Discussion 6, "Sound eyes..."

It is very interesting that there is such a heated discussion about the body. Although they may have never heard, " The body is a temple", Gilio seems to think that the body would not hold the same power over the practitioners of the church if they were to be nude. Not only that but allegory and unspoken suggestion with in a painting was highly dictated. Michelangelo's pose for Christ as he looks upon the damned gained much recognition because the unspoken power of it was so intense. The body becomes a symbol of power or untruth and for those that could not read or write this was their suggestion to the meaning of their lives. Being able to capture an emotional response from a viewer from a highly responsive painting like Correggio, was much more important than a rational response. It was the painters job to tell the viewer something, not build it up with facts. The fact that this was how the Church was able to intense followers to keep believing in what they were feeding them was extremely important, and they new it.

Discussion 1; Humanism

So from the readings by Martin, Humanism seemed to have been created, by chance or by choice, for the elite! It was all about bettering the lives of the civilians but only until they bettered them enough for the higher classes to take what they needed from the lower classes. The lower classes could not elevate their status quot but they could teach others a better way to rule or to learn. I think Troy said it very well, " The Humanist movement was born of power, justified by the power of its originators, and used to garner power for personal gain, and with eloquence/rhetoric as a “guiding aim”, what cannot be rationalized? " This statement shows much of what our government is still about in this age; education leads to power....and if you're lucky wealth. It is interesting that there were so many backing the idea. There can only be so much corruption before a revolution erupts. The new Humanist way took ideas from the old Greek and Roman ways but also enforced them with their new contemporary ways. 

11.4.13 Class Notes

Classy things;
NO CLASS next Monday 11, 2013.

Presenters for the week after:
Christa
Marion
Stormy
Texel
Shae




Notes:
Home Videos from Harvey in Italy. Epic.
Raphael - Bernini 2010

Medici Tombs:
*Duke Giuliano, La Notte Day. (Night and Day)
never truly restful figure for night, but more exhausted.
Day-figure bound up in itself, looking over the shoulder, the arm twisted behind the back creating this strong backed person. Velvadier torso was one of the inspirations for it. Despite it's power there is no effective action. Left to be finished.
Night- earliest of the 4 figures, still has atriputes of the night. symbols of sleep and death, poppies, masks, owl. (womb to tomb). going way from the "Virgin" she seems, spent, no longer a virgin. procreative. Broken nose is a symbol of Michelangelo failed attempt, (negative things).

*Duke Lorenzo Dusk and Dawn =Dusk(Michelangelo Portrait)  -Earth-Melancholy-Autumn
Dawn- (th eVirgin) -air-
Lorenzo -Very  much the pensive thinker. Was an idea from the print from Durer "Melencoliai". Story is Lorenzo died mad so that may be why the helmet covered his face so.
Dusk- sense of exhaustion can be seen in unfinsihed work.
Dawn- beautiful virgin, Chasity Belt of sorts wraps around her ribs.

*Michelangelo, Medici Madonna 1519-34
The Christ Child is at his mothers breast instead of the child engaging with the audience. the child is enclosed with the form. prohetess looks ahead. strong contraposto (twisting away from us). completes his Madonna series. the crossed legs "the legs that no man shall enter"/ head is unfinished.

*Titian, Danae, 1552
-Story, danae is locked in a tower and Jupiter appears to her as a stream of gold. An idea from the closed form of Michealangleos "Night".

*Michelangelo, Pieta, St. Peter's 1498
had her hand and nose knocked off by a cultural vigilati.  commissioned for a French tomb. the first sculpted Pieta in Italian art. her face is narrow Florentine type. Has strange line qualities throughout. problem that Michelangelo has is how to balance the composition, She becomes bigger as it works to her feet to help compass him . If She were to stand up she would be 3x bigger. Only sculpture that Michelangelo signed. The presentation of the Corpas Cristi; the church offering us the body of Christ.  She does not look sad, she is the prophet. He is the scarifies and she is the alter. The muscle tone of Christ is that it is not of a dead man but of a man that he is only sleeping, he will rise again. She is also too young, she is 47 years old...."chase women take better care of themselves". "the wife of Christ". the mourning of a lover, the tragedy of it.

*Michelangelo, Pieta, Florence, 1555
Difference in composition, Missing a leg for Christ, Michelangelo attached the sculpture. Awkward composition  Joseph of aramedia and Nickademus were the ones to bare Christ to the tomb. Nickademus is looking over Christ while Mary holds up Christ. The theme of lovers of Christ. Mary Magdalene. Missing leg can only go over the lap of Mary. The corps is quite alive.

*Dying slave, Tomb of Julias the II
Suspended figure,

Raphael's Isaac and Rebecca
crossing of the a\lap is highly sexual

Michelangelo, Rondanini Pieta 1560- 64
Unfinished and not known to the public. was working on it till the day he died. Holding up Christ, but also merges into the body of the Madona. Has a huge part of work to do. Really long legs. Seems to be a result from other ideas.

10.14.13

Classy things;

Next Monday is the MIDTERM! 10/22/13 . Please make sure to bring a blue book to class.
All the slides that we are asked to look over and memorize have been posted on D2L.
Please be sure to be keeping up on your project for discussion.


NOTES:
Michelangelo vs. Raphael? vs Leonardo?
Who was better? Why?
Who created a better art legacy?

Raphael:
The student always tries to out do the master.

*Bramante, The Tempietto courtyard of S. Pietro in Montorio, 1502-15011
Died before he could finish the Dome of St. Peters Basilica. Temple is turned back into the "ancient form"

*Melozzo da Forli, Sixtus IV, his Nephews, and Plantina, his Librarian, c. 1476; Vatican

*The Disprita; first fresco in .....
it shows the miracle of the father, son , and holy spirit. alternating old and new testament figures up in Heaven, swings all the "weight" of the focal point to the little center.
 First shot at a large fresco. the doorway right underneath on the right side of the fresco is how you enter the room. Mastery of linear perspective.

*"The School of Athens"
Plato and Aristotle , the fresco on the other side of the wall from the Disprita. Show's the ancient that are seeking revelation through their philosophy. Very respectful. simultaneous project to the Sistine Chapel.  together with Disprita, it shows the temple of the mind.

Theology is made in "Gods" open air. Philosophy is "man" made. Visualizing St. Peters, it is what it becomes.

*Raphael, cartoon,
what will become "The School of Athens" . Finally adds in Michelangelo in the center. Plato pointing up to the "Heavens", also looks like Leonardo. Artistotal is pointing down, wanting to discuss ethics.
Raphael puts himself in the scientific and mathematical group.
Pathagarus and musical theory are on the other side.


*" Parnassus"
The "Poetry" Fresco, holds all the poets

*"Law"
Pope Julius II holding.... , Also shows ancient art. "prudence, temperateness, fortitude" . This fresco is opposite Parnassus


This was a huge church tradition, having a conversation about past and present and the mind in an illustrated form. Raphael creates a huge "open space" by doing these frescos. "He opens them up with deep space".

The Ceiling contains; Justice, Poetry,  Theology, and Philosopy.

*Raphael, Sistine Madonna, 1512-13
not in the Sistine Chapel, but was done right after Pope Julius died. He is in the picture as a predecessor. The angels and the bottom are painted right on top of the crowd. St. Barabra holds the curtain open to show the new mother and child. The Madonna looks more Roman. Done for the church of San Sisto,  a Renaissance town, done for Julius as a remembrance piece.  Was smuggled out by monks who needed the money. A German duke bought it and a copy was made and an over night smuggle opteration.
Was then later taken by the Russian Red soldiers during WWII.

****RAPE OF ERUPOA**** movie based on such art work.

*Raphael, La Donna Velata, Florence, Pitti
Raphael's lover (girlfriend), possibly the model for the Sistine Madonna. shows great detail to the cloth that both the Madonna and Velata are dressed in.

*Raphael, "La Fornarina"
"girlfriend" as model

*Raphael, Galatea, c 1513
both icons, the humanist strain is to relate the modern day to the ancient world.  based on ancient ideas but everything always correlates to what is going on.

*Raphaels Bible,
smaller fresco but beautifully done and put together.

*Mass of Bolsena, 1512
a fresco created around a window. great portratures of the modern figures. compotion of balance and the colors show how much action is within the image.
Swiss Guards, started by Pope Julius II as his body gaurds.  Look as if they are in the room with you. Has to deal with the asymmetrical window so he creates steps off the right side that are longer.

*Expulsion of Heliodorus, 1512
Goes back to Isrial. The Rabbi prays in the back of the image for help which comes as invisible angels on horseback. almost a trip tic composition.  He is a painter opposed to a sculpture . highly calculated forms. almost overly calculated.

*Repulse of Attila, Stanza d' Eliodoro, 1513.
turning the Huns away from the gates of Roman in anciet times. St. Peter and Paul help to shield away the army.


*Raphael, Liberation of St. Peter, Stanza d' Eliodoro, 1514
Pope has died. The story of St. Peter being freed from prison by an angel.  Pope Leo has to be in two different people within the composition. very heavy sevier architecture. deals with the salvation of Rome. French are unable to take Rome. Pope had a huge bon fire and for that the lighting may have come from that idea.


*Donatello, Miracle of the Mule, Padua, High Altar, Sant' Antonio, 1445
Drama of architect is on a big scale. is somewhat in a Trip tic composition as well.

*Pope Leo X and Cardinals c. 1517
Humanist and art collector but bad news for the people. Also a Medici.

*Peiro Della Framcesca, Dream of Constantine, Fresco, Arezzo
light shining on the armor is the same as the "liberation of St. Peter". Pushing the boundaries of Baroque art.

10.7.13 Notes

Classy things: At the end of this week, everything must be caught up!!!! All reading assignments and blog postings.
 Study Guide for slide comparison exam; two images up, shown side by side. 12 minutes to write about the slides in a relevant way . Discussion about the the slide must be in relation to eachother not just about one slide at a time.
Slides will be posted on D2L to study for the exam.  
EXAM WILL BE OCTOBER 21, 2013. Image, artist and title (date with in 5 years of real time).
Study everything!! there will be 6 slide comparisons but we will NOT be told which ones.
IT IS A BLUE BOOK EXAM, please remember to bring one!


NOTES:
Sistine Prophets
*Sistine Ceiling; relates to the Arch of Constantine with the medalic forms  and architecture.  Male Prophets and female Oracles alternate the ceiling. Reco Roman culture is wedded to the Sybls Christian culture

*Delphic Sibyl, one of the earliest of the paintings. knows how to amplify the figure with drapery, the minor montifes, gyni (little genuises). hold scrolls or books in the ancient way. Crossing of the arm over the body is a Michelangelo sign. Both this and the Madonnas have the impassive look; looking to the future not the past. predicted the savior wearing a crown of thorns. all the seated posses create a sense of monumentalality.

*Joel, Hebrew prophet. heavily draped. prophet of "the vines of Noah ",

*Zaccariah, the prophet of Christ entering into Jerusalem, placed above were the pope s to enter.

*Erithraea Sibyl, very muscular turning contraposto composition. Gold balisters, use of gold. Michelango used male models only ..
last judgement prophet.  

*Isaiah, Swirling drapery and has a face of a poet. very youthful, all the prophets seem to be gripped in the metaphysical pose. gripping an idea. Prophet of the Virgin Birth

*Cumaean Sibyl; old cave orecal, croan. Was 700 years old when Virgil found her. makes prophet of Virgin Birth.

*Ezekial; makes very blunt movement. His Putti shows him to the creation of Eve and fall of Man. The prophet of  "the gate no man should enter"

*Daniel; youngest of the prophets. Takes notes by having his Putti holding his book. Michelanglo shows how he can change color....blue to green. to yellow.

*Libyan Sibyl, Prophet of the birth of Christ, last and right by the alter. Muscles look like landscapes. Legs are too long to help with the pose. increasing the monumentality of the figures with in the thrones.

*Jonah, right over the alter with a huge fish like whale. He seems as if he is watching the scene of creation.
Jonah and the whale...a Resurrection story. very straining pose. All the prophets are like the are looking back into time watching as the story unfolds.

*Jeremiah, the brooding monlift. completing introverted and meditative. He is really Pope Julius II.
-Auguste Rodin was inspired by this paint which created "the Thinker".

*Michelangelo's Ancestors of Christ in the Lunettes; very melancholy figures waiting for salvation. Depression showed heavenly in faces.  

Transverse Axis; last scenes are painted first. Michelangelo see's he has spacing issues with the pictures.he must expand his scale of figures. Everything changes with the creation of Eve.
Introductory figure at the edge of the painting is reclining. (the great flood)

*The Studiolo of Francesco de' Medici, Prince of Florence, Palazzo Vecchio, Florence, 1570's
collections of his "sciences' " were hidden behind wall hangings.

*the sacrifice of Noah, the Nudi's are what encapsulates the image.
The druken slob,

*Ghiberti, Creation and Expulsion, Paradise Doors, Florence, Baptistery 1425-52
Nudity expresses damn nation in Medieval art. Now it encapsulates Renaissance. Center is the creation of Eve, left is the creation of Adam, right is the angel driving them out of paradise.
The real doors are inside, the outside doors are a fake.

*The temptation and the fall, he had to expand the figures to relate the size. The serpent that gives Eve the fruit is "female". Adam helps her by bringing down the branch. The landscape was trivial and barren, the figure was the most important part. Eve became uglier and less powerful after the fall, become the woman of the everyday.
Power of movement, the musculature, the resilance of the body is unlike anything they had ever seen. Eve points at her womb which is a for shadowing of the pain of child birth and the birth of humanity.
"sex in paradise is love without lust"

* Masaccio, Expulsion. Brancacci Chapel, Florence, c. 1425.
the ivy branches were added later because of objections to the nudity.

*Creation of Adam.
Adam was created out of the image of "God". "the greatest handshake of all time" Spark of life that jumps between the heavenly divine and the earthly . The tension between the two images is electrifying.
Beards were forbidden for the priest and the popes. the symbolism of the beard linked the pope to the patriarch. the other figures that are behind "God" ... who are they? is it Eve? Why is she looking at Adam? Who is the figure that the other hand of God holds onto? Mary and Christ is a good speculation.
at the creation of Adam, there must be sin in the world. There are two theories;
1. rebellion of Lucifer and the angels, make is so that God must replenish the leagues of angels and so he create man.
2.Muslism and christian; the jealousy of lucifer of the creation of man creates the Heaven and Hell

It was said that Michelangelo had surpassed the ancient art work of the body.  


Raphael
* self portrait, from Orbino. Culture center, father was court painter.

*Rome, the Pantheian, were raphael's tomb is located.

*Perugino, Sposalizio (marriage of the Virgin). Centralized structure. The old guys "rod" has the winning flowering rod. repitition of pose and types.

*Raphael, Sposalizio, 1504, Milan, Brera.... same idea, deeper linear perspective; More space. has more movement and better collaboration in the figures. The Building is high Renaissance architecture. First time that Raphael shows his name.

*Raphael, Prophet Isaiah......the response to Michelangelo's Sistine Chapel.  

PROJECT: Finally, Discussion project

I am going to be doing my discussion on the Pagan Mysteries of the Renaissance and will be reading the text by Edgar Wind. Although I have not quite gotten to start reading the text, I believe that this will be a very interesting topic due to the fact that there was so much political and religious stigma behind any art that was done during this time. While it was most Christian ideals that controlled the art world, pagan symbolism was very dominant as a "look at the past".

Classy Things:
All assignments have to be done before class, this will make for better discussion during class.

Oct 14th: Discuss 2. Readings from Leonardo da Vinci: Flights of the mind. 


Notes:

* Michelandgelo, Bruges Madonna 1503-04
was in Florence but sold to a Flemish merchant and left Italy. She seems to anticipates the prophet. Iconic appearance. Icons go back to medieval, put ideas on a pedestal. The dress she wears is a classical approach, vertical folds, iconic quality. Not so much a happy mother but more someone who sees the future. ....the hood she wears takes the place of the halo, ancient art and ancient sculpture.
interlacing of the hands. The Christ Child seems to be taking his first steps but is still in the staftey of his mothers cloths. She seems to be holding  a book that suggests a prophet.

*Donatello, Virgins and Saints, High Altar, Sant'
Bisantin proto type, the child seems to be still in the womb. Icon vs narrative, this was more narrative. Madonna seems to be rising from the thrown to be giving the Christ child to "us". A lot of motion.
Michelangelo is always competing with  Donatello.

* Raphael, "La Belle Jardiniere" 1507
Born in Orivino. Goes to were all the action is; Rome. " Take the marble Madonna, and hide it away" told his father to put away the Madona and child because he was afraid Raphael would steal the idea.
. Took many different ideas from Michelangelo, the difference is that the Christ child has already "left" his mother but he returns to the tender mother. Singular form.

*Leonardo, Madonna with St. Anne, 1508-13, Paris, Louvre
Made the Mona Lisa during this period as well. Raphael learned a lot from this and other

*Taddei Tondo 1500-1502, Michangelo
The shape is referred to as a Tondo; circular, round. Unfinished, possibly the one that he was said to "hide away". The head of the Madonna is too flat and it show again that she the prophet. violent actions, over excited and the Child flees at the sight of the bird that John the Baptist holds. The child is not yet ready to take on the bird, or the souls of the world. The Madonna, again, shows no emotion. the Child is in contrapasto. This idea was derived from a sarcophagus from Media, Media= a lover kills her children,

*Donatello, Feast of Herod, Baptismal font, Siena 1425
3 leading
Sculpture usually starts then painting.
"Feast of Herod"=The sculpture depicts the Beheading of St. John the Baptist after Salome asks Herod Antipas for his head on a platter. The scene depicts an executioner presenting the severed head, and Herod reacting in shock.
Great attention and great narrative. Square pannel, child present, linear system and a contraposto due ted purpose. 

*Madonna de la Cartilino 
Raphael has serine landscape 

*Raphael, Madonna of Meadow, 1505
in a triangular form. what ever the children play with is a shadow to the future, or what is going to happen. "Raphael creates THE perfect mother" All of the "Madonnas " come from Leonardo's Madonna with St. Anne.
Madonna always wore read and blue, Compassion and faith. It was vital in the churches view/ 

*Botticelli, Madonna of the Magnificent
Circular frame but triangular image. Florentine by way of the scarf that the Madonna wears. Many angels no wings. They are more involved with each other than they are with the Madonna. 

*Pitti Tondo, 1505, Bargello, 33' diameter
Pitti was a family that were taken over by the Medici family. Unfinished but great monumental. The contrast to the Bruges Madonna is that the child is carefree and she is looking into the future. John the Bap waits in the back grown. 
The head breaks the frame. with her cape she protects the child.

*Doney Tondo, Michelangelo 
Strange iconography 
Doney family = important patrons for Raphael, Michelangelo paints for them.
this was probably done as a "birth plate", given with presents atop it. The minute heads stand virtical on the plate.
HAD NEVER SEEN A BARE ARM OF A NUN BEFORE THIS. She is a Madonna of humility because she sits on the ground.
The nudes in the back are traditional Roman athletes. Interpretations= are they in a baptism? is it the foundation to a building?
The "Holy family group". Seated between the feet of Joseph, Madonna takes much care in protecting the child.
Very Chiaroscuro, shows that Michelangelo was a sculpture. "The best paintings should be sculpture".
All the twisting and athletics, just seems to do much about nothing.
Theologically, her virility shows in the strength of her arm .

"the Doney Madonna Twist "
The artifical bonds are ended by the "true family bonds" of Christianity

* Raphael, Entombment, 1508
The Madonna is fainted but having that symbolic death. The Mary's support her and 

*Bronzino, Exposure of Luxury, 1545
Mannerism, allegory . Venus the Goddess of Love and her son Cupid. Perversion of the Holy family. 

*Salone del Cinquecento, Palazzo Vecchio, Frescoes by Vasari
may well be that Vasari may have covered up fresco by Michelangelo and Leonardo. 

*Leondardo, Battle of Anghiari (central portion; copy by Rubens)
infrequent Florentine victories over the Milanese.  interested in horse forms again. He used wax to get an atmospheric affect that failed miserably. the top faded away and the the bottom melted. 
May of 1506, gave up and went back to Milan. a Swaztica composition. 

Technical failure. 

*Uccello, Battle of San Romano, c. 1445
The most important victory.  Beautiful abstraction, learning linear perspective. beautiful use of decorative lances. Leonardo would look at this for his Battle of Anghiari

*Michelangelo, Battle of Cascina, 1505 (copy by Aritstotile da Sangallo)
Poor depiction. parts of it were stolen. 
All poses. Battle of 1364. 

*Pollaiuolo, Martyrdom of St. Sebastian, 1475
very semetrical composes. trying to repeat poses of action for anatomy studies. 

Renaissance art is linear , Baroque are is painterly.

GROUP DISCUSSION


Sistine Chapel
Michelangelo made his own free standing scaffolding. The Original ceiling was light blue with stars. The original depiction was of enthroned prophets. The project, at the beginning, is in his way and then becomes his version of the history of the world. He gets to do what he wants. It is a flatten version of the tome of Julius. Classical system, like sculpture. The points of view are all different. they all shift. Are the surrounding paintings or are they their one work? The Nidnui sit and surround the narrative scenes of Ginsus . They represent the befores of the world.  they are only half conscience of what is about to happen. Oak leaves were apparent in a lot of the work.  
Jan 1509- 4 years to complete. 
He was depressed and couldn't work with anyone. 

the only place where the system comes together is over the alter, with Jonah and the whale. 

Dante, 14th century, Michelangelo 
later scene are done first on the ceiling. 
The first scene is the drunkenness of Noah, everything in the old testament is a reconfiguration of the new. Failed savior. 
second scene flood. 

*Arch of Constantine, Rome, c. 300
a modge podge of collected materials.