as both a painter and a sculptor throughout northwestern Italy. From 1537 until his death, he was in Milan, where his workshop carried out the city’s main private commissions. His frescoes painted in 1513 show strikingly realistic details and convey emotion with passion and intensity as seen in this piece. Ferrari was a religious painter and a Christian man. I feel that his painting represented him exceptionally well because it represents his love of Christianity. I chose this piece because it is filled with realistic emotion. Ferrari did a beautiful job at bringing focus to the impact of this scene and the feelings each person in the painting was feeling at the time. I found the balance between nature and the intensity of the scene to be exhilarating.  

[theislandkid]

Gothic Revivals in Latin America

From the 16th to the late 18th Century in Europe, began a series of architectural revivals. Among these revivals were a plethora of architectural styles including, Gothic, Mannerist, Baroque and many other additional styles. Each  style referenced models of their predecessor constructions and combined them with “modern construction techniques and modern amenities” (“Revivalism Architecture”, hisour). Instead of being exact copies of their older models, revivalist architecture differentiates itself through its newly implemented modifications and combination of other architectural styles. This blog post will primarily discuss the revival of Medieval architecture - specifically the Gothic style, and its influence on Colonial Latin America. However, this post will also acknowledge the significance of other revivalist movements, such as the revival of late renaissance-Mannerist architecture.

Milan Cathedral, a prominent Gothic structure located in Italy. (Image sourced from google images).

Firstly, the origins of Gothic architecture begins in “12th century northern France and England as a development of Norman architecture” (“Gothic Architecture”, wikipedia). The defining element/characteristic of Gothic architecture is the use of a “pointed or ogival arch” (“Gothic Architecture”, wikipedia). 

Pointed arches in a Gothic Cathedral. (Image sourced from google images).

By using a pointed arch allowed for the pointed rib vaults and flying buttresses to be made, which were often highly decorative ornamentation and accompanied with stained glass windows. 

Flying buttresses and stained glass. (Image sourced from google images).

Collectively, all these elements together formed a structurally sound and aesthetically pleasing system, that characterizes the medieval nature of Gothic Architecture. This architectural style flourished until the 16th century in Europe where it was soon revived in the New Colonial lands of Latin America. 

The Spaniards used Gothic forms in Latin America to “provide a sense of cosmopolitan sophistication and religious sanctity on a frontier relatively unknown to Europeans”. Gothic architecture also implied the “assertion of Spanish colonial rule, the presence of the Church and aristocratic claims to property and new wealth” (Neill). Essentially, Gothic Architecture is symbolic of Spain's inheritance, religious refinement and innovation over Latin America. Some examples of Gothic Architecture in Latin America include the Yuriria Monastery, with its barrel vaulted hallways, laced with pointed arches and wall paintings. 

Yuriria Monastery in Mexico. (Image sourced from google images).

Another example includes the Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral, with its interior Gothic domes, and pointed arches to indicate the infrastructure’s strong Gothic nature. “Spanish architect Claudio de Arciniega planned the construction, drawing inspiration from Gothic cathedrals in Spain” (Mexico City Metropolitan Cathedral, wikipedia). 

Mexico City’s Metropolitan Cathedral exterior. (Image sourced from wikipedia).

Another architectural style that flourished in Latin america was the revival of Renaissance architecture - or Mannerism for short. Mannerism by definition, is “a style in art and architecture (c.1520–1600), originating in Italy as a reaction against the equilibrium of form and proportions characteristic of the High Renaissance” (“Mannerism”, thefreedictionary). Some characteristics of Mannerist Architecture is the obvious symmetry, proportion, order, harmony, with architectural details/elements that invoke visual trickery. Latin America utilized Mannerist Architecture as a way to craft Colonial identity, and to further implement the influence of religion - considering that most Renaissance architecture took the forms of churches and other religious structures. One example of renaissance architecture in Latin America is Peru’s Lima Cathedral.

Lima Cathedral, Peru. (Image sourced from wikipedia).

Both of these styles were influenced by the Native and African people at the time. Although, despite its native influence, these styles still served to impose colonial order to the built environment, as it would go on as a continuation of architectural practice. For example, architectural styles like Plateresque, have significant native influence. In Plateresque architecture, there are a lot of finely detailed facades, heavily ornamented columns,and religious symbolism and sculpture. In many of the Latin american plateresque buildings, such as the Cuitzeo Monastery, it is built by an indigenious man. Another factor to mention behind the making of colonial architecture is religion. Religion was also responsible for the conformism that took place in the early cities of Latin America. When Cuzco fell in 1533, the Spaniards had replaced The Qorikancha with the Church of Santo Domingo. The architectural and artistic detail behind this church is completely European, but it's masonry foundation is Incan. The act of removing the original structure, yet keeping its foundation, was conducted on all the remaining Incan structures. This architectural hybridity was an early sign of the syncretism that Latin america would later experience down the road. Architectural hybridity in Latin America also revolved around religion. After all, the task of the stationed missionaries there was to convert the natives into Christianity. One of the solutions to this task was to build churches nearby native communities. These churches not only served as a religious infrastructure, but also became schools where the natives learned the European/Spanish social customs. These buildings were originally Spaniard in nature but eventually became influenced by Native customs - leading to what is now called Colonial Latin American Architecture.

Bibliography:

https://www.hisour.com/revivalism-architecture-29583/

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1057/pmed.2015.23

https://encyclopedia2.thefreedictionary.com/Mannerist+architecture#:~:text=of%20classical%20elements.-,mannerism,human%20proportions%2C%20perspective%2C%20etc.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexico_City_Metropolitan_Cathedral#Facades_and_portals

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Renaissance_architecture#Spread_in_the_Colonial_Americas

[deepartnature]

Moroni: The Riches of Renaissance Portraiture

"Moroni: The Riches of Renaissance Portraiture is the first major exhibition in the United States to focus on the portraiture of Giovanni Battista Moroni (1520/24–1579/80). A painter of portraits and religious subjects, Moroni is celebrated as an essential figure in the northern Italian tradition of naturalistic painting that includes Leonardo da Vinci, the Carracci, and Caravaggio. This exhibition, shown exclusively at The Frick Collection, brings to light the innovation of the artist, whose role in a larger history of European portraiture has yet to be fully explored. His famous Tailor (National Gallery, London), for example, anticipates by decades the 'narrative' portraits of Rembrandt, and his Pace Rivola Spini (Accademia Carrara, Bergamo), arguably the first independent full-length portrait of a standing woman produced in Italy, prefigures the many women that Van Dyck would paint in this format in the following century. The Frick presents about twenty of the artist’s most arresting portraits together with a selection of complementary objects — jewelry, textiles, armor, and other luxury items — that evoke the material world of the artist and his sitters and reveal his inventiveness in translating it into paint. ..."

The Frick Collection

The Frick Collection: All Objects

The Frick Collection: Lecture Video (Video) 48:43

YouTube: Moroni: The Riches of Renaissance Portraiture

[thetudorforum]

Contact us here if you wish to play one of them: https://thetudors.forumotion.com/t3183-italy

Charlotta of Naples - Princess of Naples Caspar Ottaviano de' Medici-Ambassador Michelangelo-Artist Giralamo de Treviso- also known as Girolamo di Tommaso da Treviso the Younger and Girolamo Trevigi, was an Italian Renaissance painter. Stylistically, Girolamo is associated with Giorgionismo and the continuation of Giorgione’s style, and, while working in Bologna during the 1520s, the influence of Raphael’s St. Cecilia.Besides working in Bologna, which included sculptural decoration on the portal of San Petronio and grisaille paintings inside, he also worked in Genoa, Faenza, Trent, and at the Palazzo del Te in Mantua. Giorgio Vasari, in his Lives of the Most Excellent Painters, Sculptors, and Architects, writes that Girolamo traveled to England to work as a military engineer for Henry VIII.He also worked as a painter there,A Protestant Allegory in the Royal Collection shows the Pope on the ground being pelted with large stones by various figures.Girolamo was working as an engineer for Henry when killed by a cannon shot during the siege of Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1544. Tate Langdon- courtier at Italian court. He is a fictional character, his story is all yours to make. Pier Paolo Vergerio- the Younger, was an Italian religious reformer. Although Vergerio achieved little in the way of his appointed task, which was to induce the Protestants to send delegates to the council, Pope Paul III twice dispatched him across the Alps; and meanwhile rewarded him, first with the bishopric of Modruš in Croatia. In the year 1540, Vergerio again entered active diplomatic service; he was at Worms at the religious conference as commissioner for King Francis I of France. It was in memory of the council that he dedicated the tract De unitate et pace ecclesiae. Like Cardinal Contarini, beside whom he also appeared at the religious conference of Regensburg in 1541, he was charged with having conceded too much to the Protestants. Bernardo Tasso-born in Venezia, was an Italian courtier and poet. He was, for many years, secretary in the service of the King of Italy, and he was a childhood friend to a King. Valerie Rocksford-lady in waiting at Italian court. She is a fictional character, hers story is all yours to make. Girolamo Riario- best friend to Caspian de'Noli and Captain-general of the Holy Roman Church. He is a fictional character, his story is all yours to make. Clemencia Huerta- lady in waiting to  Juana of Aragon Lorenzo de Mauro-Soldier and loyal to Juana of Aragon Joanna d'Aragona - daughter of Gerome Dudley and Juana of Aragon Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara- He was the eldest son of Alfonso I d'Este and Lucrezia Borgia.In April 1528, he married Renée of France, the second daughter of Louis XII, King of France, and Anne of Brittany. Renée received from Francis I of France an ample dowry and annuity. Thus the court she assembled about her in Ferrara corresponded to the tradition which the cultivation of science and art implicitly required, including scholars like Bernardo Tasso and Fulvio Pellegrini Morato. Anna d'Este- was an important princess with considerable influence at the court of France and a central figure in the French Wars of Religion. In her first marriage she was Duchess of Aumale, then of Guise, in her second marriage Duchess of Nemours and Genevois. Alfonso II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara-He was the elder son of Ercole II d'Este and Renée de France, the daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne of Brittany and was the fifth and last Duke of Ferrara. Lucrezia d'Este-was a Ferrarese noblewoman and duchess of Urbino from 1570 to 1578. She was the third daughter of Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara and his wife Renée of France, the second daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne of Brittany. She was notable as a patron of the arts - she and her younger sister Eleonora d'Este were the dedicatees of Torquato Tasso's poem O figlie di Renata (O daughters of Renata). Eleonora d'Este-was a Ferrarese noblewoman. She was the fourth daughter of Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Ferrara and his wife Renée of France, the second daughter of Louis XII of France and Anne of Brittany. She and her elder sister Lucrezia d'Este were the dedicatees of Torquato Tasso's poem O figlie di Renata (O daughters of Renata). Luigi d'Este-was an Italian Catholic cardinal, the second of the five children of Ercole II d'Este, Duke of Modena and Ferrara, and Renée, daughter of Louis XII of France. Rodrigo de Puebla- royal advisor to Juana of Aragon Juliet Capulet- lady in waiting and best friend to Juana of Aragon Costanza Farnese- best friend to Anastasia of Aragon Catalina Alberici- governess to Isabella de Aleramici Paris da Mula - Count of Visu and husband of Juliet Capuletti Luca Garcia - Prince of Italy; brother of Giovanni, Lucrezia and Cesare Peter of Aragon - Prince of Taranto; son of Juana of Aragon and Gerome Dudley Sister Lucy Brocadelli - nun. Fictioonal Francesca Salviatii - a lady of Florence Isabella of Taranto-Dowager Queen of Taranto Cosimo d'Aragona- son to Juana, Princess of Taranto Piero Strozzi Italian military leader Adelaide of Taranto - daughter of Juana Aragon Emma of Taranto - daughter of Juana Aragon Ercole II d'Este - brother of Juana Aragon

[jrwdfw-blog]

Raphael. The Deliverance of St. Peter. 1514. Fresco. Vatican City, Rome, Italy.

  Raphael (born Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino, 1483-1520) was a High Renaissance-era architect and painter. As a young child, he began training with his father before becoming an apprentice in Florence. Raphael quickly distinguished himself as a genius, and today stands as one of the three masters of the Renaissance along with his greatest influencers and rivals, Michelangelo and da Vinci. He was also a Neoplatonist, swept up in the philosophical concepts that sprung force from the Renaissance’s open minded ideals. Raphael’s interest in an existential soul, human origin, and teleology bleeds through in some of his most famous works such as The School of Athens, a Vatican fresco representing philosophy and the pursuit of knowledge beyond what can be provided by religious texts. Though Raphael was also known for portraying the human body in typical Renaissance format (men as uber-muscular Adonises and women as well-fed, pale, and soft bodied) his mastery of the implication movement within these works is what makes him atypical. Raphael was considered a Leonardeschi (student of da Vinci), and was significantly younger than da Vinci himself, but he is credited with influencing the sfumato (smoke-like shading to create life-like texture of skin and atmosphere, the technique is colloquially attributed to da Vinci) in da Vinci’s Mona Lisa, which is what gives Mona Lisa her famous coquettish smile. If these feats weren’t impressive enough, Raphael was exceptionally prolific, leaving behind a massive body of work after his sudden death at only 37 years old.

  In 1508, Raphael made his move from Florence to Rome, after being offered patronage by Pope Julius II to paint the Vatican’s Stanze (“Room”). This led to him being commissioned to create the fresco for four Vatican rooms in total: the Stanza della Segnatura (Room of the Signatura), the Stanza di Eliodoro (Room of Heliodorus), the Stanza dell’incendio del Borgo (The Room of the Fire in Borgo), and the Sala di Constantino (Hall of Constantine). There are many admirable frescoes in these rooms, but the one I would like to focus on is the Deliverance of Saint Peter. This fresco is part of three episodes, and shows an angel coming to Saint Peter in order to free him from King Herod’s prison. What stands out to me about this fresco is not the detailed human figures, but the use of chiaroscuro and landscape. On the left, there is the moon, shedding light onto the soldiers in their metal gear, and on the right is an angel, glowing over the stair steps. In the center, as the third and brightest light, is an angel bending over Saint Peter, trapped behind bars. His depiction of architecture, usage of geometry, and ability to create a focal point through the bars is astounding. The tessellating pattern of the bars cleverly reflects the architecture surrounding the fresco in the Stanza di Eliodoro, and draws the eye straight to it. Not only that, but his choice to show Saint Peter as an innocent prisoner is an interesting notion to put on the walls of arguably the most important Christian monument in the world, especially since Raphael seemed much more interested in philosophy than the Bible. The scene is thought to be a homage to Pope Julius’ previous title as the cardinal of Saint Peter in Chains, since Pope Julius died while Raphael was completing the rooms.

  Unfortunately, Raphael’s thoughts on these works can never be known, as his life was tragically cut short. Today, we can only enjoy the formative steps into what promised to be an exception career.

   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Rooms

  https://www.biography.com/people/raphael-41051

  https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/early-europe-and-colonial-americas/renaissance-art-europe-ap/a/raphael-school-of-athens

  https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/renaissance-reformation/high-ren-florence-rome/high-renaissance1/a/raphael-and-his-drawings

  http://www.museivaticani.va/content/museivaticani/en/collezioni/musei/stanze-di-raffaello.html

 http://allart.biz/photos/image/Raphael_22_Deliverance_of_Saint_Peter.html

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: Chronicling the Rivalry and Camaraderie of Michelangelo and Sebastiano

Sebastiano del Piombo, “The Judgement of Solomon” (c. 1506-9) tempera (lower layers) and oil on canvas, traces of gold leaf (in half-dome) 208 x 318 cm, Kingston Lacy, the Bankes Collection (National Trust) (© National Trust images by Derrick E. Witty)

LONDON — It is fair to say Sebastiano del Piombo is not the first name that springs to mind when thinking of High Renaissance Italy — specifically the artistic hub of Rome during the early 16th century. That role goes to Michelangelo, then working on the immortally iconic Sistine Chapel. Considering that the new exhibition, Michelangelo and Sebastiano, in London’s National Gallery promises in its press release the “first ever exhibition devoted to the creative partnership” between these two artists, and thinking of this year’s earlier Caravaggio show remarkable for its lightness on Carvaggio’s actual paintings, one’s immediate dread is that Michelangelo’s ticket-selling name has been shoehorned into a study seeking to elevate an obscure contemporary of his. How delightful it is then that the show methodically and academically does what it says on the tin: offer compelling instances of collaboration, consistently demonstrated with convincing examples, and reveal the twists and turns of a 25-year friendship and artistic relationship. A happy bonus is how this survey paints an image of a deliciously Machiavellian art world in Rome — all scheming competition and heated rivalry.

Michelangelo “The Entombment (or Christ being carried to his Tomb)” (c. 1500-1) oil on poplar, 161.7 x 149.9 cm (© The National Gallery, London)

As such, it quickly becomes clear that curator Matthias Wivel is not out to champion del Piombo as an unsung master. Throughout the show, his work is shown to be decidedly clunky and lacking in comparison to the finesse and genius virtuosity of Michelangelo. Beginning with the Venetian-trained del Piombo’s arrival in Rome, the focus is exploration of the technical differences between the two artists within the context of fiercely competitive art patronage in Rome. We are thus invited to compare the working method behind Michelangelo’s “Virgin and Child with Saint John and Angels” (c. 1497) — its unfinished state revealing meticulously exact linear planning, green coloring of the dead flesh, and a piecemeal approach regarding covering the canvas surface — with del Piombo’s also unfinished “Judgement of Solomon” (c. 1506–09). With its underdrawing clearly showing hesitancy and a late-stage change in composition characteristic of an improvisatory way of working, it contrasts with Michelangelo’s determined precision. Del Piombo’s preference for an overall painterly fuzziness that evokes mood and atmosphere is consistent with the Venetian school of painting. Elsewhere, del Piombo’s Saints Bartholomew and Sebastian (c. 1510–11) from the doors of the Church of San Bartolomeo in Venice, similarly show a kind of all-over sfumato that fuzzes outlines, giving a murky, moody tone. In his paintings there is none of the distinguishing dynamism of the Florentine Michelangelo’s solid figures and strong composition.

Sebastiano del Piombo “The Visitation” (1518-19) oil on canvas, transferred from wood, 168 × 132 cm Musée du Louvre, Département des Peintures, Paris (© RMN-Grand Palais (musée du Louvre) by Hervé Lewandowski)

This technical introduction to the two artists in the exhibition’s first room thus makes the story that del Piombo was actively promoted by Michelangelo as competition against his “detested” rival Raphael, all the more compelling. In an era of prodigious art commissioning by the ruling religious and political elite (most famously, the powerful Medici family), a highly cynical scene emerges in which del Piombo, specializing in oil painting (tempera being the more common medium), is championed by Michelangelo specifically as a challenger to the city’s only other big oil painter, Raphael. The National Gallery makes a convincing case of del Piombo seeing himself as being in direct competition with the famed colorist skills of Raphael via a progression of works showing del Piombo’s increasing tendency away from murky painting towards pure brilliant color. More juicy illustration of the two artists’ devious machinations in pursuit of patronage comes with the display of their correspondence: del Piombo says to Michelangelo in 1519, having just finished his Raising of Lazarus, “I beg you to persuade Messer Domennico [Boninsegni] to have the frame gilded in Rome, and to leave me to arrange the gilding, because I want to make the Cardinal realise that Raphael is robbing the Pope of at least 3 ducats a day for gilding .” Similarly, in 1520 following Raphael’s death, Michelangelo writes to Cardinal Bernardo Dovizi da Bibbiena persuading him to take on Sebastiano to “share in the work at the Palace, now that Raphael is dead,” humbling adding “You are always granting favours to men of esteem; I beg your Lordship to try out [the favour] with me.”

After Michelangelo “Pietà” (1975) (copy after “Pietà” (1497-1500) St Peter’s, Vatican City) plaster cast from five piece moulds, with wood and iron armature, 174 x 195 cm, Vatican Museums, Vatican City (© Photo Vatican Museums)

In terms of concrete art historical evidence, the show works brilliantly with a methodical presentation of clear examples of the cross-pollination of ideas and designs between the two artists. The Vatican museums have loaned the Gallery a 1975 plaster cast of Michelangelo’s “Pietà” of 1497–1500, shown opposite del Piombo’s Pietà, or “Lamentation over the Dead Christ” (c. 1512–16). (Enjoy it — this is the closest you’ll get to the sculpture; the real thing should never leave its bulletproof case at St. Peter’s cathedral in Rome.) Each piece has its monumental, centrally positioned Virgin arranged to be perpendicular to the horizontal Christ, yet del Piombo makes innovative changes by including a nocturnal setting. More thrilling is the adjacent drawing by Michelangelo: a study of hands (among other bits and bobs), which is placed directly in the line of sight of the Virgin’s hands in del Piombo’s “Lamentation.” So displayed, it’s extremely hard to defy the argument that the former was a preparatory drawing for the latter. If this isn’t exciting enough, on the back of the “Lamentation” panel are sketches the National posits as studies consistent with designs in the Sistine Chapel; suggesting Michelangelo used this panel to sketch out designs and ideas eventually used there.

Sebastiano del Piombo, after partial designs by Michelangelo, “Lamentation over the Dead Christ (Pietà)” (c. 1512-16) oil on poplar, 248 × 190 cm, Museo Civico, Viterbo (© Comune di Viterbo)

The same presentation occurs again for two main del Piombo showpieces, demonstrating a working relationship in which del Piombo blended into his oil painting drawings provided by Michelangelo. The near four-meter-tall “Raising of Lazarus” (1517–1519) — apparently del Piombo’s answer to Raphael’s “Transfiguration” (1516-20) — is surrounded by supporting drawings. Sensationally, del Piombo’s Borgherini Chapel in Rome has been reconstructed here using state of the art printing technology to add visual heft to the translation of Michelangelo’s preparatory drawings.

The rigorous, academic method of display absolutely makes this show. It is undeniable, looking at the key examples in the “Lamentation” and “Raising of Lazarus,” that there is little to distinguish del Piombo as a key Renaissance presence. The latter piece has been in the National’s collection since 1824, yet for all its scale and vibrant colour it somehow still feels uninspiring and workman-like. That del Piombo was not a Renaissance master of the level of Michelangelo is confirmed in the final room covering their parting of ways after

After Michelangelo “The Risen Christ” (c. 1897-8) (copy after the Risen Christ, 1519-21, Santa Maria sopra Minerva, Rome) plaster cast from approximately eight piece moulds consisting of approximately 81 individual pieces 251 × 74 × 82.5 cm, Statens Museum for Kunst, Copenhagen (© SMK Photo by Jakob Skou-Hansen)

1536 by which time Michelangelo has broken from his one-time collaborator, labelling him, according to the final room’s wall caption, “lazy.” Del Piombo’s latter works melt into generic Italian Renaissance fare. The show’s press has trumpeted much about the envelope-pushing reconstruction of the Borgherini Chapel, and boasted of some admittedly excellent loans. The Pietà copy, and the two versions of Michelangelo’s the Risen Christ — one from 1514, loaned by the San Vincenzo Monastery in Bassano Romano, the other a cast of its second version from Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, both surrounded by exceptional preparatory drawings — are a very rare treat indeed. However, Michelangelo’s “Taddei Tondo” (1504–06) doesn’t count since it’s otherwise freely viewable in the Royal Academy, down the road, the presence of the Pietà copy, and the two versions of Michelangelo’s the Risen Christ — one from 1514 loaned by the San Vincenzo Monastery in Bassano Romano, the other a cast of its second version from Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome, both surrounded by exceptional preparatory drawings – are a very rare treat indeed.

Most importantly, the exhibition has successfully steered clear of unduly inflating the importance of del Piombo, or presented another painter as an excuse for yet more Michelangelo worshipping. It is fortunate that their 25-year friendship has proven ripe for examination. It provides a rewarding experience that overcomes the complaint by some critics that Michelangelo by nature just dominates any other artist on the bill.

Michelangelo & Sebastiano continues at the National Gallery (Trafalgar Square, London, UK) until June 25.

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